Pascal Cagni
Pascal Cagni is a French tech leader known for his years as Vice-President & General Manager of Apple EMEIA, from 2000 when he was hired by Steve Jobs to 2012 working alongside Tim Cook. Under his leadership, Apple EMEA was the fastest growing region within Apple for several years, with revenue growing from 1 to nearly US$40 billion.
Pascal is passionate about tech & entrepreneurship. He grew up in Alsace in the 60s and witnessed his father Rinaldo Cagni running a mid-sized construction company. He began working with Booz Allen in California, and further embraced the world of tech, joining Compaq in 1988, then Packard Bell in 1995. He contributed to the firm’s success as Europe General Manager; notably developing operations and industrial facilities in Angers.
He started supporting entrepreneurial projects long before Apple, and created C4 Industries in 2006 to fostering growth in the dynamic world of tech through strategic minority investments, which are now called “C4 Participations”. In 2014, he funded C4 Ventures, the leading European VC firm that has invested through C4V I and C4V II funds in some 50 startups, 9 of which became unicorns. with C4V III on the way. In 2024, he created C4 Manufactures, a bold initiative investing in sectors where France leads the way: heritage and green technologies. In parallel, he founded C4 Collection that gathers unique renovated properties in exclusive locations.
Since 2017, he is also Chairman of Business France and French Ambassador to International Investment, appointed by French President Emmanuel Macron. He supports the international development of the French economy by actively contributing to the French tech, French Fab, and French Touch initiatives, meeting business representatives and economic leaders around the world.
Particularly active in Franco-Italian relations, Pascal Cagni is a member of the Quirinal Treaty working group, an initiative driven by Emmanuel Macron and Paolo Gentiloni, which aims to improve Franco-Italian relations and cooperation, particularly in the fields of industry and culture. He has been decorated as Knight of the National Order of Merit of France by Christine Lagarde and Knight of the Legion of Honor by Bruno Le Maire.
In 2011, he created The Cagni Foundation to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds gain access to higher education, art, and culture. He is also one of the main benefactors of the HEC Foundation.
Pascal Cagni holds a degree from Sciences Po Paris in public service, an MBA from HEC Paris, and a degree in business law from the University of Strasbourg III Robert Schumann. He completed the Executive Program for Growing Companies (EPGC) at Stanford University and was an auditor for the 63rd national session of the Institute of Higher National Defense Studies (IHEDN).