Philippe Dewost
High-tech executive and bestselling author bridging startups, corporates and education.
Why you should book Philippe Dewost for your next event
- Unique 360° tech experience: startups, corporates, venture, public funding and higher education at executive level.
- Former CEO, Dean and innovation leader managing €350M P&L and 9-digit investments across 100 countries.
- Bestselling author and international keynote speaker who turns tech trends into strategy and action.
Non-binding request for Philippe Dewost
From Apple-acquired startup CEO to engineering school Dean and global innovation leader
Philippe Dewost brings a rare 360° perspective on technology, innovation and education. With executive experience across startups, large corporations, venture environments, public funding programs and higher education, he connects strategy with real-world execution. From leading a Cambridge imaging startup acquired by Apple to running global digital transformation programs and serving as CEO and Dean of a leading European engineering school, Philippe translates complex tech shifts into clear direction. As a bestselling author and international keynote speaker, he inspires audiences from students to board members to think differently and act decisively.
Philippe Dewost – High-Tech Executive with a 360° Vision
Philippe Dewost has built his career at the crossroads of technology, strategy and education. With experience spanning startups, large private and state organizations, venture ecosystems and public funding programs, he offers a complete view of how innovation is imagined, financed, built and scaled.
His expertise lies in business development and strategy, with a strong focus on consumer technology. Over the years, he has led operations with up to €350M P&L responsibility and overseen investments in the nine-digit range. He has managed marketing activities across multiple geographies, recruited and led multicultural teams, and driven complex, cross-company programs at international scale.
Philippe Dewost is convinced that education stands among the toughest and most strategic challenges of this century. In a world shaped by technological acceleration, education is a competitive advantage. Thinking out of the box is not a slogan in his career – it is an everyday driver.
From Startup Builder to Apple Exit
Entrepreneurship is a central chapter in Philippe Dewost’s journey. He held executive roles in two startups and became CEO of a Cambridge (UK) imaging startup that was later acquired by Apple. This experience gave him first-hand insight into scaling innovation, structuring growth and preparing a company for acquisition by a global tech leader.
Earlier in his career, he co-founded Wanadoo, the internet service provider of Orange France Telecom. At a time when the internet was still emerging, he helped shape one of the foundational digital platforms in France. He also played a role in sparking La French Tech, contributing to the momentum that positioned France as a dynamic technology ecosystem.
These experiences allow him to speak with authority about hardware, software and service platforms, as well as the ecosystems that connect them. He understands how to build industrial partnerships, structure blockchain consortiums and transform trend detection into actionable anticipation.
Leading Innovation at Global Scale
Philippe Dewost’s leadership extends far beyond startups. He ran a worldwide innovation and digital transformation program for VINCI, spanning 100 countries and 200,000 employees. In this role, he navigated the complexity of a global organization while embedding digital thinking into its core operations.
He has held senior executive roles in large private and state organizations, combining strategic vision with operational discipline. His approach to leadership centers on building and managing strong teams, driving cross-company initiatives and serving effectively on boards. He knows how to align CEOs and board members around a shared vision and turn emerging trends into concrete exploration paths.
His core strengths can be summarized as:
Run: Managing up to €350M P&L, leading international marketing, and building multicultural teams.
Build: Designing strategy, driving business development, shaping industrial ecosystems and consortiums.
Think: Structuring hardware, software and service platforms into sustainable ecosystems.
Lead: Building teams, steering complex projects and contributing at board level.
Inspire: Turning weak signals into strategic anticipation for executives and decision-makers.
Share: Communicating vision and insights through keynotes, curated content and published work.
Transforming Engineering Education
As former CEO and Dean of EPITA, one of Europe’s leading engineering schools in computer science, Philippe Dewost led a profound transformation. During his tenure, he focused on scalability and optimized efficiency, expanded the student base, launched new Bachelor programs and strengthened the institution’s reputation in both corporate and public sectors.
Under his leadership, EPITA reached unprecedented levels of recognition and impact. He demonstrated that educational institutions can operate with the same strategic rigor as technology companies, while staying true to their academic mission.
For Philippe Dewost, education and technology are inseparable. Preparing the next generation of engineers, entrepreneurs and leaders is a strategic endeavor in a digital world. His talks often explore how higher education must evolve to keep pace with technological disruption.
