Young Leaders

Young Leaders meeting President Macron at the Élysée Palace

The Franco-British Young Leaders Programme was launched in 2017 by The Prince and Princess of Wales (then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge).

The programme was first announced at the 2016 Franco-British Summit by former President, François Hollande, and former Prime Minister, David Cameron.

The Franco-British Young Leaders Programme aims to deepen understanding and collaboration between France and the UK and create lasting bilateral dialogue at the highest level. Its objective is to build a generation of 21st century leaders who will keep the Franco-British relations at heart and shape its future across all sectors of our societies and economies.

It is delivered by the Franco-British Council with the support of the French Foreign Ministry and the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as well as a number of private sponsors.

Franco-British Young Leaders

Our Young Leaders network now includes 176 personalities who come from distinguished careers across a diversity of sectors ranging from politicians, journalists, scientists, the military and academics to business entrepeneurs, a chef, a pianist, an art critic and an explorer.

Twenty new Young Leaders were selected in 2024.

Young Leaders are required to accept the Franco-British Young Leaders Charter as part of membership on the programme.

Applications for the Young Leaders programme 2024 are now closed.

Please check the website regularly for updates regarding the applications for the 2025 programme. If you would like to receive updates by email please contact us HERE

Our Sponsors

2024

Andrea Bachrata
CEA / Head of laboratory / Nuclear Future Award winner 2021/ WiNEXI expert group leader/ L’Oreal-Unesco pour le femmes et la science award 2011
Paul Barbottin
French Navy, submariner
Cllr Florian Chevoppe-Verdier
Public Policy Officer, Yoti / Councillor, Lead Member for Digital Innovation & European Co-Operation, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Emmanuel Constantin
Southwark IWMF plant manager, Veolia
Thomas Ernoult
Chef du bureau en charge du contrôle des investissements etrangers en France, Direction generale du Tresor
Dr Charlotte Faucher
Lecturer in Modern History, University of Bristol
Victoire Gineste
Vice-President, Christie’s
Maxime Guillaud
Founder & CEO, INSKIP
Adrien Hallou
Group Leader in Tissue Biology, Kennedy Institute, University of Oxford
Olivia Halsall
Founder & CEO, Olea Education
Charles Hervet
Violoncelliste
Francesca Hill
Deputy Director for Security and Counter-Disinformation Policy, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Dr Xavier Jaravel
Associate Professor of Economics, London School of Economics
Lucas Lacombe
Chef du Bureau de la Securite et du Transmanche Sous-prefecture de Calais
Maddii Lown
Senior News Editor, Events, Sky News
Ania Nussbaum
Elysee correspondent, Bloomberg
Sally Onn
Senior Legal Counsel at ATR (Avions de Transport Regional), an Airbus joint venture
Fanta Ouka Diawara
CFO UK Region, Chanel
Claire Paccalin
Senior Reporter, FRANCE 24
Major Luke Shaw
British Army

2023

David Amiel
Député, Assemblée nationale
Melissa Amroun
Parliamentary Assistant, National Assembly
Salma Arif
Cabinet Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles at Leeds City Council
Mo Atif
General Surgery Registrar, University Hospitals Birmingham
Florian Bercault
Mayor of Laval and President of the Laval Agglomeration
Eva Bernard
Principal Advisor, Gender and Climate Action, EBRD
Dr Joanne Brueton
Chair of French and Senior Lecturer in French Studies at the University of London Institute in Paris
Laura Carter
Lecturer in British History, Université Paris Cité
Jack Connolly
Visiting Fellow, Oxford University
Stuart Gill
Space systems specialist, Leanspace
Elsa Guippe
Co-founder COMPASS LABEL
Maxence Jeunesse
Scientifc Director for Artifical Intelligence, Covea
Eloise Bella Kohn
Classical concert pianist
Alan Mak MP
Member of Parliament
Suzanne McLaughlin
Royal Air Force, Cyberspace Professional
Clément Orczyk
Associate Professor of Urology, University College London
Alex Piper
Senior Manager, Commercial Strategy, Liverpool FC
Thibault Ricci
Commander of the School of Fighter Aviation, Air and Space Army
François Sicard
Assistant Professor, University College London / Co-Founder & CEO, SAFANET
François Simon
Professor in paediatric otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at Université Paris Cité and consultant at Necker-Enfants Malades hospital (APHP)
Rai Sow
Executive Director, Make Every Woman Count
Sarah White
Correspondent, Financial Times

