Columbia Business School Alumni Club of London
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Gala 2014

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Outstanding Alumni Award
Xavier Rolet '84
CEO, London Stock Exchange

Young Alumni Award
Michelle Kathryn Essomé '99
CEO, African Private Equity & Venture Capital Association

Keynote Speaker
Giorgio Stock '88
President, Turner Broadcasting System EMEA


Alumni Awards presented by Nicholas Barber CBE '71, Chairman, Bolero

Outstanding Alumni Award: Xavier Rolet '84

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Xavier Rolet joined the LSE Group Board in March 2009 and became CEO in May 2009.
Prior to joining the London Stock Exchange, Xavier was CEO of Lehman Brothers in France from July 2007 to January 2009. He was appointed a member of the Lehman Brothers’ European Operating Committee in 2003, having joined the firm in February 2000 in New York as deputy co-head of Global Equity Trading. In June 2000 he was promoted to co-head Global Equity Trading and in October 2001 transferred to London to take up the position of head of European and Asian Cash Equities, as well as becoming a member of the firm’s Global Investment Banking Operating Committee. In September 2003, Xavier was asked to lead the newly-created European Senior Client Relationship Management Group, a role in which he focused on managing the firm's relationships with its most senior corporate and institutional clients across the region.
Xavier started his career working for Robert E. Rubin on the International Arbitrage desk at Goldman Sachs in New York in January 1984. In 1990, he was promoted to co-head of European Equity Sales and Trading and moved to London. He joined Credit Suisse First Boston in 1994 as global head of European Equities before moving to Dresdner Kleinwort Benson as global head of Risk and Trading, and deputy head of Global Equities in 1997.
Xavier is a member of the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School, an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments, FSCI(Hon) and a member of the Financial Services Trade and Investment Board of HM Treasury (FSTIB). Xavier served as a Second Lieutenant and Instructor at the French Air Force Academy in 1981 prior to attending Columbia Business School.

Young Alumni award: Michelle Kathryn Essomé '99

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Michelle Kathryn Essomé is the CEO of the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, a non-profit industry association whose mission is to promote, develop and stimulate private equity and venture capital in Africa.  Since taking the helm she has revitalized the organization by establishing a formal non-profit governance structure, recruiting a new board and establishing a financial reserve to make the association more sustainable.  With a new membership structure in place, she has recruited over 100 members who all share a common goal of attracting capital to Africa while promoting the highest ethical standards. The association has undertaken a range of projects including the first African private equity benchmarking study and the introduction of legal and regulatory handbooks for seven countries. 
Prior to her current role, Michelle spent over 20 years in investment banking covering marketing and origination roles in equities, fixed income and investment management at Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Lehman Brothers and Nomura, including two years marketing private equity funds in the UK.  She has worked in the US, UK and France and is fluent in French.

Keynote Speaker: Giorgio Stock '88

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Giorgio Stock serves as Turner EMEA President; he has executive oversight of all entertainment and kids networks and media services, the distribution and commercial operations of CNN’s services and licensing and merchandising activity in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 
Giorgio joined Turner in April 2013 after a 15-year career with Disney. Most recently, he was EVP & GM of Disney Consumer Products, Publishing and Retail for the EMEA region. Prior to that, he had responsibility for the company’s Content Division in the region, comprising TV, Interactive Media, Music and Publishing among other things executing Disney’s merger with Jetix, exponentially growing the portfolio and footprint of channels across the region and overseeing the production of a range of breakout successes on kids television and interactive media. 
Prior to joining Disney, Giorgio held various executive positions at Bertelsmann AG in Italy, US and Spain having started there as Vice President in Corporate Development at Bertelsmann AG’s German headquarters. 
An MBA and MIA graduate at Columbia, he began his career in Corporate Finance at Matuschka group in Germany advising on cross border M&A transactions.


The Alumni Awards are given each year to an alumnus or alumna of Columbia Business School residing or doing business in the UK, for a distinguished career in any industry, for an outstanding personal achievement, or for a notable contribution to society. The award recipients are nominated by the alumni community in London.

View Previous Keynote Speakers | View Gala 2013 photos

Gala Chair: Kristen Burley '13
Wednesday, 30 April 2013
Royal Automobile Club
89 Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HS

7 pm: Cocktail Reception
8 pm: Dinner
Dress Code: Cocktail Attire
Spouses and guests are welcome
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  • HOME
    • CONTACTS
  • JOIN
    • Membership
    • Reciprocal Membership
  • BOARD & COMMITTEES
    • BOARD
    • SOCIAL & FORMAL EVENTS
    • MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
    • TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY
    • Real Estate Investment
    • PRIVATE EQUITY & VENTURE CAPITAL
    • INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
    • LIFESTYLE
    • RENEWABLE & ENVIRONMENTAL
    • HEALTH & WELLBEING
    • WOMEN'S NETWORK
    • OUTREACH & DEVELOPMENT
  • Black Tie Soiree 2024 Photos
  • CHRISTMAS PARTY 2023
  • Annual Gala Dinner 2020
  • Gala 2019 Photos
  • Gala 2017 Photos
  • Gala 2014 Photos