Vivendi Universal Corporate Tree

 

Following biographies from Vivendi Universal's web page.

 

 

Jean-Marie Messier is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vivendi Universal. Previously, Mr. Messier was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vivendi (June 1996 to December 2000). Mr. Messier joined Compagnie Générale des Eaux (renamed Vivendi in 1998) in November 1994, as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Committee. Prior to his appointment at Vivendi, Mr. Messier was General Partner of the investment bank Lazard Frères et Cie (1989-1994). Mr. Messier started his career as Inspecteur des Finances for the French Ministry of Economy and Finance (1982-1986). He then became Head of the cabinet of Camille Cabana, Deputy Minister in charge of the privatization program. From 1986 to 1988, Mr. Messier was Advisor to Edouard Balladur, Minister of Economy, Finance and Privatization at the time. Mr. Messier graduated from France's Ecole Polytechnique (1976-1979) and attended Ecole Nationale d'Administration (1980-1982). Mr. Messier is member of the Board of Directors of Alcatel, BNP-Paribas, Cegetel, Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, LVMH-Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, New York Stock Exchange, UGC, USA Networks and is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Canal+.

 

Eric Licoys                                      

Co-Chief Operating Officer 
Vivendi Universal

Eric Licoys is co-Chief Operating Officer of Vivendi Universal and is responsible for the integration of Vivendi, Seagram and Canal+. Prior to his current position at Vivendi Universal, Eric Licoys was Managing Director of Vivendi, which he joined in 1997 as advisor to the Chairman and Director.  In parallel to his responsibilities at Vivendi, Eric Licoys was Chairman of Havas, now renamed Vivendi Universal Publishing. From 1990-1995, Eric Licoys was CEO and then Chairman and CEO of Fonds Partenaires Gestion, an investment fund which is part of the Lazard group. In 1996, he was appointed Manager of the Lazard Frères et Cie investment bank.
Eric Licoys started his career at Crédit Naval, a financing company. In 1970, he joined Sir James Goldsmith's Générale Occidentale group, where he was Managing Director and member of the board of Banque Occidentale pour l'Industrie et le Commerce. He left the bank in 1982 to create Compagnie Financière Barclays in Paris.  Eric Licoys has a postgraduate degree in economics and a diploma from the Paris Institute of Political Sciences (IEP).  Eric Licoys is 62, married and the father of four children.

 

Pierre Lescure


Co-Chief Operating Officer, Vivendi Universal
Chairman of the Executive Board
and Chief Executive Officer,
Canal + Group

Pierre Lescure, who graduated from the Centre de Formation des Journalistes (French School of Journalism) in Paris, brought more than 20 years of experience in radio and television to CANAL+, which he helped launch in 1984.  Mr. Lescure began his career in journalism in 1965 as a reporter and newscaster for French radio station RTL. In 1968, he joined Radio Monte-Carlo where he shared responsibility for a number of programs. In 1972, Mr. Lescure was chosen to anchor the late night news show on France's second public television network and he moved to the prime time 8 p.m. newscast the following year. He then left television to return to radio, serving as deputy news editor in charge of weekend programming for Europe 1. In early 1979, Mr. Lescure returned to Radio Monte-Carlo as program director and as news and programming advisor to the station's chief executive.   In October 1981, Mr. Lescure was named co-director of TV channel Antenne 2's variety programming unit, where he created the cult program "Les Enfants du Rock". In October 1982, he was appointed news director for the entire network.  In November 1983, Mr. Lescure joined the Chairman and CEO of CANAL+, André Rousselet, to create France's first pay-television channel, which was launched on November 4, 1984. Mr. Lescure was appointed Vice-President in charge of network programming. In May 1986, he became the pay-TV network's Chief Operating Officer.  Since February 16, 1994, Mr. Lescure has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CANAL+. Under his leadership, CANAL+ has become Europe's leading pay-TV Group, with more than 14 million subscriptions. The Group expanded its operations from five to eleven European countries following the acquisition of NetHold in 1996.  During Mr. Lescure's Chairmanship, CANAL+ has also been an active pioneer in digital television. The Group launched Europe's first digital package, CANALSATELLITE, which from the start included numerous interactive services. CANALSATELLITE is now a profitable company and the CANAL+ Group has developed similar platforms in all the countries where it has premium channels.   CANAL+ has leveraged its experience in pay-TV to develop digital TV technologies for conditional access and interactive services. These products are sold to TV operators around the world through CANAL+ TECHNOLOGIES, a Group subsidiary.
Mr. Lescure caught the Internet wave very early on, encouraging the creation of a website for the French premium channel in 1995. In 1999, subsidiary CANALNUMEDIA was formed to federate the Group's Internet operations and develop sites and content with a focus on movies and sports.
Mr. Lescure's passion for movies led him to forge close ties with the film industry when CANAL+ was created. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of the European studio STUDIOCANAL, a Group subsidiary actively involved in movie and TV production and distribution. He is also Chairman of its French subsidiary, STUDIOCANAL France.  Mr. Lescure is also Chairman of the Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) soccer club.
Mr. Lescure is 55, married and has one child.

Bernard Arnault
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Jean-Louis Beffa
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Compagnie de Saint-Gobain 
Edgar M. Bronfman
Former Chairman of the Board of Directors, The Seagram Company Ltd. Edgar Bronfman, Jr.
Vice Chairman of the Board 
Richard H. Brown
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Electronic Data Systems Jean-Marc Espalioux
Chairman of the Management Board, Accor 
Philippe Foriel-Destezet
Director, Adecco SA Jacques Friedmann 
Director BNP Paribas 
Esther Koplowitz
Director, Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Marie-Josée Kravis
Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute Inc. 
Henri Lachmann
Chairman, Schneider Electric Samuel Minzberg
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Claridge Inc. 
Simon Murray
Chairman, Simon Murray and Co. Serge Tchuruk
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Alcatel 
René Thomas
Honorary Chairman, BNP Paribas Marc Viénot
Honorary Chairman of Société Générale

 

 

 

More information available from Vivendi Universal.com

 

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