Anne Bouverot Explained

Anne Bouverot (born 21 March 1966) is a French business executive, engineer, AI researcher, and a philanthropist.

Education

Anne Bouverot attended the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris where she studied computer science leading to an M.S. (1985) and later a Ph.D in artificial intelligence (in 1991). She also graduated with a degree in telecommunications from Telecom ParisTech.^[1]

Career

In the early 1990s, Bouverot worked as IT project manager for Telmex in Mexico.^[2]

From 1996, she worked for the U.S. company Global One until 2002 when she was appointed vice president at Equant's IT services unit. She worked at Orange for more than 19 years in different positions. In 2004, she was chief of staff to the CEO of Orange in the UK, returning to Paris in 2007 to work on international business development with assignments in Kenya, Armenia, Tunisian and Portugal. She then became executive vice president, mobile services, for France Télécom Orange.^[3]

In 2011, she replaced Rob Conway and was appointed CEO and board member of GSMA, the global association of mobile operators. While she was with GSMA, Bouverot promoted initiatives for attracting more women to work in the mobile and ICT sectors, launching the Connected Women programme which hosts events around the world.^[4] She has also been instrumental in organizing the GSMA's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Held each year, the event attracts prominent speakers from the mobile and related fields.^[5]

In August 2015, she joined as Chair and CEO, Morpho (subsequently renamed Safran Identity & Security), a company providing biometrics and cryptography solutions for governments and businesses, with 8,600 people in 55 countries and €2B in revenue. Morpho was acquired by Advent International at the end of 2017 and renamed Idemia.^[6]

In 2018, to reconcile interest in science and technology with a desire to contribute to a fairer society, Anne Bouverot and Tanya Perelmuter co-founded Fondation Abeona. Abeona promotes responsible approach to AI and studies its impact on society.^{[7] [8]}

The foundation created the AI and Social Justice Chair at ENS whose first guest was Dr. Kate Crawford, professor at New York University and co-founder of the AI Now Institute. And it also launched, in partnership with OpenClassrooms and Institut Montaigne, «DestinationAI», a MOOC on risks and opportunities of AI, already followed by more than 300,000 people.^[9]

In March 2024, Bouverot and an economist Philippe Aghion presented to the president of France Emmanuel Macron their report on AI technologies and how they could be turned into an engine of the country's economy.^[10]

On March 29, 2024, Bouverot was asked by Macron to organise world's next AI Action Summit.

Other activities

• In July 2022, she was appointed the Chair of the Board of Ecole Normale Supérieure.
• She co-chairs, alongside Philippe Aghion, the Committee on Generative Artificial Intelligence, established by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.^[11]
• In February 2023, Bouverot became President of Series Mania, the biggest event dedicated uniquely to TV and streaming series in Europe.^[12]
• She is the Chair of the board of directors of Cellnex, Europe’s leading operator of telecommunications infrastructure, since March 2023, having been a Board member (since 2018).^{[13] [14]}
• On January 4, 2021, she was appointed to the Board of Directors of Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company.
• She is the Chair of Technicolor Creative Studios, a company specialized in visual effects and animation services for entertainment, media, and advertising (since 2019).^[15]
• She was a director of Edenred (2010-2021) and Capgemini (2013-2021), she also joined in 2019 the Board of Directors of Ledger, a unicorn and member of the Next 40.
• She has been a senior advisor for TowerBrook Capital Partner since 2018.

Decorations

Anne Bouverot was made Knight of the National Order of Merit and Officer of the Legion of Honor (France).^[16]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Anne Bouverot future Présidente de Morpho (Safran) . Safran. 16 September 2015 . French.
2. Web site: Anne Bouverot. Capgemini. 2024-03-29.
3. Web site: Tracing the Successful and Rich Journey of Dr. Anne Bouverot, General Director, GSMA . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102936/http://www.telecomreviewna.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=233:tracing-the-successful-and-rich-journey-of-dr-anne-bouverot-general-director-gsma&catid=43:september-october-issue&Itemid=86 . 4 March 2016 . 16 September 2015 . Telecom Review .
4. Web site: Anne Bouverot . Inspiring fifty . 16 September 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150925193629/http://www.inspiringfifty.com/50-inspiring-women-list-2015-eu/ . 25 September 2015 .
5. Web site: Anne Bouverot, director general, GSMA - 2014 Influential Women in Wireless . 28 August 2014 . Fierce Wireless . 16 September 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150406112633/http://www.fiercewireless.com/special-reports/anne-bouverot-director-general-gsma-2014-influential-women-wireless . 6 April 2015 .
6. Web site: GSMA’s Director General, Anne Bouverot, Takes Up a New Appointment with Morpho. Fadoju. Lulu. 2015-03-19. Tachabal. 2024-03-29.
7. Web site: "AI is becoming the subject of all". 2023-12-05. ENS. 2024-03-28.
8. Web site: Anne Bouverot to Join Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company Board of Directors. 2021-01-04. AP News. 2024-03-29.
9. Web site: Creation of the AI and Society Institute. Abeona. 2024-03-29.
10. Web site: “Investing in artificial intelligence is investing in growth” (Anne Bouverot and Philippe Aghion). Manens. François. 2024-03-14. La Tribune. 2024-03-29.
11. Web site: 2024-03-29 . France appoints engineer to lead artificial intelligence safety summit . 2024-03-29 . RFI.
12. Web site: Anne Bouverot becomes the new president of Mania Series. Moysan. Thomas. 2023-02-05. CB News France. 2024-03-28.
13. https://www.cellnextelecom.com/en/cellnex-board-of-directors/ Board of Directors
14. Web site: Cellnex board names Anne Bouverot as its non-executive chair. Bouverot. Anne. Vanilla Plus. 2024-03-29.
15. Web site: Trust and Autonomy in the Digital Sphere. Institut Montaigne. 2024-03-29.
16. Web site: Anne Bouverot to Join Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company Board of Directors. 2021-01-04. Thomson Reuters. 2024-03-29.