Michael Sidney Levy

A French-American, graduate of the University of Paris IX Dauphine (finance, tax law) and with an MBA from HEC, Michael is a European web and e-commerce specialist. He gained his extensive experience at the heart of “new economy” companies.

An entrepreneur, Michael first set up a car export distribution company in 1998, Arelex Motor Parts.

In 2001, he became the Marketing Director at Esqualite.com (an online creation service for websites for professionals, and pioneer of the “on-demand” software in France), a subsidiary of Credit Lyonnais and the communication group Image Force.

In 2003 he took over as head of interactive and operational marketing for Image Force, which in 2004 became Logwithme, the group’s web agency, in charge of Internet budgets for Intermarché, Hasbro, Audi, ADP-GSI, Henkel, Peugeot and La Poste, among others.

After four years with the Image Force group, Michael joined Fotovista/PIXmania (1,600 employees, turnover of 474m euros). He built and developed the e/merchant subsidiary, which provides a global e-commerce subcontracting service to major international accounts, such as Bouygues Telecom, The Link, Dixons, Currys, Skype and Intel.

In 2006, Michael co-founded PrivateOutlet.com. A members-only website, Private Outlet organises on-line event sales of products from the greatest brand names in the world, with reductions of up to 70% on store prices. Thought out as an e-commerce 2.0 service, PrivateOutlet.com also represents a community with a passion for shopping, brand aficionados with a genuine curiosity on what the world of retail has to offer. Members can customise their online purchases, share their findings and benefit daily from special offers exclusively designed for them. PrivateOutlet.com currently operates in France, the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy. Michael remains member of the board.

In 2008, Michael joined Digitas France, one of the world’s leading marketing agencies for the digital age, where he is a Partner. He manages business development, day-to-day management of the expertise teams, and is reponsible for the P&L of key accounts: CDiscount, La Redoute, Rushcollection.com, Surcouf, Europ Assistance, Groupe SEB, among others.

Digitas helps blue-chip global brands develop, engage and profit from their customers through digital, direct and indirect relationships. Driving accountable and measurable relationship engines, Digitas marries art (creativity and insight) and science (analytics, delivery, media, measurement, strategy and technology) across digital and direct media.

The agency brands include Digitas, Digitas Health, Prodigious Worldwide, Modem Media and Solutions | Digitas.

Digitas is a member of the Paris-based Publicis Groupe S.A. (Euronext Paris: FR0000130577, NYSE: PUB), the world's fourth largest communications group and second largest media counsel and buying group.

Michael is married and the proud father of a baby girl. He is a basketball fanatic and enjoys junk food.