When he called me I only had never met him

First woman at the head of the organization management, elected a year ago, it was in Haute-Saône that Laurence Parisot, 46 years old, lived his early years. Intellectual and down-to-Earth, it is bathed from the outset in the industry: grandfather Jacques has created the company of wooden furniture Parisot, then taken by his father Michel and his uncles. "My grandfather was an industrialist, a creator of business, but it was also an artist." He attended the painters of his time, he had the Boulle school, initially he wanted to be Designer. My father was in the same spirit as for a time he was designer of theatre. I am from a medium who knows both be in the rigour of creation and the management of a company, but which is also in the openness that is found in most artistic circles.

Passionate about the public thing, Laurence Parisot left the family home to the capital, where she joined with Sciences po. That has led him to steal his own wings "It is seeing my grandfather build something of himself, and then my father, who pushed me to tell me: me too I want to have my entrepreneurial approach."

Alain Lancelot, the Director of the Cevipof, will be his first mentor: Laurence Parisot tackles first survey and public opinion, where it can reconcile his taste for Sociology and politics to its attractiveness for the management and the company. Director General of Louis Harris in 26 years, President of the FIFG as early as 1990, then President of the Medef: Laurence Parisot is always thinking in number one. "I must confess that I am never comfortable in positions to number two or three." Even if, when this happens me, I am respectful of the number one! I for example was a member of the Executive Board of the Medef, there was a number one, Ernest - Antoine Seilliere.

It was the latter who did come to the Executive Board in January 2003. "When he called me, I only had never met him." He asked me the question of at the outset, and I replied Yes of the tac to tac. He was surprised, because usually people give a time for reflection. I me the am not given, as anything that can help promote the company in our country is important.

Very quickly, Laurence Parisot, again, is number one. The first time when she thought the Presidency "I am not said to me:"I want to be President of the Medef", I said to myself:"why not be candidate". The idea came to me soon enough, as early as November 2003. "By becoming the first woman to gain access to the head of the Medef in June 2005, it marks a revolution in the Union. Since then, in addition to the promotion of French companies, Laurence Parisot is also committed to defend the cause of women. "It took me many years to understand that some criticisms that I could hear, or some contracts that I couldn't get, were the result of a misogyny that I didn't." In my desire to move forward, I couldn't imagine that being a woman could be If disabling. Today, I understand better that, when you get in some places of power, men prefer to remain between them (...) Misogyny is still there.

Find the full interview at 12 and 16 hours on BFM in "Saga of power" of Hedwige Chevrillon.