Thierry Malleret is the founder and managing partner of Monthly Barometer. Our eponymous flagship monthly newsletter is Thierry’s brainchild and the product of his innovative and exacting approach to research and analysis.
Thierry possesses decades of unique professional experience spanning investment banking, as a Chief Economist and Strategist of a major Russian investment bank and as an Economist at the EBRD in London; think tanks and academia in New York and Oxford and government including a three-year spell in the Prime Minister’s office in Paris. At the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Thierry founded and headed the Global Risk Network and for a number of years was responsible for the programme of the annual meeting at Davos. Until 2011 Thierry was senior partner at IJ (Informed Judgement) Partners, an investment boutique based in Geneva, and prior to that managing partner at Rainbow Insight, an advisory boutique providing tailor-made intelligence to investors which he founded and subsequently sold.
In 2015 Thierry also founded the Summit of Minds. These high-level meetings combine hard thinking on major macro issues and the importance of personal wellbeing and the power of nature. Thierry thus achieved a serendipitous coming together of a life-long enthusiasm for the great outdoors and the creation of world class gatherings. Initially in Chamonix, the MB Summits of Minds now also take place in a variety of international locations.
Thierry has many business and academic publications to his name. COVID-19: The Great Reset, co-authored in 2020 with Klaus Schwab has been translated into multiple languages and continues to be an international best seller. Thierry has also published six novels, the latest of which, a thriller, Deaths at Davos (2024) combines fact and fiction to convey an important geopolitical message. Thierry speaks all over the world with leading agencies. He also sits on a variety of advisory boards.
Thierry was educated at the Sorbonne and Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris and at St. Antony’s College, Oxford. He holds two MAs (in Economics and History) and a PhD in Economics.
A University of Oxford history graduate, Mary Anne’s first career was in the fine art world in London, Paris and New York. Then from 1991 to 1998 she worked in the private office of HM King Charles III (then HRH The Prince of Wales) in St. James’s Palace, London.
This was followed by a period principally devoted to raising her and Thierry’s family of four daughters, combined with voluntary work in the education sector and working regularly for the World Economic Forum on a consultancy basis.
Since 2015 Mary Anne has held the position of Creative Director and Partner engaged in the development and writing of the Monthly Barometer and in the production of the Summits of Minds both in Chamonix and further afield.
In 2017 she co-authored with Thierry 10 Good Reasons to Go for a Walk – a book that conveys the vital message that walking can change not only our lives, but also our world. In 2020 Mary Anne lent her writing skills to the manuscript of the international best seller COVID-19: The Great Reset co-authored by Thierry Malleret and Klaus Schwab. In 2024 she played a key role in the publication of Thierry’s latest novel, an eye-opening thriller Deaths at Davos.
Mary Anne’s list of what really matters is topped by family & friends: Thierry and her four daughters; walking and skiing; nature, both in the mountains and her garden and her persistent attempts to become a better painter.
Philippe Bourguignon is one of the most highly regarded executives in the travel industry, with an impressive track record as an innovator and leader. A self-proclaimed dreamer, he has dedicated his 40-year career in tourism to changing the way people experience the world by seeking out new and disruptive brands.
He is Vice Chairman of Revolution Places LLC, Co-Chairman of the Board of Exclusive Resorts, a board member of another Revolution company, Mint House and advises several portfolio companies. He is also chairman of Primonial, the largest French wealth management company.
Last, he is a co-founder of Le Shack, an urban oasis in Paris and an active investor in OneRagtime, a European disruptive venture platform.
He previously served on the board of Zipcar, Neiman Marcus, Canal+ the leading TV pay Chanel in Europe, Palais de Tokyo in Paris (France), the celebrated and world’s largest center for Contemporary Art and on the global board of Operation Hope, a non-profit organization and spent 11-years on the board at eBay.
Between 2003 and 2004, Philippe was co-CEO of the World Economic Forum. Previously, as chairman and CEO of Club Med, he was widely credited for the comprehensive turnaround of the company in 2000. Prior to this he was Chairman and CEO of Euro Disney.
Philippe began his career in tourism with the Accor group and during his 14-year tenure held many senior executive positions within the group.
In 2005, Philippe published his first book, Hop!, on the paradoxes of the world and the French economy.
