Post by Kath Easthope

This morning in Paris reminded me why I feel so fortunate to lead this community. We had the privilege of hearing from Virginie Fauvel, CEO of Harvest, in conversation with Younes Zemmouri from Five Arrows.   Virginie is an exceptional leader - calm, humble and inspiring. She spoke candidly about scaling Harvest from French roots into a pan-European business, her positive experience of the PE ecosystem, and what needs to change in Europe for us to reach our full potential.   Some standout takeaways (of the many she shared):   1. Growth can be delivered 'without brutality' - with trust, cadence, and transparent communication at every level. 2. Leaders must set a clear long-term compass while never neglecting daily alignment with shareholders. 3. Balance matters: eat, sleep, exercise - performance follows. 4. Stay calm in times of crisis. And share your own experiences with peers to pay it forward. 5. France / Europe need consistent leadership, rules and regulation to provide stability for 3-5 years, and stronger education, especially to ensure girls are engaging in the right subjects and can ensure their financial independence.   Virginie's energy, gratitude, and commitment to giving back were contagious - from sharing case studies with peers to showing how you can be super successful from a shareholder and scaling perspective while leading with openness and humility.   Great to be back on tour with Katie Kay and Phill Robinson, who set the scene beautifully and talked about our ambitions in France. A huge thanks to H.I. Executive Consulting (H.I.E.C) for its partnership and bringing some amazing new leaders into Boardwave, and to everyone who joined us this morning. We’re excited to keep growing our community in France with your help. Tim Chamberlain Laurence Maheo selma de fressenel Béatrice de Clermont Tonnerre Marie-Pierre Rogers Fred Hessabi Denis Terrien Jean-Philippe Baert Sisi LI Francois Bohuon Baptiste Jourdan Maxime Dubois Laurence Lafont Camille Huyghues Despointes Guillemette Picard Olfa Zorgati Nathalie Wright Renaud Sibel Orla Noonan Jules Pigassou