Board of directors - Directors - Top management

A demanding approach of governance

In line with the principles of good governance guiding Parrot’s operations, the Group has set up various structures to guarantee the independence of management and control.
In this way, Parrot has appointed three independent directors and drawn up new bylaws introducing a compensation committee. Made up of four directors, three of whom are independent, the compensation committee met 4 times over 2006. It is responsible for assessing
the compensation policy applied for staff and more specifically the management team, as well as any significant changes in key positions for the Group, while advising the Board of Directors on these subjects.
This responsible approach to corporate governance will continue to be rolled out over 2007, with an audit committee to be set up.

Henri Seydoux founded the Company in 1994 and has served as chairman and chief executive officer since its creation. Self-educated, he began his career in 1978 as a trainee with the french magazine Actuel, where he was later employed as a journalist from 1979 to 1980. In 1981, he joined the sales team at the Matin de Paris newspaper. Then, in 1982, he joined SSCI as an operating system software developer, before working for Microarchi from 1983 to 1984 in the same role. In 1985, he set up BBS, a company marketing the micro archi operating system. In 1986, he created BSCA, a synthetic 3D imaging company, and became its chairman and chief executive officer from 1986 to 1990. In 1991, with three other partners, he founded and became a director in the luxury goods company Christian Louboutin.

Jean-Marie Painvin was appointed as a Company director on June 24th, 2003. After graduating from Rice University in Texas with a masters in mechanical engineering, he began his career in 1975 as a regional director for Trailor SA, where he went on to become sales and marketing director between 1981 and 1988. In 1988, he became Chairman of Deutsch Relays, Inc. in the US, and was then appointed to the senior management team at Compagnie Deutsch in 1994, where he has served as chairman and CEO since 1999.

Edward Planchon was appointed as a Company director on May 4th, 2004. He has a degree in economic sciences and international affairs from the University of Michigan, where he also obtained an MBA. He has lived in and traveled to numerous countries and speaks six languages. He began his career in 1957 at Chrysler, where, for 22 years, in the US, Europe and Japan, he was responsible in turn for financial management, marketing and sales worldwide. Over this time, he was in charge of Chrysler’s European distribution subsidiaries, a negotiator on the Chrysler-Mitsubishi agreements, and the CEO responsible for distribution networks for the automobile and heavy goods vehicle brands for Chrysler, Dodge and Mitsubishi around the world (excluding North America and Japan). He joined Valeo in 1987 and was part of its general management team for 16 years. Overseeing international affairs and marketing, he was responsible for the worldwide commercial development of the group. In 2000, he was promoted to CEO for the Valeo group. He was then appointed as an adviser to Valeo’s chairman in 2002, before leaving the group in 2003 (retired).

Marco Landi was appointed as an independent director for the Company on September 14th, 2006. An electronic engineering graduate from the University of Bologna, he is the chairman of Atlantis, a specialized IT and telecommunications consultancy. He has a proven track record in the high-tech business sector, and has held various positions with a high level of responsibility on semiconductors, IT equipment and software on a global level. More specifically, he has spent 24 years working for Texas Instruments, where he was the chairman and CEO for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and then CEO for the Asia-Pacific region, and later for Apple Computer, as CEO for Europe, Africa and the Middle East and then chief operating officer at the Cupertino headquarters, and BMC Software, as chairman for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He has lived in the US, Asia and various countries across Europe, speaks several languages and has built up a vast professional network. In 1994, he was elected European chairman for the Brussels-based American Electronics Association. Marco Landi now has various operational management positions, serving on several boards of directors, while also providing services as a consultant worldwide.

Olivier Legrain was appointed as an independent director for the Company on September 14th, 2006. He graduated in civil engineering from the Ecole des Mînes and from the Ecole Nationale de la Statistique de l'Administration Economique (ENSAE). After various executive management positions within the Rhône Poulenc group, he served as the deputy CEO for the Basic Chemicals Division from 1986 to 1990, for the Fibers and Polymers sector from 1990 to 1991, and for the Organic Intermediates and Minerals sector from 1991 to 1993. In 1994, he was appointed deputy CEO for the LAFARGE group and a member of the executive committee. In 1995, he was appointed to head up the Specialty Materials branch, before also taking on responsibility for the group's strategic coordination in 1997. Since 2001, he has been the chairman and CEO of MATERIS, an LBO created out of the LAFARGE group's Specialty Materials branch (1.6 billion euros in revenues over 2006 and 8,200 people). He has also been a director at Rhodia since May 2005

Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux was appointed as an independent director for the Company on September 14th, 2006. After graduating from ESSEC, he spent two years in the special forces (Marine Commandos), with operations in Africa and Lebanon. He then joined the L’Oréal group, where he spent 10 years in various positions in both France and abroad, notably serving as head of marketing in the UK and then CEO for Poland. In 1996, he put all his savings into opening up The Phone House, the first fully dedicated mobile telephony store. One year later, he brought the English group The Carphone Warehouse on board as a shareholder. In 2000, with a network of 100 stores, he sold The Phone House off to this group, and became its CEO. Today, The Phone House has 2,800 employees in France. At the same time, in 2004 and still with Carphone Warehouse as the main shareholder, he set up Breizh Mobile, an alternative mobile operator for the west of France. In April 2006, the project took on a national dimension through a structure in which he is still a shareholder alongside the Virgin Group and Carphone Warehouse, creating the fourth biggest mobile operator in France under the Virgin Mobile brand. Since then, he has been chairman of Virgin mobile France, while continuing to chair the supervisory board for The Phone House France. Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux also operates as a business angel, and is a director in a wide range of companies, from Micromania to Budget Télécom, Seloger.com, Sporever and Parrot. Since 2005, he has been chairman of Croissance Plus, the association for strong-growing businesses within which he defends the role of entrepreneurs in creating wealth and employment in France. Lastly, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux is overseeing the Auteuil Foundation, France's second-biggest NGO, based on a group of business leader “ambassadors” in charge of subjects for funding.

Jean-Yves Helmer was appointed as a Company director following the General Shareholder meeting held on on June 4th, 2007. Mr. Helmer has been a managing partner at Banque Lazard in Paris since April 2001. He previously spent five years as the delegate general for armament at the French Ministry of Defense, where he was responsible for armament acquisitions, as well as a range of industrial activities, such as the naval construction division. Before being appointed as the delegate general for armament by the French government in March 1996, he had spent 18 years with the PSA Peugeot Citröen automobile group, where he held various positions, notably as the manager in charge of after-sales services and spare parts, the head of exports, the head of Peugeot’s Poissy automobile production centre and, from July 1988 to March 1996, the head of the group’s automobile division. Before joining PSA Peugeot Citröen, he began his career in the civil service, notably in the Ministry of Finance's treasury division and as an industrial affairs adviser for Prime Minister Raymond Barre from August 1976 to May 1978. Jean-Yves Helmer is a Corps des Mines engineer, graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole des Mines de Paris, and has a PhD in economic sciences.

Stéphane Marie was appointed as a Company director following the General Shareholder meeting held on on June 18th, 2009. Stéphane Marie is a statutory auditor and certified accountant and graduated from CPA (HEC Executive MBA). He worked in international audit firms for nine years, including nearly three in the US, before joining the Paris-based firm Corévise in 1994. He is currently a partner, focused in particular on statutory auditing assignments for real estate, industrial and retail groups. As a director, he brings to Parrot his expertise on legal, financial and risk management issues, as well as regulatory and legislative issues for businesses and more specifically listed companies.

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Henri Seydoux founded the Company in 1994 and has served as chairman and chief executive officer since its creation. Self-educated, he began his career in 1978 as a trainee with the french magazine Actuel, where he was later employed as a journalist from 1979 to 1980. In 1981, he joined the sales team at the Matin de Paris newspaper. Then, in 1982, he joined SSCI as an operating system software developer, before working for Microarchi from 1983 to 1984 in the same role. In 1985, he set up BBS, a company marketing the micro archi operating system. In 1986, he created BSCA, a synthetic 3D imaging company, and became its chairman and chief executive officer from 1986 to 1990. In 1991, with three other partners, he founded and became a director in the luxury goods company Christian Louboutin.

Elise Tchen joined the Company in 2000 to oversee product manufacturing as the production and quality officer. She has transformed this department into an industrial division capable of growing at the same rate as the Company. After graduating from the ENSEM in Nancy, she began her career at Renault, first in the research division, and then in the cabling engineering research team.

