Laurent Saint-Martin appointed Chief Executive Officer of Business France

Mr. Laurent Saint-Martin was appointed today by official decree as Chief Executive Officer of Business France, responsible for the executive management of the agency in France and abroad.

On December 22, 2022, the Board of Directors of Business France unanimously voted in favor of appointing Mr. Saint-Martin as the new CEO of Business France, following the proposal made by the ministers responsible for the Economy, Foreign Affairs and Regional Cohesion.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors of Business France, and on a personal level, we are delighted with this appointment of a man of conviction who will enable us to serve businesses, our regions and our foreign investors to drive an eco-responsible international development of the French economy,” said Pascal Cagni, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Business France and Ambassador for International Investment in France.

Drawing on his experience in the private and public sectors, Mr. Saint-Martin’s mission is to implement an ambitious strategy to support the international development of the French economy, by supporting French export businesses with their development at an international level, as well as prospecting and welcoming foreign job-creating investment in France.

A graduate of the EDHEC Business School, thirty-seven-year-old Laurent Saint-Martin has extensive experience in the business financing sector. He began his professional career as an innovation business manager at Oséo in the Hauts de France region. In 2012, he was appointed Head of Studies at Oséo Picardie and helped to set up Bpifrance in the region. In 2013, he was appointed Innovation Delegate in the Paris/Ile de France region, before joining Euronext’s Corporate Relations Department in 2016.

He also has solid political and parliamentary experience. He held the positions of Member of Parliament for the Val-de-Marne department (Paris/Ile de France region) from 2017 to 2022, General Rapporteur for the Committee on Finance, General Economy and Budgetary Control at the National Assembly, and Regional Adviser within the Paris/Ile de France region. During his tenure, Mr. Saint-Martin was also the author of a parliamentary report on the taxation of French people born in the United States.

“I am honored to take over the management of Business France today, an agency which demonstrates on a daily basis its ability to serve the growth of export businesses and attract job-creating foreign investments to France. In a complicated international context, where the instability of the global economy and particularly fierce competition push us to meet major challenges, I will carry French excellence with strength and conviction all over the world. I know that I can count on the commitment of the Business France teams to succeed,” said Laurent Saint-Martin, CEO of Business France.