Blerina Zoto (MA, University of Montesquieu Bordeaux IV) is a humanitarian worker. What have been the highlights of your career? Throughout my career, and especially over the past ten years, I have held posts in the Albanian government. I have worked to defend human rights generally and the rights of Roma populations more specifically, striving both to advance their economic development and to increase their social integration. What was your main role within the Albanian government? As part of my position as Director of the technical secretariat of the Albanian Ministry for Social Protection and Youth, I had the honour of representing the Albanian government at the United Nations and European institutions. At the Council of Europe I was named ‘national expert on Roma-related issues’ (CAHROM) and ‘member of the [lire plus]

Director of Research at Eranos, Anthony Mahe has a PhD (2010) in sociology from Paris Descartes University. A business-savvy academic, he has just joined the FEDE’s Panel of Experts. What exactly did you study at university? My thesis was on bank debt. Written in collaboration with GE Money Bank, it was funded by a CIFRE (Conventions Industrielles de Formation pour la Recherche) grant awarded by the ANRT (Agence Nationale pour la Recherche). I now realise that my thesis had some indirect links to the FEDE! Michel Maffesoli, Director of GE Money Bank at the time, is now a member of the FEDE’s Academic Council, and Clarisse Angelier, Delegate General of the ANRT, is a member of the Panel of Experts. What have been the highlights of your career? After working [lire plus]

Cyberneticist and psychologist Stéphane Solotareff has had an unusual career path. A graduate of the French engineering school CentraleSupélec (1977), he went on to obtain a PhD in theoretical physics (1979) following publication of his report to the French Academy of Sciences. He is also a graduate of the Institut de Haute Finance, where he wrote his dissertation on economic systems (1990). In 1994 he qualified as dielian (based on the theories of Paul Diel) therapist. In 2007 Professor Solotareff created a socio-cognitive method for analyzing company personnel – a method that he went on to apply in major companies such as ITW, IBM, Legrand and others. His systemic approach to psychology has enabled him to work on a range of HR topics. He now works exclusively on the psychology [lire plus]

Daniel Peyron, former Director of Sup de Co La Rochelle, has returned to the FEDE as a member of the Panel of Experts. He is now Director of the HECI Business School network – a group of schools and universities aiming to train modern, versatile managers for the Moroccan and African markets. What did you study and what have been the highlights of your career? I graduated from ESC Bordeaux and began my career in industry – first at Schlumberger, then as Management Auditor for the L’Oréal Group. In 1976 I helped found INSEEC Bordeaux, which I headed until 1989, whilst also teaching management auditing at the University of Bordeaux 1. In 1990 I founded and became the director of Acadis – an elite secondary school based on a new [lire plus]

The latest addition to the FEDE’s Panel of Experts, Emilie Coutant is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Angers and the University of Montpellier (IRSA-CRI research lab) and writer-editor for Cahiers Européens de l'Imaginaire (CNRS Editions). Find out more below! Can you tell us about your studies and your current job role? I did my PhD in Sociology at Paris Descartes University. My thesis concerned how masculinity has changed over time. Afterwards I decided to become an independent sociologist and I founded my company Tendance Sociale in 2008. I combine my role as company manager with teaching and research in universities. How would you describe the role of an independent sociologist? Freelance sociologists are a new phenomenon. It’s a profession that applies academic research and skills to the [lire plus]