Speaker

Guillaume PEPY

SNCF

Guillaume Pepy was reappointed Chairman of SNCF (French National Railways) Group by the Council of Ministers in March 2013, a position he has held since February 2008.

Mr. Pepy has successfully implemented three strategic projects for the SNCF:

–       Investing in significant improvements to urban, inter-urban and suburban transport networks in Ile-de-France,

–       Acquiring GEODIS to support the global vision of the Transport and Logistics division,

–       Exporting SNCF know-how in the rail sector – especially the high-speed train business – beyond national boundaries, and reinforcing SNCF presence throughout Europe, most notably through the new joint venture with the Italian railway company NTV.

Guillaume Pepy has focused on restructuring the company to face competition and become a key player with global transport and logistics ambitions. Best known in the European rail industry as a leader in the high-speed rail business, Mr. Pepy has been the driving force behind the success of TGV, the company’s star product. Exported worldwide, recognized as a viable and eco-friendly transport solution, TGV is SNCF’s strongest asset in today’s market.

In his previous role as acting CEO, Mr. Pepy was instrumental in creating a pan-European rail alliance in the spirit of the airlines’ alliances.

To this end, he set up dedicated joint ventures to operate passenger rail networks throughout Europe with companies such as Eurostar, Thalys, Lyria, Artesia and more recently, the Italian railway NTV. The SNCF further strengthened its European presence by winning a major interurban transport service development contract in London, UK.

After holding various positions in public and governmental service – including a term as Head of Staff for the Minister of Employment and Social Affairs – Guillaume Pepy worked for more than 15 years as a top executive within SNCF. There, he was successively Director of Strategy and Director of Passenger Relations, before becoming acting CEO. Guillaume Pepy constantly strives to improve the quality of service delivered by SNCF employees.

In addition to his role as Group Chairman, Guillaume Pepy is also Chairman of SYSTRA, a world leader in transport infrastructure engineering.

Guillaume Pepy was also Chairman of Eurostar until September 2010 and Non-Executive Board Member of Keolis until February 2010. One of the largest European multimodal public transport service providers (metros, tramways, buses), Keolis is established in 13 countries on three continents.