Valérie Bernis is a graduate of the Institut Supérieur de Gestion and the Université de Sciences Economiques in Limoges. Having spent two years as Press and Communications Officer for the French Prime Minister’s Officer, in 1996 she joined Compagnie de Suez as Executive Vice-President – Communications, and then in 1999 was appointed Deputy CEO in charge of Corporate Communications and Sustainable Development. During that time, she also served for five years as Chair and CEO of Paris Première, a French TV channel.