New dedicated State Secretariat and new head unknown to the general public but recognized in the innovative Tech world; with the appointment of Clara Chappaz as head of the State Secretariat for AI and Digital, France seems to want to take a new turn in cutting-edge innovation. Here's why and with whom.
Double good news for the AI planet. Clara Chappaz, 35 years old, former director of the French Tech mission, was appointed this Sunday, September 22 by Michel Barnier 1era Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence (and Digital) in the history of France. A turning point for the hexagonal digital strategy but also promotion of a specialist convinced of the benefits of digital technology and innovation at a time when AI in France needs to be encouraged.
Structuring public policies around AI
Another new feature is that this State Secretariat is now attached to the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, led by Patrick Hetzel. Previously, the Digital Secretariat was part of the Ministry of Economy. This appointment of Clara Chappaz to this position therefore marks an important step in the structuring of public policies around Artificial Intelligence (AI) in France. France already has some great assets with H or Mistral AI, Dust, LightOn or XXII Group.
Bottle-fed on entrepreneurship
Daughter of entrepreneur Pierre Chappaz, ex-IBM, co-founder of Kelkoo, from Wikio and from Teads, Clara has a brilliant career in 2012 she joined theESSEC Business School, later she will land a MBA at Harvard Business School. In 2024-2025 she will join the Institute of Advanced National Defense Studies as a listener.
Since entering the job market, Clara Chappaz has notably been through: various management/development positions of start-ups such as Collective changing room, became a French unicorn, and, previously, within the company Zalora11, an e-commerce fashion platform in Southeast Asia.
At the forefront of the battle for innovation
Responsible for promoting start-ups since November 2021 within the French Tech Mission (attached to the General Directorate of Enterprises) Clara Chappaz, entered in Who's Who in 2022 (!) has been able to consolidate France's place in the global innovation ecosystem, particularly in the fields of AI and the ecological transition, in a context that has gone from the blind enthusiasm of the post-Covid era to the constructive and combative reason of the inflationary crisis. Still fighting to promote fundraising in the hundreds of millions of euros that have allowed ambitious young French companies to gain time and resources to grow.
Already a program, a heavy challenge
In an interview with our media, Wazup-Intech, she stressed, in May 2024, that French Tech startups " not only change our consumption patterns but also contribute to the optimization of French companies " She also insisted on the need to create a robust ecosystem where startups, particularly those in AI, can find funding, talent/skills, and a stimulating regulatory framework. A real program for a Secretary of State... A real challenge too when we know that investors have become cautious, that graduates of leading schools are courted abroad and that regulation is still looking for a path between protecting the consumer and promoting innovation.
An arrival already welcomed by his predecessor (2019-2022) Cédric O:
And by Roxanne Varza, Station F Director
Passionate about design
On the personal side, Clara Chappaz, who lives in an industrial-style apartment in the 11the district of Paris, is also passionate about interior design. A passion that she shares with her companion, Paul Depardon, another player in the start-up world, spent 6 years at Frichti before bouncing back in 2023 at Jump, an innovative financial services platform dedicated to the self-employed.
So she is the daughter of a tech entrepreneur, legitimate and convinced support for start-ups and innovative entrepreneurship which arrives at the head of this new State Secretariat. We now wait to know: Will she have the means to realize her ambition for France?
