Arnaud de Puyfontaine

Non-Executive Director
Chair of the Board, Havas
Member of the Corporate Governance, Nominations and Remuneration Committee, Havas

Arnaud de Puyfontaine is a graduate of the ESCP Business School (1988), the Multimedia Institute (1992) and Harvard Business School (2000).

Arnaud de Puyfontaine started his career as a consultant at Arthur Andersen and then in 1989 worked as a project manager at Rhône-Poulenc Pharma in Indonesia.

In 1990, he joined Le Figaro as Deputy Director. In 1995, as a member of the founding team of the Emap Group in France, he headed Télé Poche and Studio Magazine, managed the acquisition of Télé Star and Télé Star Jeux, and launched the Emap Star Division, before becoming Chief Executive Officer of Emap France in 1998.

In 1999, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emap France, and, in 2000, joined the Executive Board of Emap plc. He led several M&A deals, and concomitantly, from 2000 to 2005, served as Chairman of EMW, the Emap/Wanadoo digital subsidiary.

In August 2006, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Editions Mondadori France.

In June 2007, he became General Manager of all digital business for the Mondadori Group. In April 2009, Arnaud de Puyfontaine joined the US media group Hearst as Chief Executive Officer of its UK subsidiary, Hearst UK.

In 2011, on behalf of the Hearst Group, he led the acquisition from the Lagardère group of 102 magazines published abroad, and, in June 2011, was appointed Executive Vice President of Hearst Magazines International. In August 2013, he was appointed Managing Director of Western Europe. He has also been Chairman of ESCP Europe Alumni.

From January to June 2014, Arnaud de Puyfontaine was a member of the Management Board of Vivendi and Senior Executive Vice President in charge of its media and content operations. Since June 24, 2014, he has been Chairman of the Management Board of Vivendi. In connection with the Vivendi Spin-Off, in October 2024, Arnaud de Puyfontaine was appointed Director of Canal+ SA and Director of Louis Hachette Group.

Current directorships/partnerships

Listed companies:
Vivendi SE: Chairman of the Management Board
Canal +: Member of the Supervisory Board
Louis Hachette Group: Director
Lagardère SA: Member of the Board of Directors

Other companies:
Dailymotion SA: Director
Prisma Media: Chairman of the Board of Directors
Gameloft SE: Chairman of the Board of Directors
Innit: Member of the Advisory Committee
Canal+ Group: Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Other entities:
French-American Foundation: Honorary Chairman

Past directorships/partnerships

Listed companies:
Telecom Italia SpA: Executive Chairman and Director

Other companies:
Antinea 6: Chairman of the Board of Directors
Editis Holding SA: Chairman of the Board of Directors
Gameloft SE: Chief Executive Officer
Universal Music France (SAS): Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Universal Music Group, Inc.: Director