Jean-Charles Naouri

Jean-Charles Naouri
Schoolhead · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Jean-Charles Naouri
Birth date	1949-12-13
Birth place	Oran, French Algeria
Alma mater	École Polytechnique; École des Mines; École Nationale d'Administration
Occupation	Businessman; Investor; Academic
Known for	Founder and CEO of Euris; Chairman and CEO of Groupe Casino

Jean-Charles Naouri is a French businessman, investor, and academic known for founding the investment holding Euris and leading Groupe Casino. He has held positions across academia, banking, and retail, engaging with institutions such as École Polytechnique, École des Mines de Paris, École nationale d'administration, Paribas, Rothschild & Cie, and Groupe Casino. His career spans intersections with European finance, Brazilian retail, and global mergers and acquisitions involving firms and countries including France, Brazil, United States, Japan, and China.

Early life and education

Born in Oran in former French Algeria, he studied at Lycée Louis-le-Grand, then attended École Polytechnique and École des Mines de Paris, later graduating from École nationale d'administration alongside cohorts who entered Council of State (France), Inspection générale des finances (France), and ministries linked to Région Île-de-France. During his formative years he intersected with figures from Chirac government-era circles and contemporaries tied to French civil service leadership, acquiring networks that included alumni of ENA who later served at Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Banque de France, and European Commission.

Career at École Polytechnique and early finance roles

He pursued an academic appointment at École Polytechnique and lectured on topics related to industrial strategy, innovation policy, and public administration alongside colleagues from Université Paris-Dauphine, HEC Paris, and Sciences Po. Transitioning into finance, he joined Paribas and later worked with Rothschild & Cie, participating in advisory mandates that connected him with transactions involving Peugeot, Renault, Suez, TotalEnergies, and BNP Paribas. His early advisory work placed him in contact with global dealmakers at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Credit Suisse, and regulatory actors at European Central Bank and Autorité des marchés financiers.

Founding and leadership of Euris / Casino Group

In the 1980s he founded Euris, a family-controlled holding company that became the vehicle for acquiring stakes in retail and service firms, influencing groups such as Groupe Casino, Monoprix, Franprix, Cdiscount, and VivaSaúde-linked entities in Brazil. Descending into large-scale retail, he gradually consolidated control of Groupe Casino through share acquisitions and board appointments, engaging with institutional investors from BlackRock, Vanguard, AXA, Amundi, and Aberdeen Standard Investments. His leadership at Casino involved governance interactions with boards including directors from BNP Paribas Personal Finance, Carrefour, Ahold Delhaize, Auchan, and Lidl-related deal teams.

Business strategy and notable acquisitions

Naouri implemented a multi-format retail strategy combining hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience, and e-commerce, executing transactions that integrated companies and assets from Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance-linked partners and retailers such as Pão de Açúcar, Grupo Pão de Açúcar (GPA), Assaí, and Via Varejo. He led cross-border deals involving investors and advisors from TPG Capital, KKR, Bain Capital, Carlyle Group, CDPQ, SoftBank, and sovereign funds such as QIA and Temasek. Major strategic moves included digital investments in platforms comparable to Cdiscount and alliances with global suppliers like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo, and The Coca-Cola Company, while negotiating logistics and property arrangements with firms like GLP, Prologis, and carriers such as Maersk and CMA CGM.

Legal issues and controversies

His tenure has been marked by legal and regulatory scrutiny, including shareholder disputes with entities linked to Casino Guichard-Perrachon governance and contested takeovers involving parties such as Rothschild advisers, activist shareholders resembling Elliott Management, and family holdings analogous to Kretinsky-led interests. Regulatory inquiries engaged authorities such as Autorité des marchés financiers, Tribunal de Commerce de Paris, and Brazilian courts including Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM). Litigation and media coverage involved press outlets like Le Monde, Les Échos, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg, and drew commentary from analysts at Moody's, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch Ratings.

Personal life and honors

He is married and has family ties that intersect with prominent figures in French business and civil service circles, maintaining residences in Paris and properties in Brazil and Switzerland. Over his career he has received honors and distinctions comparable to decorations awarded by Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur and Ordre national du Mérite and recognition from industry bodies such as Fédération du Commerce and chambers of commerce including the French Chamber of Commerce in Brazil. He has been profiled by publications including Forbes, Fortune, Les Echos, and Le Figaro.

Philanthropy and public positions

Naouri has supported philanthropic and cultural initiatives connected to institutions such as Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Médecins Sans Frontières, Institut Pasteur, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and academic partnerships with Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Université Paris-Saclay, Collège de France, and INSEAD. He has taken public positions on topics related to French industry and international trade in forums including World Economic Forum, European Business Summit, and conferences hosted by OECD and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. He has served on advisory panels and boards associated with think tanks and institutes such as Institut Montaigne, Brookings Institution, Chatham House, and Atlantic Council.

Category:1949 births Category:French businesspeople Category:French billionaires