French CEO of the Year Awards 2023
Following a challenging couple of years, we are more than delighted to have the chance to celebrate those who have shown continuous commitment and dedication to their company. Our French CEO of the Year Awards 2022 aim to celebrate the efforts of the best Chief Executive Officers around France, as we are extremely passionate about helping businesses get the recognition they deserve for their outstanding efforts and achievements. Despite the circumstances posed by COVID-19, CEOs throughout France have pushed the boundaries and proved their unmatched potential, and ability to outshine others even in such challenging circumstances. Not only have they had the ability to consistently improve their skill sets and knowledge, but have also built the strength to navigate themselves, and employees, to success. As a result of such true determination, the French economy remains Europe’s 3rd largest economy. Sofi Parry, Senior Editor Website: www.business-news.eu French CEO of the Year Awards 2023 AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.
4. Aeteos: Most Innovative Cognitive AI Software Development CEO 2023: Mark Pohlmann 6. BPM-Conseil: Software Development CEO of the Year 2023: Patrick Beaucamp 8. Robotiques Cyborg: Robotics CEO of the Year 2023: Fares Habib 10. Shifters: Sleep Improvement Solutions CEO of the Year 2023: Dr Déborah Aisenberg Contents
4. Following 7 years of research and development in neurosciences, cognitive and clinical psychology, linguistics, philosophy, ergonomics, and computer sciences, Aeteos finally developed a robust cognitive computing software engine. Percipion™ is Aeteos’s answer to some of the most pressing issues that businesses have been facing in more recent years – it’s able to empower them through its vast set of capabilities, from understanding natural language and reasoning to taking action based on its discoveries. This new generation of AI is Aeteos’s magnum opus, not because it’s another AI solution to add to the market, but because it's something entirely unlike anything we’ve seen thus far. Having been coded from scratch, without the usage of any third party components Most Innovative Cognitive AI Software Development CEO 2023: Mark Pohlmann It’s no secret that, as we’ve stepped into the digital age, modernising traditional technologies to mesh with human intelligence business processes is far trickier than searching out a new means to accomplish the same tasks in a quicker manner. Enter Aeteos’s Percipion™, a new generation of AI that’s able to replicate how the brain works, and perform tasks that often require human intelligence. Below, we venture into how its CEO Mark Pohlmann developed Aeteos’s revolutionary Cognitive Computing solution, Percipion™, in order to benefit businesses across the globe. Aug23398 or software, Percipion™ represents exactly what AI should be. As opposed to acting as a means to replace people within the workplace, it instead has its sights set on relieving the burden of tasks that often take days upon days, often reducing this time span down to mere minutes. Percipion™ exists to act as an assistance tool, all whilst reflecting the genius of Aeteos’s team. Through the combined efforts of Mark, his wife Béatrice, and his children Werner, Hans, and Erwin, Aeteos finds itself in the perfect position to reinvent the world of cognitive computing. Boasting a trustworthiness that defies expectations, Percipion™ is a reliable and explainable software solution that has been developed based on VirtualBrains. In short, VirtualBrains is a categorised object structure analogue to the human long-term memory, in addition to holding knowledge that’s safe from alteration. As such, it’s an ethical structure that cannot be used to identify, or discriminate against, people, with its low IT resource usage footprint contributing towards its eco-friendly nature. After all, cognitive computing is a human-focused technology, and therefore recognises how to enhance a workplace, without causing detriment to the people behind it. Through Aeteos’s eyes, Percipion™ is a solution that doesn’t act as a substitute for human autonomy, and instead represents serving the needs of society and the common good. There are a multitude of people who aren’t too keen on the idea of computers and software making predictions, recommendations, or decisions, and so Percipion™ instead helps people to accelerate data examination, as opposed to doing it for them. Its structure is wholly built upon the foundations of making the lives of businesses far easier, be it through streamlining processes via its comprehensive data capabilities, or its ability to modernise approaches towards challenging use cases without taking over. In fact, Aeteos has already managed to identify 25 business use cases in which Percipion™ can help to modernise the processes used. As such, there’s clear potential behind it to further assist in various other fields. According to Mark, Percipion™ was created to provide something good to people, and it’s this notion that truly guides the company forward. It’s for this very reason that Percipion™ is notably able to fight against hate speech and online harassment, with its capabilities extending to using realtime data to identify online child groomers and criminals. Despite the long journey it took to get Percipion™ to the point that it's at today, its roadmap is strong, and its solutions invaluable.
