Governance

Jeronimo Folgueira has been the Chief Executive Officer of Deezer since July 2021.

Prior to joining Deezer, Jeronimo Folgueira served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Board of Spark Networks (Nasdaq:LOV) in Berlin. During that time, he led the transformation of Spark Networks through three strategic M&A transactions, quadrupling the size of the company in four years. He also oversaw the company’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange in November 2017. Jeronimo Folgueira has held a number of senior management positions, including at Betfair, Bigpoint and RTL Group.

Jeronimo Folgueira holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from University of Navarra.

Stéphane’s focus is to drive the execution of the company’s growth strategy, by developing partnerships in order to grow a profitable B2B business, and maximizing the company resources and their optimal allocation.

Stéphane has over 20 years of experience leading and transforming businesses and organisations, including tech and media companies, driving their international expansion and accelerating their business development.

His recent roles include serving as the CFO and member of the Board of Management of Signify, the world leader in lighting products and technologies, based in Amsterdam. He spent 7 years at Technicolor, a leader in digital entertainment technologies, first as CFO, based in Paris, and then as Deputy CEO in charge of the technology and licensing business, based in Los Angeles. Prior to that, Stéphane held several senior leadership positions at Orange Group.

Stéphane is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris and the Paris Dauphine University.

Gitte oversees operations and ensures the highest level of operational efficiency and excellence for Deezer. She works together with the CEO and CFO to implement the company’s growth plans.

Gitte is a lawyer by education but held business roles throughout her career which exposed her to industries as far-reaching as container terminal services and online dating. She brings almost 20 years of experience in COO and senior roles. At Spark Networks (NASDAQ:LOV), prior to her appointment at Deezer, she served as Managing Director and COO. Before that, Gitte held several senior positions on a European and global scale with companies such as Juniper Networks and APM Terminals in The Netherlands, Eaton Industries in Switzerland, and SITA Suez Group in Germany. She has 20 years of experience establishing best practices for operations, compliance, and commercial matters, and demonstrated leadership skills in bringing substantial upside to established and emerging businesses.

Matthieu develops and implements new technologies and solutions to create the most personalised music experience for Deezer users around the world. He also manages all of Deezer’s development teams, including product design.

Matthieu is a Deezer veteran, having first joined Deezer as the Lead Mobile Engineer in 2009. He was promoted to Head of Mobile Department, and later as VP Engineering before being named Chief Product & Technology Officer in 2017.

Prior to Deezer, Matthieu was an engineer in the Mobile Video Game industry. He holds a degree in Computer Science from The Brest National School of Engineering.

Aurélien leads the R&D team and makes sure Deezer is ahead of the curve with innovative products and features. Using research, analysis and data insights, Aurélien has been instrumental in developing and refining Deezer’s signature Flow algorithm. He is also responsible for looking after search and recommendations, as well as audiobooks.

Aurélien joined Deezer as the Lead Software Engineer when the company first officially launched in 2007 and has since held several positions within the company, including VP Product, VP Engineering, VP Research and Development and VP Technology and Innovation.

Aurélien previously taught coding languages and technical architecture at Gobelins School of Visual Communication in Paris and has a University Diploma in Multimedia & Networks, Computer and Information Sciences from Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University.

Maria leads the Marketing team at Deezer and defines and sets the Global Marketing and Communications strategy to continue to shape the brand’s future and contribute to its accelerated expansion. Collaboration, trust, empathy and empowerment are the foundation of her management style.

With more than 25 years of experience in leading profitable global businesses, she specializes in transformational leadership, marketing & brand strategy, innovation, insights, cross-functional team leadership and digital & data analytics. Her resume includes operational and strategic roles in Consumer Goods, Media, Communications and Entertainment across North America, Latin America and Europe.

Before joining Deezer, Maria was Senior Vice President of Vivendi Brand Marketing and responsible for expanding the company’s global leadership in entertainment. During her work as Chief Insights Officer for Havas Group, she led the insights and innovation practice, focused on startup ecosystems, data science and marketing technology to deliver actionable insights & value added client services.

She is a Non-Executive Board member of Carmila and the International Women’s Forum France and sits on the international advisory board of ESCP Business School.

