Marc Levy

Marc Levy is the most read French author alive today, having sold more than 52 million books around the world. He has written more than 22 novels that have been translated into more than 49 languages. All of them have hit best-sellers lists.

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  • Marc Levy was born in France. When he turned eighteen, he joined the Red Cross, where he spent the next six years.

    In 1983, he co-founded a computer graphics company based in France and the United States. Six years later, he co-founded an interior design and planning company with two friends; the company soon became one of the leading architecture firms in France.

    His first novel, If Only It Were True, written when he was 37, was adapted into the movie Just Like Heaven, produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Reese Witherspoon and Marc Ruffalo.

    A prolific writer, Marc has also written short stories, song lyrics for various artists, including the late French superstar Johnny Hallyday, and has recently released his first graphic novel.

    Marc feels himself a New Yorker after 12 years in the city. New York’s diverse population and landscape have been the stage of many of his novels and a source of inspiration for many of his works.

    Recently, Marc became Ambassador for the French Red Cross.

Pierre-André de Chalendar

Pierre-André de Chalendar is Chairman of Saint-Gobain and the author of The Urban Challenge: Reviving the Desire to Live in the City (Odile Jacob).

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  • Pierre-André de Chalendar joined Saint-Gobain in 1989 as Vice-President, Corporate Planning. He led Saint-Gobain as its Chief Executive Officer from 2007 to June 2021 and has been Chairman of its Board of Directors since 2010.

    Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures, and distributes materials and solutions for the construction, mobility, healthcare, and other industrial application markets.

    Under Pierre-André de Chalendar’s leadership, Saint-Gobain has become a leading player of global and sustainable construction with more than 170,000 employees worldwide. Taking up the environmental challenge, Pierre-André de Chalendar has tirelessly promoted sustainability and fought against climate change.

    Pierre-André de Chalendar is also Director at BNP Paribas and at Veolia. He is Vice-President of Entreprises pour l’Environnement, which he chaired from 2012 to 2015 and was appointed in 2017 as co-president of La Fabrique de l’Industrie. He is also Chairman of ESSEC Business School’s Supervisory Board.

Marie-Monique Steckel

Marie-Monique Steckel, with dedication and enthusiasm, has been President of the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF) since 2004.

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  • Marie-Monique Steckel has led this venerable non-profit organization through an expansive revitalization of its facilities and cultural and educational programming.

    Her FIAF accomplishments are many, including:

    – a $24 million renovation of FIAF’s beloved Beaux-Arts building in the heart of Manhattan; and an extensive renovation of FIAF’s Florence Gould Hall;

    – FIAF has modernized its classrooms with smart boards and online technology for hybrid French classes. The language center has been expanded with a pre-school and a satellite location in Montclair, NJ;

    – FIAF is now the premiere center of French cultural programming in New York; its Florence Gould Hall, Skyroom and Gallery have become cultural destinations.

    Marie-Monique has dedicated herself to being a bridge between France and the United States, as her career clearly indicates: she founded the French Industrial Development Agency (now Invest in France); she founded and was for 20 years the President of France Telecom North America; and before joining FIAF, she served as senior advisor to Ronald Lauder on European matters. And in France, she worked as Director of Communications for the then newly formed political party RPR, with Jacques Chirac.

    Marie-Monique has been awarded Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, and Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.