André Loesekrug-Pietri, of both French and German nationality, held leadership positions in private equity, government, industry and as an entrepreneur. Starting as assistant to the CEO of Aerospatiale-Airbus, he then spent 15 years in private equity and venture capital, including 10 years with China, investing in European companies with global ambitions. In 2017, he paused from the private sector to become Special Advisor to the French Minister of Defence, responsible in particular for European Defense policy as well as technology and innovation. He is the Chairman of the Joint European Disruptive Initiative (J.E.D.I.), aiming to accelerate France and Germany’s leadership in disruptive technology.