Mohed Altrad, President and Founder of the Altrad Group, was at ANDRA's Bure/Saudron site on 25 September for a ‘Business Perspectives’ day.

The nuclear industry in France is a strategic sector with several major contractors. And on Wednesday 25 September, at ANDRA's technology centre between Haute-Marne and Meuse, more than 300 participants attended to meet these principals and the main subcontractors in the local (and national) nuclear industry. This year’s event saw a significant increase in the number of participants, including the CEA, EDF, Orano, ANDRA and the Meuse / Haute-Marne Chamber of Commerce and Industry. What is more, all the tier 1 and tier 2 service providers and local businesses were also present, so that they could get to know each other better.

Mohed Altrad, Founder and President of the eponymous Group (world leader in the provision of industrial services and manufacturer of equipment dedicated to the construction sector), was a key figure in this day of exchanges. And with good reason: his Group provides a large part of the maintenance for the installations on the ANDRA site at Bure/Saudron.

This conference was an opportunity for the man with such a singular profile to talk about his life, his career and his experience as a company director. But more than the businessman, it was the philosopher who often spoke, touching on personal development, communication, culture, identity and values. With great humility, he recounted his story, that of a Bedouin born in the Syrian desert, who arrived in France with 200 francs in his pocket and became the billionaire that everyone knows today. Inviting men and women to work together as entrepreneurs, Mohed Altrad briefly gave some figures on the Altrad Group: nearly 5.5 billion euros in sales, a presence in around a hundred countries, and 65,000 employees on five continents.

It's a success story that started 40 years, and one that is not about to come to an end.