François Aélion

About François Aélion

François Aélion has had an exceptional journey across all 5 continents. He was a reporter during the fall of Saigon in April 1975, which led to a stay in Vietnamese prisons, and then volunteered in Rhodesia. As a second lieutenant in the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, he finished as a certified staff commander.

Then he encountered the corporate world: a graduate of Science Po Paris, he became the right-hand man of Maurice Bidermann, participated in corporate turnarounds, and built a very diverse experience in the business world, from provincial SMEs to multinationals.

Operational, then a leader, and venture capitalist, François Aélion always speaks about what he has experienced, which makes his insights particularly relevant. Since the 1990s, he has been one of the most sought-after consultants by executive committees, where he facilitates the emergence of a common vision, as well as by economic and political leaders whom he coaches and advises daily, especially in times of crisis.

His expertise in mobilizing speech and leadership is based on his military experience and a vast historical, theatrical, and philosophical culture that makes him the French specialist in charisma. He is an expert for the Association for Management Progress in matters of influence and managerial courage and conducts over 100 conferences a year in France and abroad, also speaking in English.

Attending one of his conferences is enough to understand how charisma and self-overcoming can elegantly combine. François Aélion combines warm and simple personal interactions with the contagious enthusiasm he establishes in front of an audience of 2000 people seeking a mobilizing vision: one feels, in his presence, expanded, uplifted, and more intelligent. A film enthusiast, he knows how to captivate his audience through analyses of key moments in global cinema.

Since June, François Aélion has been offering a new conference: MANAGERIAL COURAGE. This stimulating conference provides tools that will enable leaders and managers to better promote and implement the value of COURAGE in their companies, a key to character-driven management and engagement during periods of challenges and uncertainties. This theme has met with great success in large French groups.