Graduate in law, former student of the Hautes études commerciales and the Ecole nationale d’administration (ENA). Between 1982 and 1992 he occupied various functions in the Ministry of Economy and Finance. In 1993 he was appointed Director of the Cabinet of the Budget Minister, government spokesman, and head of communication. In 1995 he was appointed Managing Director of the Société française d’investissements immobiliers et de gestion, a real estate company in the Fimalac Group.
In 1996 he was appointed Managing Director and member of the Management board of Banque pour l’expansion industrielle (Banexi), the commercial arm of BNP, of which he became Chairman of the Management board in 1997. In 1999, he was appointed head of International Retail Banking and, from 2003, head of Financial Services and International Retail Banking of the BNP Paribas Group. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 2008 jointly responsible for Retail Banking activities and for the International Retail Services of BNP Paribas.