Nicolas Babin

Nicolas Babin
Nicolas Babin in 2018
Born (1966-04-09) April 9, 1966 (age 58)
Bordeaux, France
NationalityFrench
Alma materÉcole supérieure des ingénieurs commerciaux de Bordeaux
Occupation(s)Former Director of Corporate Communication Sony Europe
Former Managing Director Actiplay
Head of group Digital Solutions Neopost
Co-founder GamFed
Co-founder MirambeauAppCare
Founder Babin Business Consulting
Board of directors member Maxicoffee
Board of directors member Commanders Act
SpouseSara E. Ashworth
AwardsInnovation Award at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show
Websitenicolas-babin.blogspot.fr

Nicolas Babin (born April 9, 1966) is a French businessman, specialized in gamification, as well as technological innovation. He is best known for being the former CEO of Sony Europe in several departments, including robotics.[1] He is currently at the head of Babin Business Consulting.

Early life and career

Nicolas Babin studied at the École supérieure des ingénieurs commerciaux de Bordeaux in computer science.[2] He is the holder of a master in Sales-Marketing.[3] He began his career in 1989 for BNP Paribas as a programmer in San Francisco. He moved to California as a result.[3] In 1992, he left BNP Paribas in order to take the head of the French and German branches for Atwork Health Systems.[3] He then left Atwork in order to take the head of Administration for Cats Software US, thus moving to Palo Alto, in California. He notably contributed to its IPO,[4] before becoming the Managing Director EMEA for Cats Software in London.[3]

Career

The Sony Years (1997-2008)

Nicolas Babin began his career for Sony in 1997, where he became the Managing Director for Sony Europe for Etak a unit of the Sony group specialized in digital mapping in London.[3]

In 2001, while living in Brussels and being the Managing Director for Sony Entertainment Robot Europe,[5] he contributed to the launch of AIBO, Sony's robotic pets.[6][7][8] In 2004 he became the Director of Corporate Communications Sony Europe in Berlin and contributed to the marketing of the most recent Sony products.[9][10] In 2005, he also contributed to the launch of the PSP in Europe.[11]

In 2006, during the battery recall controversy that Sony faced (some notebook computers from brands like Toshiba, Dell, Lenovo or Apple were provided with built-in lithium batteries that could provoke fire due to overheating, causing property damage or minor burns, forcing Sony to initiate the biggest recall policy in the world at the time),[12][13] Nicolas Babin was heavily involved in the crisis management.[14]

Technological innovations (2008-2017)

Nicolas Babin left Sony in 2008 in order to join AT Internet, a French company specialized in web analytics, becoming the company Chief Operating Officer.[3] He occupied this post during the Google bug in 2009, or when Microsoft allowed other browsers on their machines.[15][16] In 2010, he became the Managing Director of the Groupe Concoursmania in France,[2] specialized in online competition and marketing gaming.[9] He notably managed the IPO process of the Groupe Concoursmania,[4] as well as its development in Europe.[17]

He then joined Neopost in 2013, a French company specialized in franking machines or postage meters as the marketing Director and as the head of the group of Digital Solutions.[18] He then left Neopost in 2017.[3]

Nicolas Babin is also a board member of several companies, including Commanders Act,[19] Maxicoffee[20] or GamFed, a company he founded in 2012 in order to develop gamification.[21]

Consulting (2017-)

In March 2017, Nicolas Babin founded his own company Babin Business Consulting,[22] specialized in consulting, marketing, innovations and business development, which he presides since then.[23]

Nicolas Babin is also the cofounder of Mirambeau AppCare, which product includes DiabiLive,[24][25] an app allowing diabetics to better cope with their disease, thanks to a personalized monitoring of food and exercise, an optimized insuline dosage management and also a panic button in case of emergency.[26] He also manages the international development of this app,[27][28] notably in the United States, where they are waiting the Food and Drug Administration authorization to be available,[26] but also in Japan,[29] in Canada[30] or in the United Arab Emirates, where it was notably showcased in the Arab Health trade show.[31] Diabilive won several prizes including the French Concours Lépine, rewarding innovation in 2016,[32] as well as the Consumer Electronics Show Innovation Award in 2018.[33][34] In addition to diabetes, Nicolas Babin is looking to expand this concept to others debilitating diseases.[35]

Since 2020, Babin works as a consultant for several companies, like Huawei, Google or IBM, as a specialist in all matters concerning artificial intelligence or 5G.[36][37] He is also a regular participant in international conferences on those topics, as well as gamification, digital disruption and leadership.[36][38] He is appointed Digital Ambassador for the European Commission in 2023, joining other European specialists focusing on digital transition. [39]

Other professional activities

Nicolas Babin also gave lectures related to marketing and gamification at Epitech[40] or at KEDGE Business School.