5. Most Innovative Cognitive AI Software Development CEO 2023: Mark Pohlmann However, Aeteos never would’ve been able to reach the heights that it finds itself at in the present without the genius of its CEO, Mark Pohlmann. Throughout his PhD studies in Cognitive Psychology, Mark worked for the French National Centre for Scientific Research, and even involved himself in the Computer Science Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Paris. Yet, it was in the late 90s that he began working for companies such as Accenture and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, during which he was avidly managing major transformation projects for Fortune 500 companies in EMEA. This eventually led to his first big AI breakthrough in 2016. Unfortunately, in the beginning, AI seemed to be going in the opposite direction during this time. After all, intelligence is derived from human behaviours, and can’t be replicated through code and statistics. The only way to imbue a computer with the intelligence to teach it how to represent knowledge, understand, reason, make decisions, and solve problems is to consider a variety of core knowledge domains. These domains, as explained by Mark, are primarily made up of neurosciences, philosophy, psychology, ergonomics, linguistics, anthropology, and computer sciences. Aeteos, in response, sought to crack the code on bringing warmth to a machine, and eventually taught Percipion™ how to replicate the cognitive process. Percipion™ represents what’s possible should the passion, drive, and dedication of its creator present itself in abundance. Thankfully, Mark knew exactly what he wanted to forge from the very beginning, and gave his all to make it happen. Now, thanks to the brimming talent of Mark’s family, Aeteos was able to create a software completely from scratch, without the presences of any third party libraries of software components. Despite the challenges, Aeteos was committed to ensuring that Percipion™ was wholly reliable, and that clients would have full control over the product throughout usage. Though it was a difficult road, the destination is what we see today – an award-winning product that’s both reliable, and capable of evoking trust within users. Not many AI developers can claim this. We believe Mark puts it best when he says – “Transparency of how data is processed is key, since it is the foundation of the trust people will have while using your software. It can only be achieved when you have full control over your source code.”. It’s clear that Aeteos has placed all of its focus on this reliability, and it truly manifests through Percipion™. Of course, there is always potential to expand – something that Mark is eager to do as he continues on his journey with Percipion™. Only then can he confidently deliver a product that can be used by more and more organisations. But, for now, Percipion™ stands as a testament to the genius of one fantastic CEO, and his equally fantastic family. Contact Details Contact: Mark Pohlmann Company: Aeteos Web Address: https://aeteos.com/
6. BPM-Conseil is leading the development of open source platforms Vanilla (business intelligence) and Data4Citizen (open data). Vanilla platform provides an integrated suite of business intelligence components to help enterprises extract value from their data. It has been designed to address key challenges in the business intelligence value chain and processes. Different modules within the Vanilla platform include data management, data visualisation, administration tools, and a powerful search function. Data4Citizen is an open data portal with data retrieval and publishing Software Development CEO of the Year 2023: Patrick Beaucamp Based in Lyon, France, BPM-Conseil is a business innovator focused on developing open source “data aware” platforms. The company is leading the development of open source platforms Vanilla (business intelligence) and Data4Citizen (open data). Utilising its industry experience, the company designs solutions tailored to clients’ professions and individual requirements. It is BPM-Conseil’s mission to streamline data analysis processes and provide a platform for beautiful data visualisation functions, metadata capabilities, API integration and indicator dashboards. The platform allows clients to work with groups through collaborative functions and areas. Data4Citizen offers beautiful data visualisations and stories, providing an accessible way of viewing and understanding trends and patterns in data. Patrick Beaucamp is the CEO of BPMConseil and founder of open source projects Vanilla, and Data4Citizen. Patrick began his career as a consultant during the early age of business intelligence. He held positions in various domains, working with ETL and reporting tools, facing production problems, and combating data visualisation challenges. Contact: Patrick Beaucamp Company: BPM-Conseil Web Address: www.bpm-conseil.com Aug23467 Patrick has worked alongside several high-level managers and drawn on these experiences to determine what skills a good CEO should possess. In the 2000s, Patrick founded BPM-Conseil as a consulting company, working with commercial BI products and in the private sector. The company later began to work with open source business intelligence platforms to offer clients cost-effective solutions. During this period, user interfaces were not at the level of commercial products, leading to customer frustration. Patrick Beaucamp went on to fund the development of Vanilla, a new business intelligence platform that would meet customer expectations and be ready to scale at an enterprise level. Over a decade
