About us: InterFrench, l'Executive Club

History

L'Executive Club is the top of the pyramid of the large French-speaking networking organization: Interfrench. Interfrench is a not-for-profit California Corporation that strives to develop networking and community-building opportunities for the French-speaking population in North America.

Created in May 2001, Interfrench already includes 3,500 Frenchip© members (social, leisure-oriented & informal networking) and 1,400 SiliconFrench© members (professional and business networking) in the Silicon Valley. SiliconFrench© (www.siliconfrench.com) was the base from which many executives were identified and then contacted. In order to attract these French-speaking executives, it became clear that it was necessary to create a networking event adapted to their unique needs and time constraints.

In addition, a concentration of highly successful French-speaking chief executives will have a positive impact on the overall professional community through formal mentoring & coaching. This initiative will act as liaison between L'Executive Club and SiliconFrench© in order to teach, inspire and mentor younger entrepreneurs to achieve greater success.

The "Connectors"

		There are some key ingredients for effective and successful networking. The "Connectors" are those people in L'Executive Club who make the network alive, convivial and effective. They facilitate networking among executives seeking to meet others with like interests and can connect them with business opportunities. Chief executives have an individual "Connector" to welcome them, listen to them and make sure they get the most value for their networking time.
		Ale Gicqueau, Founder - ale@lexecutiveclub.com Ale Gicqueau is the founder of L'Executive Club, co-founder of SiliconFrench© and is now leading the overall Interfrench organization in the US since his partner, Pierre-Jean Charra, left for France to create Interfrench in Europe. He has held different positions in the software industry, working successively in software development, engineering management and business development roles. He is today a recognized evangelist in XML/RDB, and his efforts to develop an effective networking business platform for French-Speaking professionals, has lead to the creation and development of SiliconFrench© and L'Executive Club. Ale Gicqueau holds an engineering degree from Ecole Centrale Paris and a Master of Science from UC Davis.
		Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D., L'Executive Club Chair - angelika@lexecutiveclub.com Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D., is a business communications consultant who helps foreign-born executives with problems understanding the complexities of American business culture and the English language to communicate effectively. In particular, she helps them improve their written and oral communication skills, prepares them for media interviews and works on reducing their accents. Her clients include Fujitsu, A&D, DreamWorks/PDI, Tibco, Roche, and Sun MicroSystems. Angelika has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Latin America and speaks Spanish and Portuguese as well as French and German. Angelika holds a Ph.D. in bilingual, bicultural education from Stanford University, a Masters in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley and a B.A. in foreign languages and educational psychology from the University of Tübingen, Germany.
		Thierry Gabadou - thierry@lexecutiveclub.com Thierry Gabadou is a Principal at Redhill Partners (www.redhillpartners.com). Over the past 20 years he has developed skills in analyzing, planning and executing successful sales and marketing strategies that have propelled him to high responsibility global management positions at large Corporations (Sun Microsystems) and Silicon Valley start-ups. He has participated in several articles both in France and the US, and was invited to share his experience and original ideas regarding personal development and gaining wallet share of existing customers at eBIG (www.ebig.org), SMEI (www.smei.org) and SiliconFrench (www.siliconfrench.com) events. Thierry is a member of the Executive Committee at SiliconFrench, and the 2003 past President for Sales & Marketing Executives International Bay Area, an organization founded by T. Watson from IBM in the mid 1930s and grouping more than 7000 senior Sales and Marketing Executives. He has a BA from the European Business School (EBS), Paris France with a major in Marketing and speaks English, French and Spanish fluently.
		Gerard Bessat, Senior Vice-President Visa - gerard@lexecutiveclub.com Gérard is SVP of Information Controls & Compliance at Inovant, the IT services company of Visa International. During his 18 years at Visa, Gérard has held various management positions in Development, QA and other general management functions (business planning, training, methods and standards, vendor management). Prior to joining Visa, Gérard spent 12 years at Crédit Agricole in Toulouse, holding various management positions in the IT organization. Gérard has a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Arizona and an engineering degree from Ecole Supérieure d'Ingénieurs des Constructions Aéronautiques de Toulouse.
		Patricia Colin, ISTP - patricia@lexecutiveclub.com Patricia is the Director of Development for the International School of the Peninsula (ISTP). Her networking resources within the Silicon Valley French Community are highly regarded. With a background in education, Patricia was formerly a teacher, both in France and in the United States, and has helped develop ground-breaking projects in bilingual immersion education. Upon arriving in the U.S., she spent five years in Boston creating a bilingual Magnet Middle school program, and has spent the past twelve years cultivating her love of education at ISTP. In 1996, as ISTP's Technology Director, she implemented the area's leading educational technology program, as well as spearheaded the integration of the world-renowned International Baccalaureate program for ISTP's middle school. Patricia's expertise is in education, event planning, fundraising, and forging strong relationships within the community. Patricia holds a master's degree in Physical Education from the University of Nice, France.
		Benoit Rungeard, Director - benoit@lexecutiveclub.com Benoit Rungeard is a Director at Coltrin & Associates, a New-York based public relations consulting firm, where he advises 3Com and other high-tech clients in the Silicon Valley. Prior to that Mr Rungeard was Director of Corporate Marketing at Televigation, a start-up company in the wireless industry. Before Televigation, Mr Rungeard was responsible for the Marketing Communications at Schlumberger in Paris and then in the Silicon Valley where he had responsibility for positioning and branding the Smart Card group. Mr Rungeard holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from ENSIEG University of Grenoble, France, and a post-master certification in Business Administration from the University of Aix en Provence, France.
		Akram Benmbarek, Financial Advisor - akram@lexecutiveclub.com Akram is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch with the designation of Certified Financial Manager. He specializes in developing investment and planning strategies to manage both personal wealth: such as retirement planning, Estate planning, diversification strategies for concentrated positions; and business finances: which includes corporate cash management and financing structures. Prior to that Akram was a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley. Before Joining Morgan Stanley he was an account officer at Waterhouse Investor Services. Akram has an extensive experience in International Business consulting. Akram holds an MBA and a BS. In Economics with a minor in International relations.
		Geraldine Reau, MBA - geraldine@siliconfrench.com Geraldine is SiliconFrench Executive Director. An expert in operation management and event planning, she has brought professionalism and efficiency to the largest French-speaking professional network of the USA. Originally from Marseille (France) where she has worked as a consultant for the French Loto and in the Petro-chemical industry, she expanded her career internationally by working for the National Bank of Canada, and for Zeta Technologies as a professional recruiter for IT talents. Her core skills are HR, Account Management and Business Development. Geraldine holds a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Economics Sciences of Aix-en-Provence, and a MBA from the University of Quebec At Montreal.
		Pierre-Jean Charra, President - france@lexecutiveclub.com Pierre-Jean is a born entrepreneur and was running his own company in France for 11 years. Tutorland was the leader in France of Computer Training Materials. He is the original Founder of the Interfrench organization and SiliconFrench© coFounder with Ale Gicqueau. The idea of L'Executive Club came from Pierre-Jean Charra years ago and he left its execution to his friend and partner Ale Gicqueau. Since he came back to France last August, he has been developing an organization of French Professionals interested in doing business with North-America. Pierre-Jean Charra holds an Engineering degree from Ecole Centrale Paris and a master of Science from UC Berkeley.