Bénédicte Brouard holds a degree in History from the Sorbonne University and two master's degrees in Management and Political Science from the Paris Dauphine University and the Institut d‘Etudes Politiques of Paris. She is also alumni of the Institut des Hautes Etudes de Defense Nationale. At Sonepar, a world leader in electrical wholesaling, she was initially Director of External Relations (including Finance, Purchasing, Sales, and Development) and then Executive Vice President. At the beginning of 2000, she helped accelerate the growth of a number of mid-sized firms and start-ups, and in 2002 she founded B-REF, a consulting firm. She has sat on the Investment Committees of both Lafayette International and Aurinvest. A corporate player with a strong international background, she is member of the executive board of the “Comité National des Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France”, after being president for 11 years of the Parisian Committee. She joined the Mercator group in the summer of 2006.