Laurent Gerin

As a child, Laurent was an excellent student, but his school report cards were disastrous in terms of behavior. He chatted, couldn't sit still, and finished his teachers' sentences. What he didn't know then was that he was living with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), which would only be diagnosed when he was 43. It was thanks to a wake-up call in preparatory classes, where a math teacher threatened him with expulsion, that he channeled his energy. Isolated at the back of the class to concentrate, he finished first in mathematics and joined a top computer science engineering school in Grenoble.

After graduating, Laurent joined Unilog by chance as a developer. Very quickly, his energy and ability to solve complex problems propelled him to the top. Within three years, he was managing 60 people, then joined the executive committees. Through acquisitions, his company became CGI, a global giant with 90,000 employees. Laurent managed teams in France, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, eventually leading up to 17,000 people. The key to his success lay in constant renewal: every three years, he changed positions to turn around complex situations, prepare his succession, and then tackle new challenges.

For Laurent, sustainable performance cannot exist without commitment and trust. He advocates demanding yet deeply human leadership, convinced that employees’ well-being is a genuine driver of success.

After 25 years of working within the group, Laurent chose to open a new professional chapter, with the desire to continue his commitment to leadership that is both demanding and humane in a different way. His journey shows that operational excellence and attention to people can go hand in hand.

At 49, just as he is about to buy a tech company, Laurent’s life is turned upside down. During a ski run, a fall leaves him quadriplegic. From the very first moments, he understands the seriousness of the situation, but refuses to give up. After 21 days in intensive care, he begins relentless rehabilitation, working tirelessly. A year later, thanks to extraordinary determination and the excellence of French medicine, he even manages to complete an adapted triathlon. Today, he volunteers to support other patients and to change how disability is viewed in the workplace.