Chairman of J.E.D.I., former Special Advisor to the French Minister of Defence, founder of ACAPITAL André Loesekrug-Pietri, French-German nationalities, held leadership positions in private equity, government, industry and as an entrepreneur. Starting as assistant to the CEO of Aerospatiale-Airbus, he then spent 15 years in private equity and venture capital, including 10 years with China, investing in European companies with global ambitions. In 2017, he paused from the private sector to become Special Advisor to the French Minister of Defence, responsible in particular for European Defense policy as well as technology and innovation. He is currently Executive Director of the Joint European Disruptive Initiative (J.E.D.I.), the European Darpa, aiming to accelerate Europe’s leadership in disruptive innovations. HEC and Harvard Kennedy School graduate, he is lecturer at SciencesPo and non-resident fellow of the German Marshal Fund. He attended Sup-Aero aerospace engineering school, was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, is a private pilot, and Colonel with the French Air Force People’s Reserve.