25 Influential HR & People Leaders in Ile-de-France You Should Follow on LinkedIn (2026)
- Jonno White
- 5 days ago
- 8 min read
By Jonno White, Leadership Consultant, Consult Clarity
If you work in HR, organisational design, talent acquisition, or people leadership and you want to understand where French business culture is heading, there is one region you cannot afford to ignore: Ile-de-France.
Paris and its seven surrounding departments form the most densely concentrated business ecosystem in Europe outside of London. The ANDRH, France's national HR association with more than 6,000 members, operates from Paris. Lab RH, the country's leading HR innovation network, was born here. The CAC40 is largely headquartered in the region.
This post names 25 of the most influential HR and People professionals based in Ile-de-France, selected using three criteria: confirmed location in the Paris metropolitan region, a LinkedIn Activity Score of 3 (posting multiple times a week with genuine engagement), and a publicly verifiable track record.
Why Ile-de-France is France's HR Capital
Ile-de-France is a region of twelve million people spread across eight departments: Paris and the seven surrounding areas of Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, and Val-de-Oise. The HR function has undergone more change here in the past five years than in the preceding two decades. Hybrid work, accelerating AI adoption, the EU Pay Transparency Directive coming into force in 2026, and the rise of droit du travail content on social media have all reshaped how HR leaders work.
The 25 Influential HR & People Leaders in Ile-de-France
1. Gael Chatelain-Berry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaelchatelainberry/ | Followers: 249,000+
The author of more than fifteen books on management and leadership, Chatelain-Berry is most closely associated with "management bienveillant", positioning kindness and psychological safety as strategic imperatives. He is the most-followed HR and management voice on LinkedIn France.
"Commençons donc par etre bienveillant et gentil avec nous-meme."
Follow him for: management philosophy, workplace kindness, organisational culture, and the daily realities of people leadership in France.
2. Catherine Testa
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinetesta/ | Followers: 174,000+
Co-founder of L'Optimisme and author of five books, Catherine Testa is one of the most recognised voices on optimism, well-being, and positive psychology in the workplace. She is also an outspoken advocate for ADHD awareness.
"j'avais de plus en plus l'impression qu'on mettait de cote une crise importante : la crise morale."
Follow her for: workplace well-being, optimism, resilience, neurodiversity, and keynote speaking.
3. Cecile Derouin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciledelarh/ | Followers: 127,000+
#1 HR creator on LinkedIn France. Co-founder of Academie RH, qualified lawyer. Her daily infographics on droit du travail reach over 127,000 followers and cover everything from disciplinary procedures to pay transparency obligations.
Follow her for: droit du travail, labour law infographics, RH formation, and practical HR tools for French practitioners.
4. Loubna Tigroussine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loubnat/ | Followers: 113,000+
Founder of DeKode RH, Loubna Tigroussine makes French labour law accessible through video-first content. She speaks to both HR professionals and employees, positioning herself as a rare connector between the two sides of the employment relationship.
Follow her for: droit du travail, employee rights, video content on legal HR, and practical labour relations in France.
5. Florence Bernier Debbabi
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florence-bernier-debbabi/ | Followers: 68,000+
Droit social specialist and Dunod author (Le Petit RH and Le Petit Paie, 2024). Her LinkedIn content bridges legal theory and real-world HR practice.
"Ce que j'apporte a la fonction RH, c'est le droit, le vrai. Pas celui qu'on pense connaitre ni celui qu'on pratique."
Follow her for: droit social, payroll law, HR compliance, and practical legal guidance.
6. Roseline Laloupe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roselinelaloupe/ | Followers: 92,000+
Three-time LinkedIn Top Voice, employer branding specialist, and LinkedIn ghostwriter for executives. Her blog "Une RH qui vous veut du bien" has built a loyal readership.
"Personne ne seduit avec de la soupe froide."
Follow her for: personal branding, LinkedIn strategy, employer branding, and HR communication.
7. Maud Grenier
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maudgrenier/ | Followers: 104,000+
CEO and co-founder of Le Temple RH training platform, former DRH. Her content draws on years leading people functions inside organisations.
"Retrouver du lien entre les RH et l'ensemble des salaries."
Follow her for: HR leadership, DRH perspective, HR community building, and talent management.
8. Marie Delattre
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariedelattre/ | Followers: 76,000+
Founder of La Sororite RH (2019), the first community for women in HR in France. Host of the podcast "Les RH de la Vraie Vie". Her content is known for honesty about the emotional weight of HR roles.
Follow her for: women in HR, community building, HR wellness, and podcast content.
9. Ludovic Girodon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ludovic-girodon-dreamteam/ | Followers: 106,000+
Founder of Dream Team Academy and author of Dream Team, a management book used by 50,000+ managers across France. His work sits at the intersection of HR and leadership development.