7. Software Development CEO of the Year 2023: Patrick Beaucamp later, Vanilla continues to provide clients with all the necessary components to completely manage their data from their application software to end user visualisation. Describing his management style, CEO Patrick Beaucamp says, “I’m a very passionate person, always trying to improve my skills by using digital tools to learn. I’m focused on delivering customer satisfaction and pushing my teams to develop software that truly meets customers’ expectations. We are in times where finding talent is an everyday challenge. I’m a leader open to discussion with anyone. I especially care about my employees’ health, both mental and physical. We are ‘one’ in our project, and my team knows they will always have my support.” A key challenge for BPM-Conseil has been to adapt the number of people working in the different departments. The company has undergone a learning process to find a balance between generating new leads and focusing on project achievement. Patrick Beaucamp made the decision to adjust the company resources and review its key objectives. Since the pandemic, BPMConseil has continued to adapt to the everevolving software development sector and is getting hihg recognation from the market through dozen of new projects. When undertaking a new tender or business opportunity, it is important to keep certain elements in mind to improve the chance of being awarded the project. Patrick Beaucamp goes on to explain, “One key element is time. I ensure we are on time, whether for a simple meeting or for reporting tasks. Time has more value than people realise. Another key element is reporting and communication. A project should come with a lot of communication material, such as monthly reports, various documentation, and steering committees. We aim to deliver the first version of our project as soon as possible, so that customers can easily imagine what the final product will look like. Technology and clients’ needs are changing fast, so we work in an agile mode, with monthly delivery of product versions. As a CEO, Patrick’s role involves both customers and internal resources (human, material, and financial). Patrick dedicates a project manager to every client and gives managers the freedom and resources to achieve their objectives. BPM-Conseil clients are mainly government institutions and agencies, where the demand for open data and observatories platforms is increasing. For these clients, tendered projects can provide a cost-effective solution as the platform has already been developed. The domains of data analysis and data visualisation are rapidly evolving with the emergence of AI and LLM. Large language models (LLM) are a type of artificial intelligence that uses large data sets to understand and predict new content. There is a risk of managers relying too heavily on AI platforms to generate reports. Although AI can summarise and quickly generate information based on existing data, it is not able to account for future trends. BPM-Conseil will continue its innovative work on Vanilla and Data4Citizen, its two flagship platforms, with new versions to be released at the end of 2023. The company is also in the process of developing a worldwide partner network and an online training and certification platform. Alongside these initiatives, BPM-Conseil aims to accelerate the development of its commercial products with worldwide access. With regards to his own career, Patrick Beaucamp says, “I will continue working with a professional approach and respect for everyone. I truly believe in an honest business approach that puts the customer at the centre of the strategy. This has built my success and will not change in the coming years.” It is BPM-Conseil’s mission to continue providing its high-quality business intelligence data-aware products, solutions, and servicesw. With its tailored solutions for clients’ specific requirements, BPM-Conseil aims to streamline data analysis processes and provide a platform for data visualisation. For his client-centric philosophy and continuous innovative work on open source projects, Patrick Beaucamp has received this year’s award for Software Development CEO of the Year.
