Philippe Dewost (pictured), former head of the digital economy section of the investments of the future programme at state-owned Groupe Caisse des Dépôts (CDC), has this month been appointed director of Leonard, France-based construction company Vinci’s innovation and foresight platform.
Dewost is a co-founder of internet service provider Wanadoo and has also been CEO of ImSense, a UK-based startup was acquired by Apple in 2010.
Starting in 2011, Dewost then joined CDC and by the end of 2015, had launched LabChain, its blockchain initiative.
Dewost has also supported La French Tech, the government’s French startup ecosystem initiative, and is also honorary president of the Centre des Hautes Etudes du Cyberespace (CHECy).
He started on 1 September and reports to Pierre Coppey, executive vice-president of Vinci, who said: “Philippe has more than 20 years of experience in internet and mobile ecosystems within large tech and telecoms groups and startups.
“This expertise will be of invaluable help in developing Leonard, the new Vinci open laboratory focused on the future of cities and infrastructure.”
Dewost added: “With Leonard, Vinci is offering me a chance to contribute to the digital transformation of durable structures and move from bytes to concrete.