"On ne nait pas manager, on le devient."
Follow him for: management development, Dream Team methodology, team performance, and building high-performance cultures.
10. Thomas Chardin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaschardin/ | Followers: 54,000+
Founder and editorial director of Parlons RH, Vice-President of Lab RH, and co-founder of HR Technologies France. One of the most institutionally connected individuals in the French HR ecosystem.
"des differences nait la richesse et des ressemblances nait le projet."
Follow him for: HR media, HR technology, future of work, HR strategy, and Lab RH network.
11. Laetitia Vitaud
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laetitia-vitaud/ | Followers: 38,000+
Author, keynote speaker, and newsletter writer on the future of work. Her newsletter Laetitia@Work reaches HR leaders and executives. Latest book L'atout age (Eyrolles, October 2025) addresses intergenerational dynamics at exactly the right moment.
"l'IA ne remplace pas l'humain : elle redistribue les taches et redefinie les competences."
Follow her for: future of work, AI and the workforce, intergenerational dynamics, and international HR strategy.
12. Emmanuelle Duez
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duezemmanuelle/ | Followers: 56,000+
Founder of The Boson Project, one of France's most respected HR research consultancies. Thinkers50-ranked. Her most recent book (Aube, May 2025) asks why the promises of work have failed to deliver the meaning they once seemed to offer.
"Un bon entrepreneur possede une aptitude a la folie relativement prononcee."
Follow her for: organisational culture research, future of work, meaning at work, and HR innovation.
13. Sandrine Dorbes
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrine-dorbes-howmuch/ | Followers: 19,000+
Founder of How Much, the leading French consultancy on compensation strategy. With the EU Pay Transparency Directive in force in 2026, her content is the clearest practical guide to navigating these changes in French.
"La remuneration n'est pas qu'une question d'argent."
Follow her for: compensation strategy, pay transparency, EU Pay Transparency Directive, gender pay gap, and remuneration design.
14. Guillaume Coudert
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillaumecoudert/ | Followers: 45,000+
Founder of InfluenceuRH, lecturer at HEC Paris and Sciences Po, co-author of Marque Employeur mode d'emploi. Transitioned to full-time entrepreneurship in January 2024.
"La marque employeur, c'est un imperatif commercial."
Follow him for: employer branding, marque employeur, talent attraction strategy, and the commercial case for people investment.
15. Pierre Monclos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierre-monclos-drh-formation/ | Followers: 50,000+
Creator of the most widely enrolled MOOC on AI and HR in France (12,000+ participants). Dunod author. Conference speaker on how the HR function should reposition itself in an era of automation.
"Qui a dit que la fonction RH n'avait pas un role strategique ?"
Follow him for: AI in HR, HR strategy, MOOC on IA & RH, Dunod publications, and HR digital transformation.
16. Christophe Patte
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophepatte/ | Followers: 41,000+
Founder and CEO of myRHline.com, France's largest HR media platform by monthly readership (100,000+ readers, 35,000 newsletter subscribers). Also organises the Trophees de l'Engagement RH awards.
Follow him for: HR media, HR awards, HR innovation, myRHline editorial, and HR community.
17. Jeremy Lamri
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremylamri/ | Followers: 32,000+
CEO of Tomorrow Theory, co-founder of Lab RH (350+ startups), faculty at HEC Paris, Sciences Po, and Paris-Dauphine. His perspective spans research, entrepreneurship, and policy.
"L'interet de l'IA ne doit pas etre que le gain de temps."
Follow him for: AI and the future of work, HR startups, Lab RH ecosystem, and organisational transformation.
18. Virginie Delalande
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginie-delalande/ | Followers: 79,000+
Lawyer, international keynote speaker, and author. Chevaliere de l'Ordre National du Merite. Forbes 2020. Has spoken at more than 500 organisations internationally on disability inclusion and the cost of conformity.
"Mon objectif profond est de faire en sorte que personne ne souffre d'etre different."
Follow her for: disability inclusion, DEI leadership, accessibility in the workplace, and keynote speaking.
19. Marion Ledean
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionledean/ | Followers: 750,000+ across platforms
France's most prolific labour law creator on TikTok. President of DHM and author of four books on droit du travail. Her total audience across platforms exceeds 750,000 people, with content reaching HR teams across France daily.
Follow her for: droit du travail on TikTok, labour law for employees and managers, HR books, and employee rights.
20. Benoit Serre
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benoitserre1/ | Followers: 28,000+
Partner and Director HR People Strategy at BCG Paris. Former DRH L'Oreal France (20+ years).
