Speaker

Lionel ZINSOU

Former Prime Minister - Bénin

Lionel Zinsou, 62, born in Paris, is a citizen of France and Benin.

He is an alumnus of Paris University, Sciences Po and LSE. He was graduated in the École Normale Supérieure de la rue d’ULM (ENS) in Paris and “agrégé de sciences sociales”.

In the French civil service he was a lecturer in economics in University Paris XIII and ENS from 1981 to 1986. He was jointly a member of the Industry Minister, and Prime Minister’s Office from 1983 to 1986.

In the Private sector, he was Financial Controller, Corporate Development Director and member of the Executive Committee of the Danone group from 1986 to 1997.

In the Rothschild Group, from 1997 to 2008, he was a General Partner, in charge of Consumer goods and Africca-Middle East.

In PAI, the largest French LBO fund, he was CEO from 2008 to 2015.

In Benin civil service, he was Special advisor to the President from 2006 to 2011, and,in 2015-2016,Prime Minister.

In non-profit organizations, he chairs the Foundations of the ENS and AfricaFrance.