My Story
I grew up in a small village where responsibility mattered more than ambition. One of my earliest lessons in leadership came from an unlikely source: reading about Julius Caesar stepping into battle alongside his faltering troops, shield in hand. That image stayed with me real leaders don't direct from a distance; they stand with their people when it counts.
At twelve, I couldn't name what I was learning, but I felt it. On the football pitch, I'd challenge an aggressive opponent early, not from anger, but to show my teammates we wouldn't back down. When my mother died at seventeen, I found myself guiding our family through grief, organizing what needed doing. I didn't set out to lead; I simply stepped forward because someone had to.
Boarding school taught me diplomacy and resilience. I excelled academically while navigating social conflicts and occasional bullying. During a school strike, my classmates elected me to negotiate not because I was the loudest voice, but because they trusted me to listen. We found common ground. The experience taught me how to hold tension, bridge differences, and lead through transparency rather than force.
University brought both loss and discovery. I immersed myself in economics and advanced mathematics, drawn to complexity rather than easy answers. But my real education happened in a shared house with ten others cooking together, debating late into the night, building something that felt like a community. We didn't just coexist; we represented our university, performed in plays, and pushed each other to grow. That's where I first learned to create cohesion from diversity.
After turning down a sponsored MBA to maintain my independence, I funded my own education in England. My tutor encouraged me to stay and co-write academic papers, saying I could "see the math beyond the formulas." But I wanted impact over theory, application over abstraction.
My first job didn't come easily. A disastrous recruiter call taught me a lesson in preparation I never forgot. From then on, I did the work research, outreach, genuine preparation. Soon I had two offers and chose to join a U.S. insurance company launching in Luxembourg. As their first hire, I built processes from nothing, created products, convinced regulators, and closed the first contract myself.
When Allianz acquired us, I stayed and became CEO of a company in runoff. Rather than manage decline, I chose transformation. We turned losses into profit, digitized operations before SaaS became commonplace, and put our clients at the center of everything we built.
At Allianz Group, I led global employee benefit strategies alongside leaders who demanded ownership. One told me simply: "You get a zero because I get a zero." That clarity stuck. Whether running global training, driving product innovation, or winning major accounts, I learned that real accountability flows both ways. When I pitched at Apple, I answered a complex question with one word, "Apple", then paused. Sometimes simplicity resonates more than complexity.
My Approach
Leadership means showing up in the complexity, not managing from comfort. I'm hands-on and empathetic, but I also believe in accountability. I give people freedom and expect results. I've hired and fired, but more importantly, I've helped people grow into roles that matched who they were, not just what the org chart demanded.
My values were shaped early. My mother was a self-made businesswoman, curious, independent, and unafraid to forge her own path. My father, a brilliant chemist, taught me that knowledge, persistence, and discipline create a foundation. My brothers and I still debate everything, support each other through challenges, and find humor even in grief.
My wife is German. Smart, direct, grounding. She's been my partner in life and occasional business ally. She listens differently than I do, challenges my thinking, and keeps me anchored. We've raised a daughter, created a home with little balconies we both love, and somehow acquired a dog that was always meant to be mine.
Where I'm Going
The next chapter is about building something meaningful again, not for recognition, but for genuine impact. I want to lead purpose-driven businesses that integrate people, culture, and technology thoughtfully. I want to bring ideas into the world that solve real problems with both empathy and edge.
I want to be in rooms where transformation happens, helping shape what comes next rather than simply managing what is.
I'm François Jacquemin. This is who I am, and this is where I'm headed.