Étienne Davignon
President of Friends of Europe; Minister of state of Belgium; former vice president, European Commission
Viscount Étienne Davignon is the chair of multiple organizations, including Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, SN Airholding, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Belgium, CSR Europe, as well as director at Gilead Sciences. Previously, he has held various positions at Société Générale de Belgique, including president and vice chair, as well as vice president of Suez-Tractebel after the merger of Société Générale with Tractebel. From 1977 to 1984, he was vice president of the European Economic Community’s Commission and commissioner for industry. Prior to that, he was president of the International Energy Agency and head of the cabinet of Belgium’s minister of foreign affairs.