Philippe Louis-Dreyfus, the thinker of the sea

Audio 02:33

By: Marina Mielczarek

This summer, RFI will introduce you to the personalities of the transport world. Men and women, workers behind the scenes, who are however revolutionizing the way we travel or transit our goods. This Saturday, a little trip at sea with the shipowner Philippe Louis-Dreyfus. At 75, this former top athlete chairs the Supervisory Board of the family group, Louis Dreyfus.

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He has a demeanor worthy of the great Parisian families from which he comes, he also has the serenity of top athletes, a background from which he also comes! International squash selection, he also played rugby. Today, at 75, Philippe Louis-Dreyfus runs twice a week between two tennis matches.

Squash, rugby, tennis, sports such as maritime transport are played over the long term

Sport as a mantra, he drew from it his sense of camaraderie, the discipline of humility and that incredible energy. Because it takes a lot of dynamism to manage the coronavirus crisis in the sea sector ... Take this example, with the interview scheduled by phone with RFI, postponed due to an express return trip in the middle of summer in a European port!

A military physique and giggles in front of Louis de Funès

The coronavirus crisis, he will go through it as he has already gone through so many. Flag high! as he says. For this amateur decorated with the Cavalry-Parachutist Reserve Order, presence and determination do not exclude simple pleasures. Grill, chicken salad at almost every meal; at the cinema, an action film that ends well or a good Louis de Funès.

Capitalism needs family businesses to resist the diktat of the short-term stock market (Philippe Louis-Dreyfus)

Yes, laughter is important for this executive vice-president of Medef International, the global branch of business leaders. Functions, he accumulates them, like medals. Philippe Louis-Dreyfus holds that of the Order of Maritime Merit, he is also Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honor and Officer of the Order of Merit, of France and of the British Empire.

Transport targeted goods: wind turbine blades, Airbus planes, and pull communications cables

Great Britain and its Asian influences, Hong Kong, Singapore, cultures and territories that the Louis Dreyfus Armateurs group knows very well. Philippe goes there regularly. In a time when start-ups are popular (this word start-up, Philippe Louis-Dreyfus hardly appreciates it, he prefers to simply say business, it is undoubtedly less trendy but it is without complex and that says what it means.)

A boss like Philippe Louis-Dreyfus might seem outdated, but at the first minute of face-to-face meeting, the man quickly convinces you to the contrary, he swears only on the long term and the future of humanity. .

Doing business with the family is not a gift

Before regaining the fold of dad, grandfather and great grandfather, (the Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group, 169 years of existence!) Philippe Louis-Dreyfus worked in the banking sector. Experience also in freight transport in Norway and London. On his return to France after these fifteen years of exile, he remembers one of his greatest successes, changing the gear by diversifying the bulk with the offer of high-tech services.

2000s, the Alcatel adventure

We are at the end of the 90s, the cell phone did not exist like today, the internet was in its infancy. Very quickly, Philippe Louis-Dreyfus made the family group operate a 180-degree turn:

Shipping, he explains, is a very competitive industry. “  I actually made the choice to direct the company towards transport dedicated to certain innovative industrial branches such as wind turbines and aircraft parts. But laying submarine cables will remain one of my greatest achievements and a source of great pride. Moreover, he continues, this Covid-19 pandemic shows us the importance of the transmission of images and communications. During this crisis, entire families scattered around the world were able to talk to each other via the internet or cell phones. This very specific sector of our group also helps States since strategic military and scientific information is sent using cables that our teams install at sea.  ”

It is an understatement to say that Philippe Louis-Dreyfus is a visionary and a workaholic. No, the executioners are bad guys, he's a good guy! He loves young people, and especially young people who, starting from nothing, want to undertake. He encourages them to aim far and not to give in to the fashions of the moment, this short-term capitalism which swears only by the stock market price. He sees the long term as he looks at the world, the slowness and tranquility of the forest. These natural walks that he cannot do without. If we had to summarize, Philippe Louis-Dreyfus encompasses everything, the sky and the sea of ​​course, to the point of pleading for his protection.

Reduce pollution from ships, the ring is at the International Maritime Organization

Three years at the head of the Association of European Shipowners campaigning for the reduction of sulfur in engines and the reduction of ship speed. Meetings with President Macron at the Assises de la Mer to convince politicians. The enemies are numerous, the clans and especially the anti-environmental lobby exist within the International Maritime Organization. In France, environmentalists approve of it.

Stéphane Coppey represents the Maritime Committee of the great port of Marseille for the France Nature Environnement Organization:

“ France Nature Environnement,” he explains , “supports Philippe Louis-Dreyfus in his fight to reduce pollution from boats at sea. And on all the seas of the world. In the future, the new ships must be built on natural gas. We will be at his side to defend the use of scrubbers, these purifiers which only throw the fumes from the ships into the water . "

July 2020, the Elysée announces the creation of a Ministry of the Sea

And this installation last month of a new French Ministry of the Sea, what do you think? The expert's answer is not mistaken: “ Yes, okay, I'm waiting to see the means given! "

It is because throughout this career, Philippe Louis-Dreyfus works so that France is a power instead of being just a maritime territory. Flag high! Maybe someday...

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