Speakers & moderators

For Jean Cassegrain, Longchamp is a way of life. Some of his earliest memories are centered on the business founded by his grandfather in 1948 − he recalls visits to the Longchamp workshops in western France and his grandmother’s store on the Champs-Elysées, family discussions of new ideas and prototypes, and, later, trips with his father to exhibitions and trade fairs around the world.

He states that he never considered doing anything other than becoming an active member of the family firm. Before doing so, however, he acquired a solid grounding in business. He is a graduate of the prestigious Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP Business School). As part of his national service, he spent a year at the French Trade Commission in New York, assisting French companies aiming to establish a foothold in the United States.

He supplemented this with a two-and-a-half-year career in management consultancy before joining Longchamp in 1991. For the past 30 years, Jean Cassegrain has enhanced Longchamp’s position from a solely bag and luggage player to a global Lifestyle company adding accessories, Ready-to-Wear, Eyewear, Shoes, while keeping the authenticity and sincerity of the Maison. Passionate with design and architecture, he brought his modern vision while developing the boutique network. Under his management, Longchamp developed an image of contemporary and optimistic Parisian House, achieved through creatively designed, beautifully crafted collections, unexpected advertising campaigns and prestigious locations of innovative stores.

Jean Cassegrain was made a Knight of the National Order de la Légion d’Honneur in January 2012. In 2020, his two sons Adrien and Hector Cassegrain joined the company and Jean Cassegrain succeeded his father as President of the family owned business