Maria is also a prolific speaker and sought-after thought leader with contributions to Bloomberg news, Cartagena Inspira, Mumbrella Australia, South Tech Summit, World Retail Congress, APAC Hall Healthcare, IBC, IAB Mexico, MediaPost, The Economist, Adweek, The Guardian, Forbes, etc. She has been president of the Entertainment Jury at Cannes Lions & Eurobest.

Passionate about enabling other women to succeed, she has been a jury member at various European Female Startup Competitions ​​and an Advisor to NGOs who support immigrant women and victims of domestic violence, helping them to assert their rights and thrive.

Maria holds a Masters in International Business from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelors in International Relations from Drake University.

Maria is based in Paris with her three sons.

Valérie is responsible for Deezer’s global HR and sustainability strategy, focusing on building and maintaining a positive corporate culture, attracting and retaining global talent while caring for the well-being of over 600 employees worldwide. She manages teams across talent acquisition, employee engagement, HR operations, internal communications and sustainability.

Valérie develops and implements strategies for talent acquisition, employee development, compensation and benefits, performance management, and employment law compliance. She also drives long-term initiatives to promote environmental, social, and governance goals, including sustainable sourcing, carbon footprint reduction, diversity and inclusion promotion, and regulatory compliance.

With 15+ years of experience in the Entertainment Industry, focusing on HR and Talent Management, Valérie has held key roles at Canal+ Group, redefining the employer brand and talent management for digital and international expansions. At Banijay Group, she established the Global People Function across 16 territories and contributed to pre-merger activities with Endemol. She has also worked in the luxury industry at Richemont Group and launched her own HR consultancy boutique for Entertainment Companies.

Valérie is a graduate of Dauphine University.

Florence Lao, General Counsel and Board Secretary of Deezer, manages legal, compliance, governance, M&A, financing and insurance matters for the group. She collaborates closely with the CEO and the Chair of the Board, reporting directly to the CEO.

As General Counsel, she drives operational excellence within the legal function and department to ensure it can appropriately cater for the future growth of the group.

With over 15 years of experience as an international business lawyer, Florence started at Latham & Watkins before becoming Deputy General Counsel at Artemis, focusing on M&A and financing transactions. At SMCP, she served as Group General Counsel, overseeing legal matters and participating in the IPO completed in 2017 on Euronext Paris.

Before joining Deezer, Florence was Group General Counsel at Adisseo, responsible for legal, compliance, governance, M&A, financing, insurance, internal audit, and risk functions. She was also a member of Adisseo Sustainability Committee.

Florence holds a Master 1 in Corporate Law from Assas, a Master 2 in International Affairs from Paris-Dauphine, and an LL.M. in Corporate Law from LSE. She qualified at the Paris Bar.

Iris Knobloch is the President of the Cannes Film Festival, Vice Chairman and Lead Independent Director of the Board of Directors of AccorHotels, and a member of the Board of Directors of Lazard Bank. She is Governor of the American Hospital in Paris.

She spent 25 years in Senior Leadership positions at Warner Bros, Time Warner and Warner Media, most recently as President of WarnerMedia France, Germany, Benelux, Austria and Switzerland. She was previously President of Warner Bros Entertainment France beginning in 2006. Prior to that, Iris served as Senior Vice President of Time Warner, in charge of International Relations and Strategic Policy, Europe, and since 1996 has worked in several positions including General Counsel for WB Europe, out of Warner Bros’ offices in Los Angeles, London and Paris. Prior to working with Warner Bros, Iris Knobloch was an attorney with Norr, Stiefenhofer & Lutz and O’Melveny & Myers in Munich, New York and Los Angeles.

Iris Knobloch is trilingual in English, German and French. She received a J.D. degree from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich, Germany in 1987 and an L.L.M. degree from New York University in 1992. She is licensed to practice law in Germany, New York and California.

She was previously a member of the Boards of LVMH, the Axel Springer Group and CME Central European Media Enterprises. In 2008, she was named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.

Guillaume d’Hauteville is Executive Vice President, Europe of Access Industries and serves notably as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Deezer and as Director of DAZN Group Limited. He is also the President of STT Properties. 

