Mentor list / Mentor bio
Overview
Ross McInnes is Chair of Safran, where he has overseen governance of one of Europe’s flagship aerospace and defence groups through major programme cycles, portfolio reshaping and disciplined capital allocation. His tenure has emphasised board-level stewardship of long-horizon industrial investments, risk management and sustainability in complex, regulated markets.
He is an Independent Director at Engie and Chair of the Audit Committee, contributing to strategy, audit and sustainability oversight at the European energy major, and previously served on the board of Eutelsat Communications, and Forvia (Ex-Faurecia).
Earlier in his career, Ross held a range of senior finance and strategy positions across banking and industry. He served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Strategy at Thales (then Thomson-CSF), CFO of PPR (now Kering), and interim Chair of the Management Board at Générale de Santé (now Ramsay Health Care). He was also Vice Chair of Macquarie Capital Europe. Ross began his career in international corporate finance with Kleinwort Benson and Continental Bank, holding roles in London, Rio de Janeiro, Chicago and Paris.
He brings deep cross-sector expertise in:
• Board governance & stakeholder oversight – leading listed-company boards in aerospace, energy, automobile (Forvia), infrastructure (Macquarie), and healthcare (Ramsay), with a focus on long-cycle risk, programme assurance and responsible business.
• Finance, strategy & transformation – C-suite experience across industrial and healthcare services, including group CFO and strategy roles during periods of restructuring and market change.
• International business & economic diplomacy – appointed by France’s foreign ministry as Special Representative for relations with Australia, advancing bilateral trade and investment.
Ross is a graduate in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from St John’s College, University of Oxford. He has been recognised as a Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur.
He is known for calm, pragmatic chairmanship that blends financial rigour with strategic patience – aligning government, industry and investors behind complex industrial programmes that demand resilience, safety and technological excellence at scale.
PDF Profile
download pdf profileMajor Career Roles
Safran
Chair
Thales
CFO
Other Career Highlights
Engie
Independent Director
Kering
Executive Vice President Finance and Strategy
Macquarie Capital Europe
Vice Chair