On a personal note — Philippe is married, and the father of two children. He is a man of many passions – an enthusiastic, competitive yachtsman, proud of a record he set with Bruno Peyron, in 1996 for crossing the English Channel.
As CEO and founder of Adeft Capital, Carol Melton advises and invests in a range of innovative businesses at various stages.
Carol established Adeft following many years in senior management at two global media and entertainment companies. At Time Warner, Carol was a top five senior executive officer when AT&T acquired the company in 2018. She managed a worldwide portfolio as Executive Vice President for Global Public Policy for the company’s HBO, Warner Bros. and Turner divisions (and earlier in her tenure Time Warner Cable, Time Inc. and AOL), with offices in London, Brussels, Hong Kong and Buenos Aires. Carol previously served in a similar capacity for the earlier-combined Viacom and CBS and its various business interests, including Paramount, MTV Networks, Showtime and all CBS divisions. Earlier in her career, she was a legal advisor to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Carol serves as a board member of The RealReal (NASDAQ: REAL) and real estate company JBG Smith (NYSE: JBGS) and is Vice Chair and a director of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. In addition, she is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Carol is also part of the investor group that owns the Washington Spirit women’s soccer team.
Born to Austrian parents, Rupert Schmid came to France with his mother when he was four years old.
In 1988 at the age of 21, he was already Development Director at Journal des Finance, then Managing Director at Défis magazine, and finally in 1995 Managing Director of Sorio communication group.
In 1999, Rupert was recruited by Henri Proglio as director of communication and marketing at the future Veolia. Rupert studied at INSEAD for a semester, but firmly believes that more than anything he owes success to personal acumen and pragmatism, tried and tested in the school of ‘doing’. After seven intense years in the halls of power, he wanted to tackle something new.
In 2007, a connection with the Allouche family, Biologique Recherche’s owners, gave him the opportunity to enter the luxury cosmetics field. In partnership with his friend, Pierre-Louis Delapalme, Rupert took over Biologique Recherche. Their policy was to invest heavily in R&D bringing production in-house to an almost pharmaceutical-grade laboratory and rolling out international distribution in (to date) more than 80 countries.
A mutual belief in the expanding importance of wellness and wellbeing led to Rupert’s involvement with Thierry Malleret and his investment in the Monthly Barometer. Rupert brings to the Monthly Barometer team the benefits of his outstanding experience and insight from the realms of wellness and communication.
Olivier Fleurot is now a consultant advising companies on corporate communication strategy and digital transformation. He is also mentoring start-ups in various fields such as energy, digital media, and urban mobility.
He worked at Publicis from 2006 to 2017, first as CEO of Publicis Worldwide, an international network of advertising agencies, then as CEO of MSL Group, a global network of PR and communication agencies. In 2015 Maurice Levy appointed Olivier to the position of Group Senior Vice-President, in charge of Communication, Real Estate, and Insurance. Olivier took an active part in the recent transformation of Publicis Group which was launched in 2015.
From 2002 to 2006, Olivier Fleurot was Chief Executive of the Financial Times Group, a Pearson company, in charge of the group’s newspapers: the Financial Times worldwide, Financial Times Deutschland in Germany, Les Echos in France, Vedemosti in Russia, and FT Business, publisher of Investor’s Chronicle and the Banker. From 1999 to 2002 he was the MD of the Financial Times newspaper. Olivier was appointed to the Pearson Management Committee in October 2002.
He has been alternatively Chairman or vice-Chairman of FTSE, a joint venture between the FT and the London Stock Exchange. Olivier worked in London for 8 years.
Before moving to London to take up his role at the Financial Times in January 1999, Olivier was Chief Executive of the Les Echos group, France’s leading business publisher, based in Paris.
Ted Souder – Former senior executive at Google, former Vice-Chair of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and current Board Director at 1871, the No. 1 technology incubator in the world.
One of Google’s earliest employees, Ted spent 20+ years helping write one of the greatest business stories of all time. From its origin as a fledgling Search engine trying to find its footing after the “dot com” crash in 2000 to becoming one of the largest and most important companies in the world, Google helped define an era. During his time at Google, Ted held many different leadership roles both in Chicago and in Paris, France, ultimately leading to his dual roles of the founder of the Google CFO Forum and Head of Industry, Retail.