 Before joining Access Industries in 2011, Guillaume d’Hauteville worked in Investment Banking for more than 25 years. Guillaume d’Hauteville was Vice Chairman of Nomura International and served as Chairman and CEO of Banque Lehman Brothers France. He was also a Managing Director of Lehman Brothers Inc. in charge of French investment banking before becoming Vice Chairman of Lehman Brothers International. During his career in banking, Guillaume has advised on many transactions in corporate finance, M&A and capital issuances.  He has worked in New York, London and Paris.

 Guillaume d’Hauteville has also been the Treasurer and General Secretary of the Fondation Hôpital Foch, member of HEC Advisory Board and Board Member of AROP (Opéra de Paris).

Guillaume d’Hauteville graduated from HEC and holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Matthieu Pigasse, who is currently a Partner at Centerview, in charge of France and Continental Europe, previously served as Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions and Sovereign Advisory of Lazard Group and CEO of Lazard France, has developed a strong financial expertise and worked on the largest recent M&A transactions worldwide and on the largest sovereign debt restructurings including Argentina, Iraq, Greece and Ukraine. During his career, Matthieu advised a large number of clients active in the digital space.

Moreover, Matthieu Pigasse is also the Chair (Président) of Les Nouvelles Editions Indépendantes (LNEI), of which he owns 99.89% of the share capital. Through his personal investments, he developed a deep understanding of the media sector. In 2009, he purchased the weekly magazine Les Inrockuptibles of which he is chair of the board of directors. Along with Pierre Bergé and Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse became co-owner of Le Monde Group (which controls the daily newspaper, its digital editions, and various magazines) in 2010 and of the French weekly magazine L’Obs in 2014. In 2012, he launched the French edition of the Huffington Post website. In 2015, he acquired Radio Nova. In 2016 he became shareholder of the Vice Media assets in France (TV, digital) alongside Vice Media Group.

Matthieu Pigasse is one of the founders and one of the main shareholders of the first two SPACs created in France with Mediawan and 2MX Organic.

Matthieu Pigasse started his career as the financial and industrial advisor to the French Minister of Economy and Finance, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, from 1997 to 1999, before joining, one year later, Laurent Fabius’ cabinet, then Minister of Economy and Finance, as Chief of Staff. As a former Chief of Staff of the French Minister of Economy and Finance, Matthieu Pigasse has an intimate knowledge of the public sector as well as the European regulations. He graduated from Ecole Nationale d’Administration.

Hans-Holger served as the CEO and Member of the Board of Directors at Deezer between 2015 and 2021.

Prior to joining Deezer, Hans-Holger worked at Millicom where he was President and CEO of the international telecom and media group. Before joining Millicom, Hans-Holger was the President and CEO of Modern Times Group, one of Europe’s largest media groups with TV, radio, publishing, production and new media assets and 1,500 employees in over 20 countries. He has also worked for the RTL Group in Luxembourg.

He is currently serving as Chairman of the Board for Scout24 Group, Chairman of the Board for Storytel and Non-Executive Board Director for VEON.

Hans-Holger holds a Doctorate from the Ruhr-University of Bochum in Germany and a Master of Law from the University of Freiburg in Germany.

Mari serves at the Board in a number of large Scandinavian companies. She is Norwegian and amongst others serves at the Board of the Danish insurance giant Tryg, the leading Norwegian hydro power and electricity transmission company Hafslund Eco, and the Swedish based TF Bank.

Mari holds a MSc in Economy and Business Administration from Norwegian School of Management (BI) and American Graduate School of International business, is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) from Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH), and has taken the Senior Executive Program at London Business School and Making Corporate Boards More Effective at Harvard Business School.

Mari has extensive senior management and CFO experience from leading Norwegian companies. As an independent board member, she is engaged in developing sustainable businesses and good governance. She runs a consultancy and is a Non-Executive Director and Head of the Audit Committee in several companies.

Mari headed the Norwegian IR associations for ten years and has won the Women’s Board Award for Norway.

After graduating from ESSEC business school, Valérie entered the advertising industry because it uniquely joined business/brand strategic thinking and creativity. She became a leader in France and a global leader.

