Andre Gessalin

QUANTUM ACTIVATOR: World Expert in Construction

My asset is having experienced eco-anxiety before anyone else, at the birth of my daughter in 2000. I now have 24 years of hindsight to initiate, train, and support the changing world. With kindness, a wealth of corporate experience, and transdisciplinary research, along with great confidence for the future, I find the words that will resonate with my audience. When my daughter was born, I already had extensive experience with environmental standards, climate issues, and corporate transformation. I was even more aware of the stakes. As the head of the French subsidiary of a US group, I was also very actively involved in the innovative work of the CJD (Centre des Jeunes Dirigeants) on sustainable business. The fear of the future for her and her generation prompted me to seek better ways to respond to the various crises that were about to accelerate. I first created the first training on sustainable cities and eco-technologies at ESCP for M2 students (often engineers with dual degrees). To give substance to this teaching, I collaborated with major groups, innovative SMEs, and large consulting firms on the most disruptive topics before joining the École des Ponts as a researcher. We were many passionate researchers working on ambitious projects often of national importance before I was appointed head of New Business Models for Energy and Environmental Transition. I quickly made a major discovery about the damage caused by our current energy systems. Even though the shock was real within the teams, it did not provoke any questioning either among the 100 researchers at our institute or among the major economic players who shared our work. Everywhere, I mostly perceived conformity and an inability to reinvent themselves. Newton's science has conditioned us for 500 years to photocopy recipes that no longer work. A renowned scientist, who became my mentor, made me realize how difficult it is to abandon deeply rooted beliefs. This is where my true contribution to society began. An international research project on remarkable decision-makers on the theme of Intuition led me to meet well-known leaders who think and act differently. To support the necessary transformation, I became a speaker-trainer on the theme of Intuition and a coach for individuals seeking profound transformation. As an observer of successful entrepreneurs and the changing world, my “Quantum culture” has gradually replaced my former Cartesian culture. My studies in Japan had perfectly prepared me for this. For the past 3 years, my increasingly clear understanding of human functioning—body-heart-head—has allowed me to desacralize the Quantum and train professionals eager to create a new constructive and respectful economy. Today, we live in a two-speed world, whether for businesses or for humans. There are those who move very quickly and surf on uncertainty and complexity. Then there are all the others who suffer from the crises. The former impose their pace and know-how on the latter. I hope my conference will help you become one of the former. André Gessalin graduated from ESCP and IIST in Japan. Trilingual in English and German, he has held various responsibilities in Europe before becoming a general manager. Through his various roles, André has collaborated on over 200 projects that allow him to adapt to each profession.