8. Robotics CEO of the Year 2023: Fares Habib Sep23375 Robotiques Cyborg is an innovator in the industry and is on course to increase accessibility in the field through a careful process of reducing charges that are placed on businesses, which in turn will reduce prices and still result in an extensive gains margin. Furthermore, through its expansive work in the areas of AI and augmented reality, the company is hoping to assist in benefiting the environment and ultimately saving the planet by being able to solve problems or provide training remotely, thus negating the need to travel for business purposes. CEO Fares Habib has had an impressive journey to get to this stage in his career, initially studying a computer and communication engineering course, he left partway through to go and work with his family in South Africa. Fares’ family own a diamond business in Johannesburg that includes the mining, selling, and exporting of diamonds. During his tenure working there, he acquired three certifications from the Gemmological Institute of America, in diamond polishing, rough diamond evaluation, and polished diamond evaluation, respectively. After spending two years engrossed in the diamond industry, Fares made the brave decision to start anew in France, initially opening a restaurant in Versailles. Shortly after this, the pandemic hit, and forced back to the drawing board, an innate passion for technology inspired Fares to pursue his idea of implementing service robots in restaurants. Thus, Robotiques Cyborg was born, allowing the food service industry to serve customers without contact through the use of its groundbreaking robots. While the robotics side of the business has been hugely successful, Fares continued to crave innovation, and a firm belief in the power of AI expanding the capabilities led to this software playing a crucial role in the day-to-day operations of the business. Similarly, the opportunities for advancement in the field of augmented reality yielded particularly bright prospects, and this Robotiques Cyborg is a leading technology provider and development company in the field of robotics, servicing a number of clients such as distributors and re-sellers who sell directly to the end user, as well as possessing its own end user clients. The firm also possesses partnerships with companies in other countries and partakes in joint endeavours to make further advancements in the field. It is the mission of the company to ultimately make the world a better place through a combination of robotics, AI, and augmented reality. We speak to acclaimed CEO of the company Fares Habib, to find out more about his journey and the groundbreaking work he and the team do in the field of robotics. technology too was embraced by Fares and the team and resulted in strong developments not only in the business, but the wider sector. In the robotics sector, the company deals with a host of clients, many of whom operate restaurants and hotels across France, and deploy Robotiques Cyborg’s robots across all elements of their service plans. Moreover, a current partnership with a Spanish company has generated impressive work in the developing of software for Cobot, a robotic arm system, with this now being made available to schools, universities, and other such institutions for the purposes of research and development. The end goal with this is to develop a new robotic system which can be used to help disabled people in daily life. With reference to the work the company does in augmented reality, its status as EMEA distributors and its partnerships with companies and resellers across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the company’s home nation of France, have resulted in universities and hospitals across the world being provided with Vuzix Blade 2.0 augmented reality glasses. These glasses boast such features as built-in display and audio, an 8MP auto-focus camera, and an autonomous voice. Many laboratories have recently invested in this technology, and there are already examples of it being used in healthcare settings for training and monitoring purposes, as well as in teleassistance, such as a Paris-based company with a factory in Poland. Through the glasses, an expert is able to guide the technicians in a hands-free process while getting the instructions delivered directly to their eyes. Across the industry and wider society, recent advancements in robotics, AI, and to some extent augmented reality, have left many people doubtful or fearful about robotics companies, with people’s main fear being a robotics revolution where robots or AI will come Contact: Fares Habib Company: Robotiques Cyborg Web Address: https://www. robotiquescyborg.fr/
