Qualifications
After obtaining his Baccalaureat from the Lycée Ampère in Lyon, France, Jacques Aschenbroich attended the Lycée du Parc to prepare for his entry to the prominent engineering school of Mines ParisTech (École nationale supérieure des Mines de Paris). Following graduation, he completed his advanced education at the state institution ‘Corps des Mines’.
Career
After completing his education, in 1982 Jacques Aschenbroich began his career in the French civil service. Over the years he held a range of responsibilities relating mainly to industrial development and local economic growth. In 1987 he was appointed as technical advisor for industrial affairs to the Prime Minister Jacques Chirac’s cabinet.
In 1988 Jacques Aschenbroich left public service and began the next phase of his career in the corporate sector. After rejecting offers from the banking sector and other industrial groups, he joined the construction materials company Saint-Gobain. He was put in charge of the company’s subsidiaries in Brazil, where he stayed until 1991. He was then sent to Germany and put in charge of the company’s plate glass activities. In 2001 he was promoted to senior vice-president of Saint-Gobain, in charge of glass and high performance materials. In September 2007 he was given additional responsibility for corporate activities in the United States and Canada.
In 2008 Jacques Aschenbroich resigned from Saint-Gobain. He took responsibility for an €896m fine imposed on the company by the European Commission for its role in fixing prices on glass supplied to European automakers between 1998 and 2003.
After considering several other offers, in March 2009 he decided to accept the position of Chief Executive Officer of the automotive parts maker Valeo. In this role he has overseen the implementation of Valeo’s new strategic plan and its focus on technologies for reducing CO2 emissions and emerging markets. The value of Valeo’s shares has risen from €10 when Jacques Aschenbroich took office to just over €40 in 2013.
Anecdotes
In additional to his native French language, Jacques Aschenbroich also speaks English, German and Portuguese. He also learned Indonesian during his period of national military service there. His main interests are traveling and skiing. He is married and has three children. The French state has appointed him a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and a Knight of the Ordre National du Mérite.