After 5 years as MD of CLM BBDO in France, she moved to London and became MD of BBDO EMEA in charge of multinational clients and new business. She led many clients targeting youth, in particular PepsiCo brands at the global level.

As the CEO of BBDO in France for 15 years, she transformed the French agency into an international agency based in Paris. Her three key obsessions have been to recruit and manage a talented multicultural team, to reach global standard creative excellence, and to achieve strong financial results.

More recently the COVID-19 pandemic and her entrepreneurial spirit encouraged her to co-found, in 2021, the non-profit organisation “Les MétamorFoses – Sublimer les imperfections” dedicated to artistic upcycling.

Sophie is an engineer by education having graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and holds an MBA from the College of Engineers.

After a first part of her career dedicated to urban development and public infrastructure within the Ministry of Public Works and ministerial cabinets, Sophie has been Director of Human Resources in several large French and international companies such as LVMH, CANAL+ and Richemont.

Sophie has also extensive experience as a board member and other specialized committees. Over the past ten years, she has been a member of the boards of GO Sport, Rallye Group, TVN (Poland), Compagnie Financière Richemont (Switzerland) and Maisons du Monde. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of ABC Arbitrage.

She is also a member of the Remuneration Committees of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and of the Rugby World Cup 2023.

Mark Simonian currently serves as a Global Merchant Banking Partner at The Consello Group, an Advisory Director to Sentilink, a Senior Executive Advisor to GI Partners Acquisitions and a partner in Clara Vista Investment Partners.

Mark Simonian spent 35 years as an investment banker focused on the Telecom, Media and Technology space retiring as Chairman of Global TMT Investment Banking at Credit Suisse in August 2021. From 2010 to 2018, Mark served as Global Co-Head of the TMT Group at Credit Suisse where he had management responsibility for approximately 150 professionals worldwide generating on average over $1 billion in revenue for the firm annually. Mark’s client work extended across the TMT space and geographies and included transactions in the media, entertainment, wireless, data center and technology sectors amongst others.

From 1997 to 2010, Mark worked at Salomon Brothers and its successor Citigroup in San Francisco, London and New York where he became Vice Chairman and Global Co-Head of TMT Investment Banking. From 1994 to 1997, Mark was one of four principals in the management group that partnered with Goldman Sachs Capital Partners to acquire, build and operate Diamond Cable Communications, at the time the UK’s fifth largest cable television company. Prior to Diamond, Mark worked in the Communications Group at First Boston both in San Francisco and New York. During this period, he was active in raising capital for a number of the largest and fastest growing companies in the cable television sector.

Mark holds an AB from Stanford University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Stu Bergen is a music industry veteran, having held key leadership positions with multiple record labels in the past three decades, including Warner Music for over 14 years.

Most recently he oversaw Warner Music Group’s International Recorded Music operations outside the US and UK as CEO, International and Global Commercial Services. He also managed WEA, WMG’s Artist & Label Services division, which includes consumer brands such as EMP, HipHopDX, Songkick and UPROXX. Prior to this, he served as Warner Music Group’s President, International, Recorded Music, and before that, he was Executive Vice President, International & Head of Global Marketing.

Before joining WMG, Stu held key positions at several major record labels, including serving as EVP of Rock Music for Columbia Records, EVP of Island Records, and VP of Promotion for Epic Records. Stu began his music industry career in 1988 at TVT Records, after which he became Director Promotion at Relativity Records.

Stu holds a BA degree from Princeton University.

Ingrid Bojner currently acts as an angel investor, professional board member and business advisor.

Between 2018 and 2023, she was part of the global management team of Storytel, an audiobook and e-book streaming services traded on the Swedish stock exchange, first as Chief Commercial Officer and during 2022, as acting CEO turning the company back to positive cash flow and earnings.

From 2013 to 2015, she served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head of Communication, Brand & Strategy at the Stockholm School of Economics, responsible for strategy and transformation process. From 2010 to 2013, she was Vice President and Head of Sales at Swedish telecom operator Telia Company, in charge of the Nordic and Baltic region. From 1998 to 2010, she served as Associate Principal at global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, advising clients across diversified industries such as media & entertainment, financial services, retail and real estate.

She holds a MSc in Management & Financial Accounting from the Stockholm School of Economics.