Since its foundation, the Bilderberg Group has had seven chairmen of its Steering Committee, including Henri de la La Croix de Castries who has held this position since 31 May 2012. In 2010, he served as chairman
Henri de Castries, 5th Count of Castries, is a French businessman who previously was the Chairman and CEO of AXA (2000–2016). In March 2016, it was announced that he would retire from both roles on 1 September that year. AXA is an international insurance and investment company. They offer financial services and investment managing. Their services targets primarily larger investors. Small retail investors are better of using one of these trading platforms.
Henri de Castries is also a board member of the Association pour l’Aide aux Jeunes Infirmes, an NGO supporting disabled youth.
Short facts
Personal details
| Name | Henri de La Croix de Castries, 5th Count of Castries |
| Born | 15 August 1954 |
| Alma mater | HEC Paris
École Nationale d’Administration (ENA) |
| Political party | N/A |
| Religious affiliation | Catholic |
| Spouse | Married |
Current positions
| Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group | |
| Tenure as chairman | 31 May 2012 – present |
| Preceded by | Étienne Davignon, Viscount Davignon |
Previous positions
| April 2010 – 1 September 2016 Chairman and CEO of AXA |
| May 2000 – April 2010 Chairman of AXA Management Board |
| 1997 Chairman of The Equitable Companies (which later became AXA Financial) |
| 1996 Worked with AXA’s Union des Paris (UAP) merger |
| 1994 Assumed role of overseeing North American and UK operations for the AXA Group |
| 1993 Appointed Senior Executive Vice President for the AXA Group’s asset management, financial and real-estate businesses |
| 1991 Appointed Corporate Secretary of AXA |
| 1989 Joined AXA |
| 1986 Appointed to oversee foreign exchange markets and balance of payments for the French Treasury Department |
| 1984 Joined the French Treasury Department |
| 1980 – 1984 Auditor at the French Finance Ministry Inspection Office |
Early life
Henri de La Croix de Castries was born on August 15, 1954, in Bayonne in southwest France. The De Castries is an old noble family with strong ties to the French military. One of Henri de La Croix ancestors was a naval commander under King Louis XVI. More recently, Henri de La Croix’s father Comte François de La Croix de Castries served in military operations in Algeria, Korea and Indochina. On his mother’s side, Henri is related to Count Pierre de Chevigné who was a colonel in the Free French forces during World War II. Henri de La Croix de Castries didn’t opt for a military career, but he did complete his military service – as a paratrooper.
Education
The young Henri de La Croix de Castries attended Saint-Jean-de-Passy, a prestigious private catholic school in Paris’ 16th arrondissement. His high school years were spent at another high-ranking private catholic school; Collège Stanislas de Paris on Rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs. Preparatory students at this collége prepare to enter elite Grandes éscoles such as Ecole Polytechnique, Centrale Paris, ESSEC Business school or HEC Paris.
De Castries opted for HEC, from where he graduated in 1976. HEC was followed by four years at École Nationale d’Administration (ENA), from which he graduated alongside Dominique de Villepin, François Hollande and Ségolène Royal in 1980.
Henri de La Croix de Castries holds both a business degree and a law degree.
Career
After graduating from ENA, Henri de La Croix de Castries commenced work as an auditor at the Finance Ministry Inspection Office. In 1984, he became a member of the French Treasury and Deputy Secretary of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Industrial Restructuring. In addition to supervising the balance of payments for the French Treasury, he served a role in the privatizing of several sate entities, including the French national television network TF1 and the electrical company Compagnie Générale d’Electricité.
In 1989, de Castries left the public sector in favor of AXA, a French multinational insurance firm that engages in global insurance, investment management, and other financial services. Eventually, he was appointed Corporate Secretary and made responsible for dealing with the legal issues of the Campagnie du Midi merger.
De Castries stayed with AXA for well over 25 years, assuming various high-ranking roles within the corporation. Between 2000 and 2016, he was the Chairman and CEO of the corporation. In March 2016, it was announced that he would retire from both roles on 1 September that year.
Personal life
Marriage
Henri de La Croix de Castries is married.
Children
Henri de La Croix de Castries has three children.
Religion
Henri de La Croix de Castries is a devout Catholic and has professed a belief in miracles.
Hobbies
Horseback riding
Playing tennis
Playing golf
Hunting
Shooting
Other info
Henri de La Croix de Castries lives on Boulevard Saint-German in Paris, in the same building as his brother-in-law. He frequently spends his weekends on his estate in Anjou in the Loire valley.