Laurent Freixe, Executive Vice President, CEO Zone Americas of Nestlé, will assume the Chairmanship of the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) today, for a period of two years.
Elected by GAN members at the International Labour Conference (ILC) on 11 June, Laurent Freixe will help lead the organization in its strategic direction. The overall aim of GAN is to encourage businesses to empower people with 21st century skills by putting in place work-based learning approaches that are inclusive, diverse and accessible.
Laurent Freixe takes over the Chairmanship from Alain Dehaze, CEO of The Adecco Group, who led GAN’s work over the past 3.5 years and was instrumental in expanding the organization’s membership and network to 16 countries around the globe.
During the official handover ceremony, Laurent Freixe said that:
he looks forward to “stepping-up our collaborative work as GAN Chair by bringing business & government together, and continuing this great journey connecting education and employment through work-based learning.”
As one of its founding members, The Adecco Group’s CEO took on the role of Chair with the commitment of matching young people with decent work, enabling them to make a positive contribution in society. Mr Dehaze stepped in as Chair in 2016, shortly after taking on the role of The Adecco Group’s CEO. The two roles complemented one another in advancing his company’s engagement on youth employability solutions. He wishes the GAN continued success:
“I feel extremely energised when I reflect on what the GAN has achieved to close the skills gap and increase future employability, particularly for young people. In the last three years we have grown the GAN from five national networks to sixteen and added more than 100 companies to span 244 associated companies today. I look forward to continuing my contribution to GAN in my ongoing capacity as a Board Member as together we inspire, motivate, train and develop people across the globe to successfully embrace the future of work.”
During his tenure, his company has led local networks in France and Belgium, with the aim of sharing national best practices, leading awareness raising campaigns on apprenticeship in various regions, and designing programs to help youth foster skills for a 21st century workplace.
In his new role as Chair, Mr Freixe will ensure that GAN Global successfully carries out its mission to influence enabling frameworks that fuses the link between education and employment; to share knowledge on proven models among members; to implement country initiatives that help remove barriers; and to facilitate dialogue between companies and governments. Since Nestlé has joined GAN’s Board, it has since met with members and partners at its General Council at the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Chair Handover Ceremony at Accenture Geneva, and will again convene its Board Members in November at the Microsoft Campus in November.