Author and International Keynote Speaker
Philippe Dewost is also the author of the French bestseller “De Mémoire Vive”, a retrospective on the past 30 years in high tech. Through this book, he shares a unique perspective on the evolution of the industry, its breakthroughs, its myths and its lessons.
As an international keynote speaker, he addresses institutional and private executive audiences. His conferences combine historical perspective, strategic foresight and concrete operational experience. He speaks to students, senior executives, board members and public decision-makers with the same clarity and energy.
When you book Philippe Dewost for your event, you gain more than a speaker. You gain a leader who has built startups, managed global transformation, shaped public initiatives and redefined engineering education. His 360° experience enables him to connect dots others rarely see – and to inspire audiences to think bigger, act smarter and embrace the challenges of technological change with confidence and curiosity.
Keynotes
Keynote by Philippe Dewost:
Business
Are your digital transformation efforts stalling despite heavy investments in technology?
The real challenge is rarely the tools. It’s the people. Culture, leadership and the ability to think and act like entrepreneurs inside large organizations determine whether transformation succeeds or fades away.
Philippe Dewost’s keynotes cut straight to this reality. With experience spanning startups, global corporations and higher education, he shows how intrapreneurship becomes a practical engine for change. Drawing from leading innovation programs across 100 countries and scaling tech ventures to acquisition, he translates strategy into concrete action.
His talks equip leaders to unlock internal talent, spark initiative and turn digital ambition into measurable progress. Book Philippe Dewost to transform digital transformation into a people-driven movement that delivers results.
Keynote by Philippe Dewost:
Innovation
Is your organization talking about innovation, yet struggling to turn bold ideas into real impact?
Innovation demands more than trends and buzzwords. It requires perspective, courage and the ability to connect past revolutions with future opportunities. Philippe Dewost delivers exactly that. In his keynotes, he takes audiences on a brief history of the future—linking a 12th century startup mindset to open sourcing hardware, New Space horizons and the path towards the Metaverse.
With experience across startups, global corporations and tech ecosystems, he translates complex shifts into clear strategic choices. His talks challenge leaders to rethink models, embrace experimentation and act before disruption hits.
Book Philippe Dewost to equip your organization with the insight and momentum needed to lead the next wave of innovation.
Keynote by Philippe Dewost:
People
Are your people waiting for permission instead of taking initiative?
In fast-moving organizations, hesitation is costly. Innovation slows, engagement drops and leadership becomes reactive. The shift begins with permission and leadership—creating a culture where people feel empowered to act and fully present in what they do.
Philippe Dewost’s keynotes address this head-on. Drawing on leadership roles across startups, global corporations and higher education, he demonstrates how present leadership creates presence in teams. He shows how granting permission unlocks ownership, initiative and accountability at every level.
His talks provide leaders with practical insight to build trust, inspire action and align teams around a shared ambition. Book Philippe Dewost to transform passive talent into proactive contributors and turn leadership into a catalyst for performance.
Keynote by Philippe Dewost:
Technology
Are you investing in technology without seeing the strategic impact you expected?
Too often, technology is treated as an end in itself. Yet blockchain is not about technology—it’s about trust and new models of collaboration. Autonomous vehicles are not just engineering feats—they demand infrastructure, regulation and ecosystem thinking. Man-machine interfaces redefine how humans create value alongside intelligent systems.
Philippe Dewost’s keynotes bring clarity to this complexity. With hands-on experience from startups to global innovation programs, he translates technological breakthroughs into business strategy and organizational action. He helps leaders understand what truly matters, what to prioritize and how to prepare their ecosystems for change.
Book Philippe Dewost to turn emerging technologies into strategic advantage and ensure your organization leads with insight, not hype.
Keynote by Philippe Dewost:
Public Policies
Are your public policies struggling to keep pace with technological disruption and global competition?
Designing effective policy today requires more than regulation. It demands vision, ecosystem thinking and a clear stance on digital sovereignty. From the making of La French Tech to the rise of smart cities, successful public strategies are built on collaboration between government, startups and industry.
Philippe Dewost’s keynotes bridge technology and policy with rare credibility. Having contributed to the momentum behind La French Tech and led large-scale innovation programs, he understands how public initiatives can unlock private innovation and national competitiveness.
His talks provide decision-makers with strategic clarity, practical lessons and forward-looking insight. Book Philippe Dewost to shape public policies that foster innovation, strengthen digital sovereignty and build smarter, future-ready societies.
