Investigation“Successions season II” (3/6). At home, business is run as a family. Since the father, Jean-Claude, a self-made-man, passed on the torch to his three sons in the early 2000s, the French urban advertising group has become number one worldwide.
It started as an advertising slogan. “Together, as always”, slipped Jean-Charles Decaux, pointing to his brothers, the eldest, Jean-François, and the youngest, Jean-Sébastien. Warm smiles and a little stiff demeanor from the strictly educated men. As soon as we arrived at the headquarters of JCDecaux, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, we noticed this same mixture of seduction and discipline in the life-size portrait of their father, the creator of the company, who died in 2016, who continues to stare visitors in the entrance hall. “Together, as always”, therefore, although it is, it seems, very rare to be able to meet them at the same time. Jean-François lives in London, Jean-Charles in Paris, Jean-Sébastien in Milan. All three of them, however, matched their diaries as great travelers to invite us to lunch. That is to say if they want to show their perfect understanding.
We are now in the basement of the building, a former car park converted into a reception area decorated with paintings by the artist Gérard Garouste. An imposing sanctuary with a little eighties side, those “advertising years” that made the group’s fortune. This is ” our father “ who designed this place, underline the sons, with this common and boundless admiration which we quickly guess is their main cement.
“Three Only Sons”
Together, they take their places, neatly aligned on the same side of a majestic rectangular table. The eldest, Jean-François, 63 years old, tall, Germanic physique – he has lived in Germany for a long time – and a stern air, settles in the center. With his silver hair and sporty figure, he is the one who looks the most like the father. On his right, Jean-Charles: 52 years old, smooth face, impeccable hairstyle. In the world of advertising, he is nicknamed “Charming” for his resemblance to the prince of the animated film Shrek. Finally, to the left of the eldest, Jean-Sébastien, 45, the smallest in size, the least comfortable too. He sports the three-day beard, a signature of men of his generation. He is a member of the trio, undeniably, but we still sense him a little apart… “I have three only sons”used to say their father, before adding, half-jokingly: “I’m happy to have three sons, it saves me from having to support sons-in-law. »
The three Decaux are dressed in almost identical suits, they wear wide ties and white shirts, display a presence and unfailing politeness, allowing everyone to express themselves without interrupting them. Above all, do not give the impression that there can be the thickness of a sheet of cigarette paper between them. Since their father passed on the torch to them in the early 2000s, they have more than doubled turnover (2.745 billion in 2021, despite a significant drop due to Covid-19) and made this French group specializing in urban advertising the world leader, with 12,000 employees in more than 80 countries. With them, the estate has become a success story, observed and envied by many families in the business world. Recipe ? An unusual operation, based on the equitable sharing of power. Each year, in a well-established ballet, the two eldest perform, in turn, the functions of president and general manager. “They are a real couple, they will never make a decision without each other”assures their uncle Jean-Pierre, 78, pillar of the supervisory board, adored by all.
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