Arnaud de Puyfontaine

Arnaud de Puyfontaine is Chairman of the Management Board, Chief Executive Officer, Vivendi; Chair of the Board, Havas. Arnaud de Puyfontaine has built his career in France and internationally in the media world.

First, Executive Director of Le Figaro, in 1995 he is a member of the founding team of the Emap Group in France, becoming a few years later Chief Executive Officer and then Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emap France. In 2000, he joins the Executive Board of Emap plc. and concomitantly, from 2000 to 2005, serves as Chairman of EMW, the Emap/Wanadoo digital subsidiary.

In 2006, he is appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Editions Mondadori France and one year later becomes General Manager of all digital business for the Mondadori group. In 2009, Arnaud de Puyfontaine joins the US media group Hearst, serving successively as Chief Executive Officer of its UK subsidiary, Executive Vice President of Hearst Magazines International and Managing Director for Western Europe.

Arnaud de Puyfontaine joins Vivendi in January 2014, as Senior Executive Vice President in charge of its media and content operations. Since June 24, 2014, he has been Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer.

Arnaud de Puyfontaine also serves as Chair of the Board, Havas N.V., Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gameloft SE, Member of the Board of Directors of Louis Hachette Group, Member of the Supervisory Board of Canal+ and Member of the Board of Directors of Lagardère SA. He is also Honorary Chairman of the French-American Foundation and ESCP Alumni.

He is Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, Chevalier de l’ordre national du Mérite, and Chevalier des Arts et Lettres. He also was awarded the OBE (Officer of the British Empire) and the OMRI (Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana).

Arnaud de Puyfontaine is a graduate of the ESCP Business School (1988), the Multimedia Institute (1992) and Harvard Business School (2000).

Robert Kyncl

Robert is an entrepreneurial leader and creator economy pioneer. He joined WMG in January 2023 from YouTube, where he served as Chief Business Officer. During his twelve-year tenure at YouTube, he played a central role in defining the company’s strategy and leading its impact on entertainment and culture, including overseeing its creative and commercial partnerships and operations. He drove the development and expansion of YouTube’s creator, artist, and media company ecosystem, while leading the build out of its paid subscription services – YouTube Music, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV.

Prior to YouTube, Robert spent seven years at Netflix, where he led its expansion into streaming film and TV content, helping it evolve into an entertainment giant. Recruited by the company to work on its DVD-by-mail business, he volunteered to explore the potential of streaming video in 2005 and helped deliver the debut of Netflix’s streaming service in 2007. Robert began his career in the mailroom of a talent agency, J. Michael Bloom, and then worked for HBO International, before joining a kids entertainment start-up, ALFY.

Robert and his wife Luz run the Kyncl Family Foundation, which provides financial assistance to students from underrepresented communities pursuing STEM degrees. A sought-after speaker on cultural trends and technology, he is the coauthor of Streampunks: YouTube and the Rebels Remaking Media. He holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BS in International Relations from SUNY New Paltz.