Joëlle Simon started her professional career in 1991 as a lawyer and deputy to the general economic affairs manager at the largest employment federation in France, Conseil National du Patronat Français (since renamed to Mouvement des Entreprises de France or MEDEF), where she has remained to date. Initially starting out as a lawyer with a fairly limited scope of intervention, following a number of promotions Simon’s role has evolved to include the management of a department that deals with business law, ethics, corporate governance of listed companies, consumption affairs and regulation.

In her present role Simon is actively involved in in the defence of French business interests domestically, at a European and international level, as well as providing good viability to MEDEF’s activities, by serving as a speaker and panellist at national or international conferences and by writing down papers in well recognised legal magazines. Over the last decades, Simon has played a highly instrumental role in shaping major evolutions in French company law such as, for instance, the introduction of a simplified joint stock company – la société par action simplifiée (SAS), as well as the decriminalisation of company law with the replacement of criminal sanctions by civil ones.

Simon has also contributed to the promotion of good corporate governance. Along with another business association, MEDEF has elaborated the code of corporate governance for French listed companies. ‘This code is now considered as the most demanding code in Europe along with the UK Corporate Governance Code’, Simon states.