Léa Lassarat appointed Chair of the Board at EM Normandie

Léa Lassarat was appointed Chair of the Board of EM Normandie and officially takes up her functions at the beginning of the 2025 academic year. Already involved as Vice-Chair of the Board for 10 years, she brings her experience as a serial entrepreneur and visionary leader to contribute to the school's development.

A field woman, committed to entrepreneurship and the region

Léa Lassarat, 54, was born in Le Havre and is a key figure in Normandy's economic fabric. After running the family business Interior's until 2011, where she built up solid experience in management and international trade, she moved into the hotel and restaurant business, setting up and managing several renowned establishments in Normandy and the Alps. In 2023, she will open La Grande École in Le Havre, an innovative concept combining food hall, accommodation, training and entertainment.

First woman to head a Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Normandy

Chair of the Seine Estuaire Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2016 to 2021, she has succeeded in uniting economic stakeholders around structuring projects for the region. She is also the founder of the Femmes & Challenges network supported by the CCI Normandie. Created in 2017 to develop female entrepreneurship and audacity, this network now has over 1,300 members. This regional initiative, the only one of its kind in France, has helped the Normandy region rise from 8th to 1st place in terms of business start-ups by women in just 7 years.

Recognition at national level

Léa Lassarat was named Chevalier de l'ordre national du Mérite in 2021. In 2022, she was honoured by the business newspaper La Tribune's in their article Women for Future as one of forty women who are driving the economy forward, and more recently by Forbes magazine as one of the 40 women of 2024.

A new step for EM Normandie

Léa Lassarat will take over from Jean-Louis Grégoire, who has been Chairman of the Board of EM Normandie since 2021. Her appointment marks an important step for EM Normandie, which has been directed since last April by Anne-Sophie Courtier. The school is entering the 2nd phase of its 2020-2030 strategic orientations, with strong ambitions: to position EM Normandie as France's leading post-baccalaureate Grande Ecole by 2030, by focusing on academic excellence, organisational performance and innovation in order to offer students an optimal experience and premium services.

I've always loved entrepreneurship, bringing people together and supporting those who dare to take the plunge. After ten years running the family business, I decided to reinvent myself by creating living spaces - hotels, restaurants, cookery schools, event venues - where people can share the same high standards and conviviality. Today, I am taking over as Chairman of the Board of EM Normandie with a strong conviction: success is built on action and teamwork. I want to put this energy at the service of this Grande Ecole, to help it continue its development and influence.

Explains Léa Lassarat, Chair of the Board of EM Normandie.

I'm delighted to be joining forces with Léa Lassarat, an unprecedented female duo in the Grandes Ecoles de Commerce ecosystem, to lead EM Normandie and work on its development. We share the same values and the same ambitions for the school, and we are both keen to extend its influence in France and internationally, to offer students and companies an excellent range of courses and cross-disciplinary, agile learning experiences, and to work closely with our local communities.

Adds Anne-Sophie Courtier, Dean of EM Normandie.