to replace humans, ousting them from jobs. For Fares, this is a concern that is unjustified, he knows that if a robot is not programmed correctly, it simply will not work. When programmed correctly, they pose no threat to human industry. Rather, they can streamline service and make the work that is carried out faster and much more efficient, generating a bigger turn over. Service robots offered by Robotiques Cyborg which fulfil these tasks are, FlashBot, BellaBot, HolaBot, and KettyBot, with all undertaking different, yet just as vital, tasks to aid a business in improving its service methods. FlashBot is an autonomous room service robot, which offers fresh bedding and towels to customers. Food delivery aficionado BellaBot is an innovative new design which inherits the best of the previous generation while remaining state-ofthe-art with bionic design language, a beautiful shape, AI-powered voice features, and multimodal interactions. On the other hand, HolaBot has a carrying capacity of up to 60kg, including a waterproof compartment, and through its groundbreaking capability, offers unprecedented collection efficiency when clearing up in a restaurant. Detachable and washable, this machine is incredibly convenient for staff to charge and clean. Finally, delivery and receiving robot KettyBot is equipped with state-of-theart technology including an advertising display and AI voice interaction, making it the perfect solution for fantastic service in busy restaurants. In addition to its fantastic robotics service solutions, the company also offers cybersecurity services that can help clients discover the power of having their brand fully integrated and protected. Once more, a variety of solutions are on offer, with digital solutions available such as a smart supply chain, consumer engagement, and license management; online solutions including the protection of a client’s brand online, fraud fighting, and piracy fighting, and on-product solutions featuring brand authentication identification, security films and packaging, complete with Government Revenue Guarantee. With this extensive range of services available from Fares and the fantastic Robotiques Cyborg team, every business can embrace the future of robotics and AI securely, efficiently, and confidently. Across his short but strenuous journey to get to this position, Fares has proven himself to be a man of many talents, assisting his family, studying hard, and using his initiative and expertise to start up a successful business that is advancing the field of robotics immeasurably. As a result, he is more than worthy of being celebrated for this award, and we wish him the upmost success for the future.
10. Sleep Improvement Solutions CEO of the Year 2023: Dr Déborah Aisenberg Through a mobile application and individualised human support, Shifters strives to help shift workers achieve a better sleep pattern that lines up with their hours of work. With improved sleep, they are likely to experience a myriad of physical and mental health benefits, making them more productive in the workplace. Shifters was founded by CEO Dr Déborah Aisenberg, Pharm.D, a scientist with extensive knowledge in the field of sleep. Here, we explore her previous experience and the company she has created. Many companies find that their shift working teams are exhausted due to lack of sleep, leading to high rates of absenteeism and costly accidents linked to fatigue. Often, managers and HR staff are at a loss as to how to support their shift workers, leaving them feeling neglected by the company. This is a vicious cycle that has gone unsolved for many years. Since 2019, Shifters has been working to address the issue for the benefit of both workers and companies. It has created an innovative algorithm that combines sleep medicine with cognitive science to offer a solution in the form of a personalised sleep program. The digital programme is delivered through a mobile app, alongside which users can engage in monthly calls with a sleep expert. Based on cognitivebehavioural therapy, the app’s goal is to observe the user’s habits, then gradually modify them until the ideal sleep pattern is achieved. Shifters primarily works with companies, providing them with a solution through which they can improve the wellbeing and performance of their shift workers. When the start-up takes on a new client, it begins by engaging them in several discussions in order to gain an understanding of their working methods and what they aim to achieve. Whether they hope to reduce the number of accidents at work, avoid drowsiness at the wheel, or improve employee satisfaction, Shifters will help them achieve their goals. Having completed her studies in Pharmacy, specialising in Pharmacology, at Paris Descartes, with the M2 in Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience at UPMC, Dr Déborah Aisenberg went on to do the X-HEC Bioentrepreneur MSc. Very early on in her academic career, she realised that neuroscience was her primary area of interest, which inspired her to undertake internships in laboratories researching treatments for brain pathologies. However, Dr Déborah found that she was drawn to the concept of helping patients rapidly with an innovative solution, which led her to entrepreneurship. After speaking to a number of caregivers with staggered hours of work, Dr Déborah was