Director of Research at Eranos, Anthony Mahe has a PhD (2010) in sociology from Paris Descartes University. A business-savvy academic, he has just joined the FEDE’s Panel of Experts.
What exactly did you study at university?
My thesis was on bank debt. Written in collaboration with GE Money Bank, it was funded by a CIFRE (Conventions Industrielles de Formation pour la Recherche) grant awarded by the ANRT (Agence Nationale pour la Recherche).
I now realise that my thesis had some indirect links to the FEDE! Michel Maffesoli, Director of GE Money Bank at the time, is now a member of the FEDE’s Academic Council, and Clarisse Angelier, Delegate General of the ANRT, is a member of the Panel of Experts.
What have been the highlights of your career?
After working as Qualitative Research Manager (2007-2009), then Marketing Research Manager at GE Capital (2009-2013), I joined the OBSOCO (OBervatoire de la SOciété et de la COnsommation) as Socio-Economic Research Manager. On the side I also taught sociology of innovation at the University of Evry, Paris Descartes University and Créapole (Ecole Supérieure de Design Industriel, Paris).
And your current work?
As Director of Knowledge at Eranos, my aim is to understand changes in consumer behaviour and propose adaption strategies to companies in the cosmetics, luxury and banking sectors. I am convinced that companies, if they wish to be successful, must be able to understand consumer logic in all its complexity. The sociologists, philosophers, anthropologists and marketing experts at Eranos are there to help them to do so!
