paul hermelin

About paul hermelin

Paul Hermelin is one of the most prominent French executives in the digital services and consulting sector. A graduate of École Polytechnique and École Nationale d’Administration, he began his career in the French civil service, mainly at the Ministry of Finance. He held several positions in the Budget Directorate and served on ministerial staffs, including as chief of staff to the Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade from 1991 to 1993. This background gave him a strong grounding in public policy, finance and institutional matters, as well as an early understanding of the relationship between the state and major corporations. Hermelin joined Capgemini in May 1993, initially overseeing the coordination of central functions. He was appointed to the management board and became CEO of Capgemini France in 1996, then Group Chief Operating Officer in 2000 after the Capgemini–Ernst & Young Consulting merger. In 2002, he became Chief Executive Officer of Capgemini Group, and in 2012 he was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. During his leadership, Capgemini expanded its scale, strengthened its global footprint, and reinforced its position in consulting, digital transformation, systems integration and technology services. Capgemini states that he helped turn the company into a global leader in business transformation and digitization, with a strong emphasis on innovation, technology and sustainable progress. A key governance milestone came in May 2020, when the roles of Chair and CEO were separated as part of the group’s succession plan. Hermelin remained Chairman of the Capgemini SE Board of Directors, where he continues to contribute strategic oversight, corporate growth experience and deep knowledge of the business. Capgemini also identifies him as Chairman of the Strategy & CSR Committee, reflecting his role in strategic direction and sustainability oversight. Since February 2022, he has also served as Senior Advisor to Eurazeo.