Early Life
Rodolphe Saadé was born on March 3, 1970, in Beirut, Lebanon. His father, Jacques Saadé, later founded the shipping company CMA CGM. In 1978, the Saadé family relocated to Marseille, France, due to the Lebanese Civil War. Rodolphe studied business at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, graduating with a degree in commerce and marketing.
Rise to Success
After graduating, Saadé founded a water cooler company, Dynamic Concept, gaining experience in international trade in Lebanon and Syria. He joined CMA CGM in 1994, working in New York and Hong Kong before returning to the company's headquarters in Marseille. From 1997 to 2000, he managed various shipping lines and later became responsible for transatlantic and transpacific lines. In 2004, he became General Manager, focusing on developing regular lines on the North-South axis. He was appointed Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group in November 2017.
Key Business Strategies
Under Rodolphe Saadé's leadership, CMA CGM has expanded significantly through strategic acquisitions and investments. Key moves include acquiring a stake in Ceva Logistics in 2018, followed by a public takeover bid in 2019, creating a global transport and logistics group. He has also focused on digital transformation and sustainable solutions, including launching the first LNG-powered container ship and expanding into air cargo with CMA CGM Air Cargo. In 2022, he led several acquisitions, including Ingram CLS, GEFCO, and Colis Privé.
Philanthropy
The CMA CGM Group, under Rodolphe Saadé's leadership, has supported various projects through the CMA CGM Foundation, which has been active since 2005, focusing on delivering emergency humanitarian relief, better education, and equal opportunities.