2022

Fabien Aufrechter
Directeur d’Havas Sovereign Technologies et Maire de Verneuil-sur-Seine
Helene Ba
Director, Albacore Capital
Emmanuel Bouscasse
Head of Communications, Rugby World Cup France 2023
Julia Cantel
Fem’Energia Europe 2020 ‐ Chef de projet, EDF
Stephanie Childress
Conductor
Eleni Courea
Deputy Editor, POLITICO London Playbook
Agathe Demarais
Global forecasting director, The Economist Intelligence Unit
Arthur Denouveaux
Directeur de Covéa Affinity et Directeur Etudes et Innovation de MMA, Covea
Major Romain Gallineau
French Army
Frederic Garzoni
CEO, Imophoron Ltd
Dr Benjamin Guedj
Researcher at Inria (France) and Associate Professor at University College London (UK)
Adam Jackson
Deputy Director, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, UK Government
Marion Laboure
Senior Economist (Director) at Deutsche Bank & Lecturer in Economics at Harvard University
William Magnaldo
VP, Technology Investment Banking, Morgan Stanley
Hollie McNish
author and poet
Dr Paul Morillon
Anaesthetist, St Thomas’ Hospital, London
Florence Ostende
Curator, Barbican, London
Laurent Potel
Co-Founder & CEO, Reezocar
Dr Clare Siviter-Groschwald
Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol
Lt Commander Luke Thompson
Royal Navy
Philip Yorke
Modern Foreign Languages Curriculum Leader, Shaftesbury Park Primary School

2021

No Young Leaders were chosen in 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic

2020

Alexandre Adam
Europe Advisor to the President of the French Republic
Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade
Député à l’Assemblée nationale
Tristan Aureau
Conseiller du Président du Conseil européen
Jacqueline Broadhead
Director, Global Exchange on Migration and Diversity at University of Oxford
Dia Chakravarty
Brexit Editor, The Telegraph
Imogen Choinet Bankier
Directrice, The Whisky Shop, France
Squadron Leader David Cobb
Royal Air Force
Grégory Cuilleron
Chef in two restaurants in Lyon, Cinq Mains & comptoir Cecil. Speaker on disability and performance.
Marjorie Hache
Broadcaster and music curator
Dr Ghida Ibrahim
Technical Lead, Infrastructure Analytics at Facebook
Alicia Kearns MP
Member of Parliament
Camille Landais
Professor of Economics, London School of Economics & Political Science
Ella Lister
Founder & CEO, Wine Lister; Directrice Déléguée, Figaro Vin
Dr Layla McCay
Director of International Relations, NHS Confederation
Lt Col Florian Morilhat
Pilote d’hélicoptère, Armée de l’air
Rhys Phillips
Electromagnetism Scientist at Airbus
Alexandra Prigent-Labéis
Managing Partner, Accellency & Professor at HEC Paris
Duncan Robinson
Brussels Bureau Chief / Charlemagne columnist at The Economist
Michel Rose
Elysee Correspondent, Reuters
Cleo Watson
Special Adviser, 10 Downing Street
Alexander Zeldin
Playwright. Associate, National Theatre London

2019

Ahmed Abdel-Hakam
Senior Associate, International Arbitration and Public International Law, Eversheds Sutherland
Emma Barnett
BBC Journalist
Clémence Bernard
Lecturer in Neuroscience, University of Exeter
Andrew Bowie MP
Member of Parliament
Charles Consigny
Lawyer at the Paris Bar
Guillaume Coube
Cabinet du chef d’état-major de la Marine, French Navy
Charles Ebikeme
Policy Fellow, London School of Economics
Alice Ekman
Senior Analyst in charge of China and Asia, European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and Associate Professor, Sciences Po
Clo’e Floirat
Art critic, author and cartoonist
Antoine Forterre
Co-CEO, Man AHL and Member of the Executive Committee, Man Group
Sylvestre Frezal
Director, Covea and President, Appenin
Olivia Grégoire
Députée à l’Assemblée Nationale
Edouard Guigou
Managing Director, Eurazeo
Ben Goodwin
Pilot, Royal Air Force
Daniel Hamilton
Managing Director, FTI Consulting
Inès Leonarduzzi
Chief Executive Officer, Digital for the Planet
Nathanael Mason-Schuler
Advisor for Financial Services and Investment, Private Office of the French Prime Minister
Alison McGovern MP
Member of Parliament
Arthur Muller
Co-founder, eXplain
Eugenie de Naurois
Head of Corporate Affairs, City of London Corporation
James Parker
Commanding Officer RAF Scampton, Royal Air Force
Sebastian Payne
Whitehall correspondent and columnist, Financial Times
Jessica Pennetier
Head of International Communications, Choose Paris Region
Nabila Ramdani
Freelance journalist, columnist and broadcaster
Victoria Rowlands
Executive at Hakluyt & Company
Luke Selby
Head Chef, HIDE Above Restaurant
Tanguy Séné
Basel Policy Lead, Bank of England
Tom Shinner
Chief Operating Officer, Entrepreneur First
Lt Col Ludovic Sommerlat
Cavalry Officer, French Army
Sophie Spencer-Small
British Army Officer
Constance Vidot
Investment Professional, Vitruvian Partners
Sarah Whitley
Associate and Soliciter, Gide Loyrette Nouel
Levison Wood
Broadcaster, author and photographer
Georgina Wright
Head of Europe Programme, Institut Montaigne