Vice-President of ANDRH. Co-President Cercle Humania. One of the most institutionally connected HR executives in France.
"Le DRH qui resterait enferme dans son entreprise ne reussirait pas son job."
Follow him for: corporate HR leadership, BCG strategy, ANDRH ecosystem, and DRH perspective at the executive level.
21. Audrey Richard
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-richard-drh/ | Followers: 28,000+
DRH of Canal+ Group. President of ANDRH (third mandate, 2025-26). With 6,000+ members, she leads the most prominent HR professional body in France, with a focus on AI readiness and the future of the profession.
"Notre role est d'accompagner les RH face a cette evolution, d'appuyer la mise en oeuvre de l'IA et d'anticiper les changements des differents metiers."
Follow her for: ANDRH leadership, DRH practice at large companies, AI in HR, and the institutional voice of the French HR profession.
22. Jean-Claude Le Grand
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-claude-le-grand/ | Followers: 12,000+
EVP Human Relations at L'Oreal Groupe. CHRO for approximately 90,000 employees in over 150 countries. Nearly 30 years at L'Oreal. Speaker at UNLEASH World Paris in October 2024.
"We actively promote intergenerational diversity, ensuring our employees can continue growing and adapting, no matter their life stage."
Follow him for: CHRO leadership at global scale, L'Oreal people strategy, intergenerational workforce, and DEI at multinational level.
23. Beatrice Lazat
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatricelazat/ | Followers: 5,000+
Chief People Officer at Kering (Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, and 20+ other luxury brands). Member of the Kering Executive Committee since March 2016. Oversees people strategy for 49,000+ employees.
"Nous sommes convaincus que la creativite et la diversite sont indissociables dans notre secteur."
Follow her for: CPO leadership in luxury, DEI strategy, creativity and culture at scale, and executive committee level HR.
24. Jerome Friteau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerome-friteau/ | Followers: 15,000+
DRH of Assurance Retraite (CNAV). Lab RH administrator. LinkedIn Top Voice. Known for reframing the HR function from "ressources humaines" to "relations humaines", signalling a different theory of what the function exists to do.
Follow him for: public sector HR, HR identity and positioning, "relations humaines" philosophy, and Lab RH network.
25. Tonton Karim (Karim Hechmi)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tontonkarim/ | Followers: 112,000+
CEO of FindYourWay. Three-time LinkedIn Top Voice. TEDx speaker.
Author of two books on career development. One of France's most recognised voices on early-career talent acquisition. 70+ speaking events per year.
"Il y a un cote tres humain dans le monde du recrutement. Ce qui m'interesse le plus, c'est que ce domaine est tres accees sur le besoin de gens."
Follow him for: talent acquisition, early-career recruitment, employer branding, LinkedIn Top Voice content, and the human dimension of hiring.
15 More HR & People Leaders in Ile-de-France Worth Following
In addition to the 25 featured above, the following professionals are active on LinkedIn and represent important perspectives within the Ile-de-France HR community.
Isabelle Quainon, CHRO Veolia, Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis)
Caroline Hadrbolec, CHRO Air France-KLM, Tremblay-en-France (Val-d'Oise)
Samuel Durand, future of work researcher and filmmaker (AI at Work 2024)
Fabien Lalanne, talent acquisition independent, 68,000+ followers
Amelie Favre Guittet, talent management and HR coaching
Christel de Foucault, TEDx speaker, marque employeur specialist, ex-DRH
Laurence Breton Kueny, DRH AFNOR, ANDRH Seine-Saint-Denis section leader
Jonathan Goldfarb, DRH Synergie staffing group, Paris HQ
Muriel Nicou, employee experience, AXA France, La Defense
Laurent Choain, CPO Mazars, HR strategy in professional services
Raphael Maisonnier, CEO Fasterclass, learning and development innovation
Christelle Vaugelade-Kalipe, CPO Bene Bono, sustainability and people
Alexandre Pachulski, co-founder Talentsoft, HR technology pioneer
Judith Tripard, DEI specialist, 46,000+ followers
Adeline Perez, viral HR humour creator on LinkedIn
What to Do with This List
Follow the people on this list who speak to the challenges you are working on right now. If pay transparency is on your desk, start with Sandrine Dorbes. If you are building an employer brand from scratch, start with Guillaume Coudert. If you need a daily primer on French labour law, Cecile Derouin and Loubna Tigroussine between them cover most of what you need.
For more research on HR leadership, people and culture, and talent acquisition, visit consultclarity.org.
Jonno White is a leadership consultant and keynote speaker based in Brisbane, Australia. He works with executive teams across Australia, Southeast Asia, and internationally on team dynamics, leadership effectiveness, and organisational clarity.