The Company
JCDecaux : a family success story
Jean-Claude Decaux made his company a family company as soon as he founded it and hired his brothers, Jean-Pierre and then Jean-Marie, to help him develop his business.
From the 1980s onwards, the second generation joined the Group and, one after the other, Jean-Claude Decaux's sons moved abroad in order to develop the company's international operations.
Jean-Claude Decaux
In 1982, Jean-François Decaux, Danielle and Jean-Claude Decaux’s eldest son, who was born in 1959, moved to Germany to set up and expand the local subsidiary. Despite the market's reluctance to enter into a partnership with a French entrepreneur, Jean-François Decaux won three contracts with the cities of Hamburg, Cologne and Saarbrücken. The subsidiary was awarded the German Advertising Prize in 1987. Under Jean-François Decaux's leadership, JCDecaux became the first company authorised to operate advertising supports in the public sector in East Germany (RDA), winning an initial contract in Leipzig in February 1990, even before the October 1990 Reunification. In the early 1990s, Jean-François Decaux moved to London, where he expanded business in the United Kingdom and Northern and Central Europe. He then extended the Group's operations to the United States, Canada, Australia, Russia and Central Asia.
Jean-Charles Decaux, who was born in 1969, moved to Spain in 1989, where JCDecaux was already operating in the public convenience market. As soon as he arrived, he won a contract to provide all of the street furniture for Saragossa, Spain's fifth-largest city. Next came the setting up of the Italian subsidiary and the strengthening of the Group's subsidiary in Portugal, the second country to which Jean-Claude Decaux had exported his idea in 1971. In 1994, Jean-Charles Decaux became Chief Executive Officer responsible for business development in Southern Europe, Latin America and Asia. When he returned to France, at the time of the acquisition of Avenir in 1999, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Avenir, JCDecaux Airport and JCDecaux Publicité Artvertising. Jean-Charles Decaux is responsible for setting up JCDecaux's operations in China in 2004 and then in emerging countries (the Middle East, Brazil, etc.)
Jean-Sébastien Decaux, Jean-Claude Decaux's third son, who was born in 1976, joined JCDecaux en 1998 and handled the launch of advertising in supermarkets in the United Kingdom. He was then appointed City Relations Manager for the Italian joint venture that had been set up previously by Jean-Charles Decaux. He took over the management of the Belgian and Luxembourg subsidiary in 2004, followed by the Southern European subsidiary in 2010. He joined the JCDecaux Board in 2013 and became Chief Executive Officer for Southern Europe, Belgium and Luxembourg as well as Chief Executive Officer for Africa and Israel.
Following the takeover of Avenir in 1999, and in order to prepare for its stock market listing in 2001, JCDecaux became a Limited Company in 2000, with a Supervisory Board chaired by Jean-Claude Decaux and a Board of Directors chaired jointly by Jean-François and Jean-Charles Decaux.
Like the second generation, which expanded the family group's international operations, the third generation is now ready to become involved since Alexia Decaux-Lefort, Jean-François Decaux's daughter and the company founder's eldest granddaughter, joined its Supervisory Board in May 2013.
From the 1980s onwards, the second generation joined the Group and, one after the other, Jean-Claude Decaux's sons moved abroad in order to develop the company's international operations.
In 1982, Jean-François Decaux, Danielle and Jean-Claude Decaux’s eldest son, who was born in 1959, moved to Germany to set up and expand the local subsidiary. Despite the market's reluctance to enter into a partnership with a French entrepreneur, Jean-François Decaux won three contracts with the cities of Hamburg, Cologne and Saarbrücken. The subsidiary was awarded the German Advertising Prize in 1987. Under Jean-François Decaux's leadership, JCDecaux became the first company authorised to operate advertising supports in the public sector in East Germany (RDA), winning an initial contract in Leipzig in February 1990, even before the October 1990 Reunification. In the early 1990s, Jean-François Decaux moved to London, where he expanded business in the United Kingdom and Northern and Central Europe. He then extended the Group's operations to the United States, Canada, Australia, Russia and Central Asia.
Jean-Charles Decaux, who was born in 1969, moved to Spain in 1989, where JCDecaux was already operating in the public convenience market. As soon as he arrived, he won a contract to provide all of the street furniture for Saragossa, Spain's fifth-largest city. Next came the setting up of the Italian subsidiary and the strengthening of the Group's subsidiary in Portugal, the second country to which Jean-Claude Decaux had exported his idea in 1971. In 1994, Jean-Charles Decaux became Chief Executive Officer responsible for business development in Southern Europe, Latin America and Asia. When he returned to France, at the time of the acquisition of Avenir in 1999, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Avenir, JCDecaux Airport and JCDecaux Publicité Artvertising. Jean-Charles Decaux is responsible for setting up JCDecaux's operations in China in 2004 and then in emerging countries (the Middle East, Brazil, etc.)
Jean-Sébastien Decaux, Jean-Claude Decaux's third son, who was born in 1976, joined JCDecaux en 1998 and handled the launch of advertising in supermarkets in the United Kingdom. He was then appointed City Relations Manager for the Italian joint venture that had been set up previously by Jean-Charles Decaux. He took over the management of the Belgian and Luxembourg subsidiary in 2004, followed by the Southern European subsidiary in 2010. He joined the JCDecaux Board in 2013 and became Chief Executive Officer for Southern Europe, Belgium and Luxembourg as well as Chief Executive Officer for Africa and Israel.
Following the takeover of Avenir in 1999, and in order to prepare for its stock market listing in 2001, JCDecaux became a Limited Company in 2000, with a Supervisory Board chaired by Jean-Claude Decaux and a Board of Directors chaired jointly by Jean-François and Jean-Charles Decaux.
Like the second generation, which expanded the family group's international operations, the third generation is now ready to become involved since Alexia Decaux-Lefort, Jean-François Decaux's daughter and the company founder's eldest granddaughter, joined its Supervisory Board in May 2013.
