Breaking Through

Acknowledgments

I AM GRATEFUL TO MY EDITOR RICHARD NARRAMORE for daring to think that a French businesswoman like me has something to say to America.

I would also like to thank the Women Business Mentoring Initiative team for their precious help, particularly my daughter Virginie Liautaud for her pivotal role in the interviews and Jean-Louis Duquesnoy, a true point man for this project as well as a long-time partner in my business and associative life.

My gratitude also goes to my sponsors and their representatives: Elisabeth Richard of ENGIE, Sofia Merlo of BNP Paribas, Eve Magnant of Publicis. They believed in this book from the beginning and gave me their friendly support throughout the process of writing and editing.

I must thank my husband Claude Liautaud for his backing on this project as for everything else. He knows how essential his love and support are in my life and my son Didier Liautaud whose contacts with the Stanford community were invaluable.

I extend special thanks to Elizabeth Carlassare, Pierre Khawand, and Dan Rudolf for their commitment and precious advice in finding the best way to publish this book.

And finally, I am deeply indebted to my good friend Dominique de La Garanderie, who is a staunch advocate for the empowerment of women.