Forward Global, an international risk management specialist, continues its development and bolsters its expertise with the arrival of two new executives:
Frédéric Polycarpe has been appointed CEO of “Forward Cyber,” the group’s division dedicated to digital risk services and technologies.
Patrice Lambert de Diesbach has been appointed Director of the “Financial Communication and Investor Relations” practice.
These appointments reflect Forward Global’s commitment to accelerating its significant growth with the support of Bridgepoint Development Capital, alongside its management team and longstanding investors, RAISE Invest and Rives Croissance (Banque Populaire).
The addition of these two experienced leaders will support the group’s robust growth in the cybersecurity sector—where its revenue has quadrupled in the last five years—and position Forward as a leading player in financial communication.
“The arrival of Patrice and Frédéric highlights Forward Global’s ability to attract top experts, highly regarded in their respective markets, and integrate them into our entrepreneurial journey. Their seniority enables us to deliver high-level service quality to our clients while building a team capable of addressing markets requiring genuine technical expertise and international outreach, which is part of our historical DNA,” said Matthieu Creux, President of Forward Global.
“The appointment of Frédéric strengthens the Cyber Division alongside Sébastien Chaudron, CEO of Lexfo, whose CSIRT offering is PRIS-certified (Incident Response Service Provider) by ANSSI. Frédéric’s mission is to expand Forward Cyber both in France and internationally,” added Samuel Dralet, CEO of Forward Global.
Frédéric Polycarpe: At 55, Frédéric Polycarpe brings extensive experience in cybersecurity. He developed significant expertise supporting companies during his tenure at Atos and Airbus. In 2011, he helped establish Airbus’s Cyber Division, where he created its international department. Specializing in incident response, he secured major contracts including TV5 Monde and the European institutions’ cybersecurity framework agreement, worth over €350 million. In 2020, he joined Atos, overseeing public affairs for Eviden and sensitive matters for the group. In 2003, after 15 years in military intelligence, this officer and expert on the Arab world joined Défense Conseil International (DCI), the Ministry of Armed Forces’ armament advisory branch, to support major defense contracts.
Patrice Lambert de Diesbach: At 67, Patrice Lambert de Diesbach is a highly recognized expert in Financial Communication and Investor Relations for CAC 40 companies. With 15 years of experience at Orange (October 2011 to April 2024) and Carrefour (April 2010 to October 2011), his expertise has been consistently acknowledged through numerous rankings (Institutional Investor & Extel). Since 2019, he has regularly been among the top three Investor Relations Directors in Europe’s telecom sector.
Previously, Patrice spent 18 years in equity capital markets, including nine years as Deputy Director, Co-Director, and then Director of Equity Research at Crédit Mutuel CIC Securities. His earlier career as a financial analyst covered diverse sectors such as utilities, capital goods, defense, automotive, and mid-caps at firms like Exane, UBS/Warburg, Deutsche Bank, and HSBC/James Capel. He has held the CIAA (Certified International Investment Analyst) designation since 1993.