During the third edition of the Digital week in Bordeaux in 2013, Nicolas Babin participated as a lecturer about gamification.[41] Nicolas Babin also writes articles for websites like Gladiacteur or IndieWatch, specialized in marketing and gaming.[42][43]

In August 2017, he founded with his wife a company specialized in real estate in Bordeaux.[44]

Following the 25th of April 2019 general assembly, Nicolas Babin has been elected president of the ASSA (Arcachon site for the preservation of building and environment) in France.[45]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote a book, dealing with the evolution of technologies from the end of the eighties to today.[46]

Personal life

Nicolas Babin married Sara E. Ashworth in 1993. They have two children named John and Philippe.[47]

References

  1. ^ "Sony Entertainment robot AIBO makes debut in European retail". Protext, distribution of press releases in the Czech Republic. Berlin. 5 August 2002. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Nicolas Babin est nommé directeur général de Concoursmania". Les Échos (in French). 19 October 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Nicolas Babin est promu marketing director, global director digital solutions de Neopost". E-marketing (in French). 25 November 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Nicolas Babin". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Sony's AIBO Gains New Colours and New Tricks". Trusted Reviews. 5 February 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Sony Aibo: Clever doggy". Metronews. 22 October 2003. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Sony's AIBO entertainment robot gets its skates on" (PDF). Communiqué de presse de Sony. Londres. 22 October 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  8. ^ "LES CHERCHEURS N'EN FINISSENT PAS DE FAIRE LE CLONE". Stratégies (in French). 10 June 2004. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Nicolas Babin, directeur général du groupe ConcoursMania". Stratégies. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  10. ^ "HP and Sony battle for domination of digital entertainment". The Register. 20 July 2005. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Sony chief in Europe aims to restore brand's glitter". New York Times. 14 April 2005. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Sony Apologizes for Battery Recall". Washington Post. 24 October 2006. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  13. ^ "Batteries Sony, un rappel massivement multi-marques". Libération (in French). 29 September 2006. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  14. ^ Michael D. Watkins; Clayton M. Christensen; Kenneth L. Kraemer; Michael E. Porter (October 13, 2015). Harvard Business Review Press (ed.). Harvard Business Review Leadership Library: The Executive Collection. Harvard Business Review Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-63369-187-2. {{cite book}}: |editor= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ "Samedi, les visites générées par Google ont chuté de 90 %". Le Journal du Net. 2 February 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Europe Drops Microsoft Antitrust Case". New York Times. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  17. ^ "Groupe Concoursmania names Nicolas Babin as managing director" (PDF). Groupe ConcoursMania Press Release. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Le top 20 des influenceurs E-commerce". E Commerce Nation. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  19. ^ "About Us". Commanders Act. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  20. ^ "Company profiles : Maxicoffee". Pitchbook. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  21. ^ "Naissance de GamFed" (PDF). Communiqué de presse. Bordeaux. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  22. ^ "Dirigeants : Nicolas Babin". BFM TV (in French). Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  23. ^ "From Claude Posternak to Fleur Pellerin, These Are the Most Influential Entrepreneurs From France". Richtopia. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  24. ^ "Mirambeau App Care". So Start Up. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Mirambeau AppCare appuyé par la Région et Bpifrance". La Tribune (in French). 5 December 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  26. ^ a b "DiabiLive Will Help Remove the Greatest Challenge from Diabetes". Plughitz. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  27. ^ "Comité statégique". Mirambeau App Care. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  28. ^ "Diabète : après Paris, l'appli Diabilive a été sacrée à Las Vegas". La Tribune. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  29. ^ "Benoît Mirambeau, première concrétisation". La Dépêche du Midi (in French). 11 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  30. ^ Jean-Philippe Déjean (3 April 2019). "Diabète : MirambeauAppCare crée des relais aux Emirats arabes unis et au Canada". La Tribune. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  31. ^ Nicolas César (29 January 2019). "E-santé : MirambeauAppCare va faire briller Bordeaux au Arab Health à Dubaï". Sud Ouest (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  32. ^ "DiabiLive, l'application de suivi du diabète primée au CES 2018". TicPharma (in French). 18 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  33. ^ "Après Lépine, la start-up !". La Dépêche du Midi (in French). 6 November 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  34. ^ "Diabète : Diabilive, l'application girondine séduit les Etats-Unis après le concours Lépine". Sud Ouest. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  35. ^ Deepa Narwani (29 January 2019). "Inspiring Innovation in the Spotlight at Arab Health 2019". Arab Health. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  36. ^ a b Pierre Cheminade (24 September 2020). "Seriez-vous prêt à confier votre santé à une intelligence artificielle ?". La Tribune. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  37. ^ Géraldine Rabier (22 September 2020). "Le 4e Forum Santé Innovation en vidéo". La Tribune. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  38. ^ "Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Digital Disruption (July 2020)". Thinkers360. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  39. ^ Bruno Béziat (28 March 2023). "L'Arcachonnais Nicolas Babin nommé Ambassadeur du digital par l'Union européenne". Sud-Ouest. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  40. ^ "La gamification en question". Epitech (in French). 30 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  41. ^ "Nicolas Babin Directeur Général : Groupe CONCOURSMANIA". Semaine Digitale de Bordeaux (in French). Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  42. ^ "About Nicolas Babin". IndieWatch. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  43. ^ "Nicolas Babin, auteur à Gladiacteur". Gladiacteur. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  44. ^ "Idalia". Le Figaro. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  45. ^ "Trouver l'équilibre entre évolution et protection". Sud-Ouest. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  46. ^ Pierre Pinna (29 June 2021). "Interview of Nicolas Babin : his book "The Talking Dog : Immersion in new technologies"". IpfcOnline. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  47. ^ "Varennes en Argonne : Collège menacé : toujours mobilisés". Est Républicain (in French). 5 September 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.