the UK education system which is forgiving. Education remains both a personal and business passion for Barrault who foresees a changing educational climate where knowledge is everywhere and technology will ultimately lead to harmonisation.
Whilst Francois does not believe he was naturally entrepreneurial at a young age he was determined to avoid what he describes as a ‘cut and paste lifestyle’, rather than copying or craving a celebrity lifestyle, religion or story he fiercely defends his decision to live life his own way. As a young man, Barrault excelled at school where he participated in sports, music and partying but felt he never fitted into any one stereotype of academic or junky, sporty or musical and instead chose to look at his strengths and customise them to what he wanted to do.
“I am a success enabler. I am an enabler by skills, by
money, by network.”ing.”
Francois recalls why he became a highly rated young pole-vaulter. It was not because of a natural love of the sport but because of the value proposition. He could run fast but was not a champion sprinter. He could throw the javelin a long way but was not a record setter and he could jump high but would never win the high jump. Realising he would never be exceptional at any of these sports he settled on the pole-vault and became one of the most successful athlete’s of his age.
Whilst studying Barrault began to develop his entrepreneurial skills and ran three successful businesses; tutoring students, organising music concerts as part of a band and ingeniously identifying a gap in the market and starting a business that introduced young ladies of high society to suitable young men in the college.
Then as now, Barrault refuses to place emphasis on being rich or making money, instead concentrating on creating and building things with talented people. It was a philosophy he learnt on a visit to Harvard where the Dean described the ‘world as being your playground’. It opened his eyes. “The world is a big place and I learnt there and then to never judge anyone on where they are from, or what they do, the way they speak or dress. I became impressed by the person and their vision. I can sit down with a baker, a painter, or president of a big company and be interested by what they have to say if they are a good and interesting person.”
24 entrepreneurcountry
After completing a Master of Science (D.E.A) degree in robotics and A.I. at Ecole Centrale de Nantes he started his career as a researcher with IBM. Whilst he originally seemed destined to pursue the academic research route he was quickly identified for his ability to sell ideas. His talent for understanding customer needs and developing value propositions saw him become the number two Computervision salesman in France in his first year in the job and quickly became number 1 in the world in his second year twice in a row. After leaving IBM he has spent a successful 20 year career building and nurturing some of Europe’s most innovative and successful technology companies. He moved initially to Stratus in 1994 becoming Senior Vice President EMEA, before becoming CEO of Lucent Technologies EMEA between 1999 to 2002 where he successfully delivered the expansion and integration of Lucent through 38 companies it acquired during that period.
But whilst enjoying phenomenal success across the technology sector, it is his time at telecommunications giant BT for which Mr Barrault is most known, for both the right and in the end wrong reasons. It was a role he accepted against the advice of close friends and family. He knowingly inherited a service in chaos and a team lacking motivation and the relevant skills for a changing global environment but he backed himself to change the chaos and turn things around.
Barrault was hired by BT to grow their business abroad
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