2018

Bim Afolami MP
Member of Parliament
Ross Bailey
Founder, Appear Here
Jean-Jacques Barberis
Membre du Comité Exécutif, Amundi
Aurore Bergé
Députée à l’Assemblée Nationale
Christophe de Cacqueray
Directeur, Covea Innovation Lab
Agathe Cagé
Présidente, Compass Label
Olivier Cotinat
Co-Fondateur, SchoolLab et MoHo
Célimène Daudet
Pianiste Internationale
Johanna French
British Army Exchange Officer
Alexandre Holroyd
Député a l’Assemblée Nationale
Richard Hughes
Acting Chief Economic Advisor HM Treasury
James Jones
Documentary maker
Thibault Lavernhe
Officier de marine, Capitaine de frégate, Commandant la frégate Surcouf
Ning Li
Founder, Made.com
Baptiste Maurand
Directeur Général Adjoint, Grand Port Maritime du Havre
George Merrylees
Partner, Irwin Mitchell llp
Isabelle Millat
Responsable de la division Sustainable Investment Solutions – Global Markets, Société Générale
Henry Newman
Senior Brexit Adviser, Cabinet Office
Julie de la Sablière
Présidente, Little Wing
Robert Simmons
Royal Marines Commanding Officer
Tilly Spencer
Head of Gas Operations, EDF Energy
Wes Streeting MP
Member of Parliament
Beth Thompson
Head of UK and EU Policy, Wellcome Trust
Aida Todri-Sanial
Chercheuse au CNRS, rattachée au Laboratoires LIRMM
Céline Vallot
Responsable d’équipe, Institut Curie

2017

Anushka Asthana
Editor at large, The Guardian
Wg Cdr Calvin Bailey MBE
Royal Air Force
Jérôme Batout
Director General, Publicis Media
Clément Beaune
Conseiller Europe et G20, Présidence de la République
Olivier-Remy Bel
Visiting Fellow, Atlantic Council
Camille Bonenfant-Jeanneney
Directrice Generale, Compagnie Generale de Chauffage Urbain
Melissa Bouchard
Cardiology Registrar sub-specialising in Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Catherine Boullay
Journaliste, réalisatrice pour Envoyé Spécial
James Dacre
Artistic Director, Royal & Derngate Theatres
Simon Day
Trustee, Franco-British Council
Jeanne Dubarry de Lassalle
Co-fondatrice et Presidente de OKOTYG
Virginie Duby-Muller
Député de Haute-Savoie, Assemblée Nationale
Paul Esmein
Directeur général Offres et Services, Covea
Nicolas Hazard
Fondateur, INCO
Marcie Hopkins
Head of International Office,The British Library
Anne-Claire Howard
Executive Director, Bettercoal
Faisal Islam
Economics Editor, BBC News
Thomas Kitching
Professor in Astrophysics, University College London; CSA Emerging Technology Attache, FCO
David Mackintosh
Former Member of Parliament
Mathieu Nebra
Cofondateur et CPO, OpenClassrooms
Laela Pakpour Tabrizi
Group Chief Financial Officer, MotorK
Stephen Parkinson
Member, House of Lords, Former Political Secretary to the Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street
Richard Parks
Extreme Sports athlete
Alexandre Perra
Directeur Exécutif du Groupe en charge de l’innovation, de la Responsabilité d’entreprise et de la Stratégie, EDF
Raphael Rodriguez
Directeur de recherche, CNRS
Robin Rivaton
VC Investor, IDInvest
Julien de Saint-Quentin
Officier de Marine, Marine Nationale
Boris Saragaglia
Fondateur et PDG, Spartoo
Jean-Pascal Sibiet
Président, Franco-British Connections
Gilles Vanderpooten
Directeur, Reporters d’Espoirs
Amélie Verdier
Directrice du budget, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances
David Wahl
Directeur Général, Scientia Education
Zvi Wohlgemuth
Managing Director, Société Générale