Career of Pierre-René Lemas, Chairman of France Active

As Secretary General of the Élysée Palace under François Hollande, prefect in Corsica and Lorraine, and director of the Caisse des Dépôts Group, Pierre-René Lemas has served the State with steadfast dedication. Today, as head of France Active, he is putting his experience to work in support of a more equitable economy rooted in local communities.

Born in 1951 in Algiers, this senior civil servant attended the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (Voltaire class) after graduating from Sciences Po. After serving as a subprefect in the Dordogne in 1981, he quickly rose to strategic positions at the Ministry of the Interior and in regional administrations: prefect of Aisne, Corsica (2003–2006), and then Lorraine. In 2011, he became chief of staff to Senate President Jean-Pierre Bel.

On May 15, 2012, François Hollande appointed him secretary-general of the Élysée Palace, a key role in which he announced the Ayrault and Valls governments. In 2014, he took the helm of the Caisse des Dépôts, which he refocused on social housing and future-oriented investments. Since 2018, he has served as president of France Active, a network dedicated to the social and solidarity economy, and was re-elected in 2024.