José Frèches

About José Frèches

Writer and business leader, José Frèches has authored around fifteen novels and essays on China that have been translated in most countries around the world and published in over 3.5 million copies.

After studying art history and Chinese, he ranked first in 1971 in the competitive exam for museum curator in France and worked at the Louvre and the Guimet Museum. In 1975, he entered the National School of Administration from which he graduated to the Court of Auditors. Advisor to Jacques Chirac at the Paris City Hall and then at Matignon when the latter was appointed Prime Minister, in 1988, he left the administration and became director at Canal Plus. In 1990, he was recruited as general director by Pierre Fabre, the founder of the eponymous pharmaceutical laboratory. From 1998 to 2000, he was the CEO of the Midi Libre press group, which he sold to Le Monde.

From 2001 to 2007, José Frèches dedicated himself to writing and created his own companies in communication and real estate. He published “Art et Cie” with Dunod, discussing the relationship between art and management.

At the end of 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic, appointed him General Commissioner of the French section of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo. With 10 million visitors received, the French pavilion was the most visited, ahead of that of China (8 million visitors).

The same responsibilities were entrusted to him in 2011 for the Yeosu 2012 International Expo (South Korea).

José Frèches has been a professor at HEC and ENA. He has given lectures on China in France, Canada, Spain, and Singapore.

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