When Morald Chibout looks at corporate governance in France, he sees less a functional engine of commerce and more a theatrical production staged by Molière. Former executive leader across high-profile enterprises including EDF, Orange, Autolib’, T-Online, and Cdiscount, Chibout released his latest book, Les 7 péchés du management, comment nos entreprises s’autodétruisent, published by Dunod on August 26. In the text, he pulls back the curtain on executive suites, arguing that corporate hierarchies prioritize internal politics and ego over genuine strategic vision.
Corporate Governance as a Molière Production
Breaking Past the Comex Paralysis
Born in a working-class neighborhood of Châteauroux as one of fourteen children to illiterate parents of Algerian descent, Chibout spent nearly three decades in general management roles under leaders such as Henri Proglio and Vincent Bolloré. Throughout his career, he developed a reputation for confronting entrenched institutional protocols.
His critique focuses heavily on the executive committee—widely known in France as the comex—which he contends is frequently paralyzed by internal rivalries where colleagues monitor each other’s career advancement rather than the company’s bottom line.
Staging Egos in the Executive Suite
“That spirit of comparison transforms a decision-making venue into a stage for egos and paralyzing caution,” Chibout analyzes in the book, describing the French executive committee as a play by Molière where the facade remains polished while the back rooms mirror The Scaramouche Tricks.
He directs similar scrutiny toward the chief executive officer, who is often insulated by a supportive inner circle. “Eventually, he believes his own propaganda,” Chibout writes, suggesting that some executives mistake self-performance for actual strategy.
Dismantling Corporate Picnics and Call Center Realities
Corporate processes and meetings also draw sharp criticism. Chibout describes meetings that have devolved into corporate picnics where individuals seek to dilute responsibility rather than make decisive choices, a phenomenon he terms a French malady driven by an obsession with control and verticality.
At EDF, where he joined to prepare the firm for market opening, he dismantled preparatory gatherings known as ad hoc meetings, opting instead for smaller direct discussions focused on core business challenges. His corporate strategy also emphasizes customer visibility. During his time at Cdiscount, after discovering that the company handled 15 million calls for only 5 million clients, he spent several days at a call center in Rabat, Morocco, alongside customer service agents to identify structural pain points before deploying his entire executive committee into the field.
Systemic Toxicity and Professional Loyalty
Reflecting on corporate toxicity, Chibout asserts that problematic managers are often products of the systemic environment rather than isolated system errors.
To navigate these high-stakes environments without compromising personal values, he advocates for a combination of transparency and humor, recalling his introductory remarks at an early EDF executive meeting where he addressed his background directly. Regarding Vincent Bolloré, who decorated him with the Legion of Honour in 2008 and entrusted him with leading the international electric car-sharing service Autolib’, Chibout maintains a posture of respect and professional loyalty, describing him as a major leader who opened doors for diverse leadership figures in corporate France.
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