Cécilia Attias

Cécilia Attias is a public servant, activist, and advocate for women’s rights who has dedicated her life to service in politics, diplomacy, and philanthropy. She served as First Lady of France in 2007, during which she successfully negotiated with Muammar Gaddafi for the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor from Libya’s death row. Today, she is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Richard Attias & Associates, advising heads of state, governments, and multilateral institutions in Europe, Africa, and the Arab world on global influence and nation branding, while also serving as President and Founder of the Cécilia Attias Foundation for Women.

Born in France, Cécilia studied law at the University of Paris Panthéon Assas and began her career as a parliamentary assistant. She went on to serve in Neuilly’s city hall and the Assemblée Nationale from 1989 to 2002, then in the office of the Minister of Interior, where she focused on women’s rights, domestic violence, immigration, assimilation, and crimes against children. She later served as Advisor in the Ministry of State, Economy, Finance and Industry, and Chief of Staff for the UMP Party. Trilingual in French, Spanish, and English, she draws on deep communications expertise to support her philanthropic and advisory work.

At BRIDGE Summit, Cécilia will speak about leadership in moments of crisis, advocating for women and vulnerable communities, and how strategic communication can drive real, measurable social change.