Currently, as the founder of Wiggs Holding, Ted is building a platform that enables him to continue to advise on activation strategies for a post-pandemic, digital-first world utilizing the Google playbook. Ted’s vast experience gives him a unique perspective on how organizations and governments today can benefit from taking advantage of the opportunities that come from embracing digital transformation.
Ted lives in Chicago with his wife Lori, Founder of HTAT Journeys, a conservation-focused safari company that operates primarily in Eastern and Southern Africa, and their two children.
Ted speaks at events all over the world on the topic of digital transformation and the positive impact it can have on your business, your community, and your life.
After studying Humanities and Political Science for two years, I am joining the MSc Geopolitics & Business at Rennes School of Business in September 2023. After becoming aware of certain international issues through a 4-month internship in Rome in the field of international development, I wanted to join the Summit of Minds team. By combining these international issues with the environmental issues that are close to my heart, the Summit of Minds offers the opportunity to actively learn about the solutions for tomorrow’s world.
Together with her Master’s degree in Communication & Marketing from Toulouse Business School, Meghan brings to the MB and SOM team many years of professional experience in the organisation of sports events. Four at the International Trail Running Association, first as a project manager, then as Chief Operating Officer. Then more recently working as a freelance consultant, advising and supporting her clients on a wide range of issues, from health in sport to communication challenges. It is in this capacity that Meghan joins us, on a part time basis, as she is also simultaneously studying for a Master’s degree in psychology at Paris 8 University.
Rachel grew up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, her very core revolves around her love and respect for nature. This all began with her being raised on a family horse farm in Colorado, followed by an athletic scholarship to Oklahoma State University where she majored in International Business.
Immediately after college she found herself wandering in the vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina where she worked for three years as an accounts manager for a private vineyard management company.
Rachel then relocated to Aspen, Colorado and entered the realm of cosmetics, joining the buying team of a boutique cosmetics company. Chamonix is twinned Aspen, it all made sense for her to relocate to France with her husband a native of Haute Savoie.
Rachel has a knack for multicultural settings, languages, mental and physical health and cuisine. At Monthly Barometer she is responsible for office operations, team coordination, internal accounting.
Rosie’s working career began in London’s vibrant events industry, working across a variety of world wide business networking events as well as experiential events, secret music gigs and UK festivals.
Although excited and inspired by her work in events, her passion for movement and the body had been ignited and so she pursued this interest by obtaining a diploma, firstly in holistic massage and soon after, qualifying as a Remedial and Sports Massage Therapist in Bristol. Informed by her anatomy knowledge and her dedicated yoga practice over the years, she trained as a Krama Vinyasa Tantra yoga teacher at Bristol’s Yogasara centre.
A lover of the outdoors, she was continuously captivated by Chamonix’s striking scapes on each of her short visits. An idea had struck and she was propelled to eventually relocate to the mountains long term, moving her massage & yoga business from the UK to Chamonix. Fast forward several years and she is firmly rooted in the town, continuing her thriving business and also lending her skills to the Monthly Barometer team assisting with administration.
Natalia has been passionate about environmental sustainability since her early years. This interest continued during her later academic studies at Edinburgh University where she got her Masters in Philosophy and Economics, followed by Masters in Sustainable Development from Geneva University. Her steady progression in the sustainability domain has recently culminated with a PhD degree on food waste management and circular economy transition, also from Geneva University. Over the years Natalia further deepened her practical expertise in environmental and social responsibility working with international organisations including UNEP and WBCSD, and companies such as KPMG and Deloitte among others.
Natalia has a sincere appreciation of nature and is strongly committed to driving positive change to preserve it. Hence, she joined the team focusing on selecting the most cutting edge nature sensitive start-ups who can foster business community’s positive impact on the well-being of our planet.
In her spare time Natalia enjoys hiking and snowboarding. An avid traveller, she likes discovering new countries and cultures. Natalia has a keen interest in landscape photography and environmental photojournalism. She also practices yoga and mindfulness to stay connected to mind, body and spirit.
Josh, originally from the UK, moved to France to pursue his passion for climbing, skiing and flying in the mountains around Chamonix. He splits that with being an experienced Web Developer & SEO Consultant working with clients across Europe to help improve their business online.
Josh is in charge of the website development and maintenance for the Monthly Barometer. He also works on SEO projects to support the digital strategy of the business.
