Biography
Etienne Couelle joined 3i in January 2006, as Director with the French Growth Capital team. Since September 2008, he drives 3i's Active Partnership programme for Growth Capital. As such, he brings his consulting background and hands-on experience of international management to leadership teams of portfolio companies, assisting them to identify and realize their full potential through the implementation of best practices.
Etienne has been closely involved with the execution and management of several investments such as Labco, Consultim, Soflog-Telis and Transport Alloin. Etienne is Vice-President of Soflog's advisory board.
Prior to 3i, Etienne spent seven years with the 'Service, Strategy and Performance Management Group' of KPMG Peat Marwick Consultants. He then joined family-owned Oberthur Technologies for another ten years, heading various business units and divisions both in North America and France, and was a member of the Group's executive committee.
Throughout his career, Etienne has developed expertise in the industrial and technology sectors, has been exposed to managing businesses on a global scale, and has dealt with both growth and restructuring situations. He is a graduate of Ecole Centrale de Paris and ESIEA engineering schools.