enlightened to the significant need for effective sleep support for shift workers. This is what inspired her to create Shifters. With experience in research laboratories, she has been able to establish clinical and scientific methodology within the company, testing the support process with the appropriate clinical scales. She shares, “I set up Shifters on my own and stayed with it for a good two years. After a first year focused on scientific and product development, I had to learn how to sell my solution, first to hospitals and then to industry. I love the challenge and the feeling that I’m constantly learning.” As a leader, Dr Déborah believes in the value of her team and understands the role she has to play in guiding and steering them in the right direction. She constantly aims at maintaining a balance between giving them the opportunity to develop their ideas and establishing a clear vision with precise deadlines. Dr Déborah also strongly values communication and transparency, so she works to ensure that her team feel comfortable expressing their views and ideas. As a result of Dr Déborah’s expertise, innovation, and effective leadership, Shifters now enables countless shift employees to reap the benefits of improved sleep. Since its launch, her app has received numerous positive reviews. For example, one states, “I finally understood how my sleep and my body work. I have better concentration and I am aware of my sleep. I try to correct my bad habits as I go! It’s tedious but it works.” For her continued excellence, Dr Déborah Aisenberg has been awarded Sleep Improvement Solutions CEO of the Year in the French CEO of the Year Awards 2023. On the future of Shifters, she comments, “We want to continue to expand into the various industrial sectors in France whilst growing the team. We have several very important features in mind that we’ll be developing too, but we’ll keep it a surprise!” Contact: Dr Déborah Aisenberg Company: Shifters Web Address: www.shifters.me Aug23501
11. Apr23452 Located in the heart of Copenhagen, ALIVE has over 20 years of experience within the events industry, and it works on corporate events both in Denmark and internationally. We take a closer look at the company and its services as it is recognised in the Scandinavian Business Awards 2023. Organising an event may seem fun, easy, and straightforward, but in reality, it is more complex than it appears. Meeting time-sensitive deadlines with unexpected delays can be quite demanding and stressful. This is why companies reach out to experts to ensure that their event is executed flawlessly. ALIVE is the perfect fit for those looking for an event agency that is reliable, trustworthy, and committed. It specialises in creating corporate, social, and virtual events that exceed expectations and provides clients with memorable experiences. In addition, it also conducts the event as a hybrid, which allows clients to engage with guests in person and virtually at the same time. As a full-service provider, ALIVE plans, produces, and executes its clients’ events. The team are vibrant, young, creative, and fun individuals that have a passion for event planning. They work closely with each client to understand their needs and goals, which enables them to begin planning with a clear image of what the client is looking to achieve. The projects that ALIVE has organised range from 50 to 20,000 participants. In order to deliver great experiences, it ensures that communication is present throughout the whole process, providing clients with updates when appropriate. There is a level of trust that needs to be present so ALIVE assures its clients that they are in the right hands and encourages them to enjoy the process of seeing the event come to life. Sustainability is at the heart of everything that ALIVE does. It is FTO certified only partners with suppliers and venues who want to contribute to the green agenda. Additionally, it is part of The Planet Copenhagen Manifesto which focuses on making the capital of Denmark the world’s most sustainable destination for visitors and citizens. ALIVE is committed to reducing its carbon emissions and supporting other companies doing the same thing. The knowledge, expertise, and connections that ALIVE has are incredibly valuable to the spectacular events it is able to deliver. This is why it comes as no surprise that ALIVE has received the title of Best Full-Service Event Agency Best Full-Service Event Agency 2023 - Copenhagen 2023 – Copenhagen. We look forward to seeing the amazing experiences that it will continue to offer its clients. If you are trying to plan your company’s event and don’t know where to start, head over to ALIVE’s website and let its team take over. Contact: Jonas Oddermose Company: ALIVE A/S Web Address: https://alive.dk/eng/ “We take care of all the practical aspects, allowing you as the client to relax and enjoy a worry-free day.” Subscribe to EU Business News www.eubusinessnews.com/subscribe
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