THIERRY BRETON
Many people think that running a corporation is good training and demonstrates the ability to run the country. However, business leaders who have come into government, almost all like Breton, think the two are very different.
He left a very lucrative job running a large company to take the ministry at far less pay.
Thierry Breton is a French businessman and politician who has been serving as the European Commissioner for Internal Market since 2019. He previously was a professor at Harvard Business School and a Finance minister of France. In the private sector, he has been vice-chairman and CEO of Groupe Bull, Chairman and CEO of Thomson-RCA (1997–2002), Chairman and CEO of France Télécom (2002–2005). An Honorary Chairman of both Thomson and France Telecom, he most recently Chairman and CEO of international information technology services company Atos from 2008 until 2019.