Nicolas Besnard joined the Company in 1994 and is currently chief technical officer, after working as a software development engineer and then head of software development. After graduating from the Ecole Supérieure d'Electricité (Supelec) in Gif-sur-Yvette, he began his career at the Kourou-Arianespace space centre in French Guyana, carrying out software development research as part of the ground resources team for the European launcher Ariane IV.

Chris Roberts is currently VP SALES Europe, Middle East, Africa & International, after joining Parrot in February 2006 rising quickly to become Country Director for the UK subsidiary where he was in charge of developing the new channel focused business model, building a successful team and implementing the strategy.
Chris has a 20 year experience in the car audio and mobile communication sector from a background in technical, sales, marketing and operations spanning Europe and Asia Pacific.
Before joining PARROT, Chris spent 10 years working and living in ASIA PACIFIC for an automotive electronics group where he effectively shifted the company from an OEM focused business to a multi channel aftermarket company working in numerous countries under a variety of brands with a vast range of automotive electronics & mobile communications systems.
Prior to this Chris founded and managed a successful start-up company (ICE UK) specializing in corporate sales, installation and technical development of car audio, mobile communications & mobile electronic systems solutions. Chris gained the passion for the industry at an early age working in the family car radio & car phone stores in London. Chris graduated with a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Adelaide (Australia) with high performance in strategic management, global branding and business performance improvement. In 2005 Chris was recognized by the University of Adelaide for the highest achievement in Operations Management.

Cristina Sanz Ortiz joined the Company in January 2007 as chief marketing officer for the Group. She was previously CEO of the Spanish subsidiary Parrot Iberia, S.L., and before this company became part of the Group, Cristina was the CEO, co-founder and a partner in Inpro Tecnologiá S.L., which was the Company's biggest client for some time. Cristina graduated in economics from Complutense University in Madrid, and also has a certificate in Marketing Management and International Commerce from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).

Gilles Labossière joined as Chief Financial Officer of Parrot in September 2008. A graduate from HEC, Gilles started his career at Arthur Andersen. In 1991, he joined the management committee of the logistic specialist Group SAGA, at first as Internal Audit Manager and then became CFO. In 1997, he went on to be the CFO of Techpack International. In 2000, he co-founded Republic Alley a major French VC Fund supporting innovative companies where he served as President. In 2003, he became CFO of Linedata Services and then joined Rocamat, both are listed on the Paris Nyse Euronext stock exchange.

Philippe Poussin joined the company in 2005, and after overseeing production and logistics, is currently the chief production and quality officer. After graduating from the INSA and Institut d’Administration des Entreprises de Rennes, he began his career in 1991 as an industrialization engineer within the Océ Group. In 1996, he joined Num, a subsidiary of Schneider Electric, working first as a methods engineer and then as head of production. In 2003, he joined ISS, a subsidiary of EADS, where he was in charge of industrialization.

Christophe Sausse joined Parrot in 2006 as head of human resources. After completing his post-graduate DESS in human resources at the IEP in Paris, he began his career in 1995 within the Alcatel Group, where he was responsible for the recruitment and executive management program, before becoming head of personnel. In 1998, he joined the Sema Group as the human resources development manager. In 2000, Bouygues Télécom hired him for their HR division, first as a HR manager and then as head of human resources for their Réseau Club Bouygues Télécom subsidiary.

Guillaume Pinto has been deputy chief technical officer since January 2006, in charge of the organization of the research office, as well as project planning and coordination. He is also responsible for the handsfree telephony product and research programs. After graduating from Ecole Polytechnique and the University of Stanford in California (US), he began his industrial career at Parrot in 2004 as a research engineer on signal processing, a field in which he is currently teaching industrial applications at the Ecole Supérieure de l’Electricité (Supelec). Before joining the company, he served as a section commander from 2001 to 2002 within the Garde Républicaine’s 1st infantry regiment and spent one year as a research assistant at the University of Stanford’s language and information research centre.

Eric Riyahi joined the Company in 2005 as chief commercial officer in charge of OEM activities. After graduating from INSEAD YMP and EUDIL in Lille, he joined the Valeo Electronique group in 1994 as an applications engineer and then project manager, responsible for costs, quality and deadlines. In 1999, he joined Visteon and served as a client account manager from 1999 to 2004, before being appointed as a product manager for Europe from 2004 to 2005.

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