| Birth Name: | Clara Lejeune |
| Birth Date: | 27 January 1960 |
| Birth Place: | Paris, France |
| Education: | Sciences Po, ÉNA |
| Occupation: | President, and CEO of General Electric France |
| Parents: | Jérôme Lejeune (father) |
| Children: | 9 |
Clara Gaymard (née Lejeune; born 27 January 1960) is a French businesswoman, official and author. She co-founded RAISE, an investment fund and philanthropic group which promotes entrepreneurial growth. She was the president of GE France from 2006 to 2016 and vice-president of GE International from 2009 to 2016.[1] [2]
She received a degree from Sciences Po and is an alumna of the École nationale d'administration.[3]
She served as an administrative officer to the Mayor of Paris from 1982 until 1984, when she went to study at the ENA. On graduating, she became an auditor at the court of auditors, and was appointed advisor for referendums in 1990. Thereafter she was assistant to the head of economic expansion services in Cairo (1991-1993), becoming head of the European Union office (sub-directorate of Europe) at the Directorate of External Economic Relations (DREE) in the Ministry of the Economy and Finance.[4]
In June 1995 she was asked by Colette Codaccioni, the minister for inter-generational cohesion, to direct her office. She then joined the sub-directorate focusing on supporting SMEs and regional action at the DREE (1996-1999), then as the head delegate to SMEs (1999-2003). In 2002, the economy and finance minister, Francis Mer, refused to nominate her to lead the DREE, saying: