Etienne Jacques

As Chief HR Officer for ENGIE Impact, I lead our effort to attract, retain and develop our talent, which is integral to empowering the world’s businesses, cities and governments to accelerate their sustainability transformations.

In what way do you and the teams you lead further ENGIE Impact’s mission to accelerate sustainable transformation?

Our people are our greatest resource. I lead three regional HR teams in the Americas, EMEAI, and APAC, as well as transversal and global talent & organization development teams and we look for talented, passionate individuals who help our clients reach their sustainability goals and want to be part of a global experience. So more than in any business, the mindset of our people, and their passion and belief in the sustainability transformation, will be key to our—and clients’—success.

What does success at ENGIE Impact look like?

Success is making sustainability happen, customer by customer, and contributing to a greater achievement for the planet.

How did your background prepare you for this role at ENGIE Impact?

I have worked myself for seven years in business consulting as an integration manager and as a commercial engineer. So, I understand and can guide our HR teams in identifying the kind of talent we need to attract, integrating the various teams across the world (from the Americas, to Europe, to Asia) and understanding the type of goals they will need to accomplish.

• With an Executive MBA from Kellogg University in Chicago, I joined ENGIE Group in 2003 as Integration Manager for AceaElectrabel JV in Rome, before moving to Berlin as HR & IT Director for GDFSuez Deutschland until 2012.
  
• After spending time at ENGIE Group’s headquarters in Paris, serving as the head of Organization and Human Performance, Energy Europe Branch, I returned to Brussels, serving the role as Senior Vice President for HR, IT & Communications for both Renewables and Thermal Generation BUs, facing the energy transition all over Europe.
  

What do you like to do when you’re not in the office?

I am a world traveler, having visited more than 85 countries as well as 25 states in the U.S. I enjoy discovering new cultures.