April 1st, 2026 marks 50 years of
Apple. A “journey" that changed everything, including my personal “journey”
In early 2000, I was about to move to Texas to join Dell. Contract signed, house rented, boxes packed: the safe, obvious choice.
Then I got a call from Steve Jobs. On Jan 31, 2000 "Stevie Wonder!" made
Fortune’s cover. Apple was refining its Aqua interface and launched the first iMac. He was looking for someone to lead Europe operations.
Apple wasn’t what it's today. Very small market share, doubts about survival. Everyone except ONE told me not to go. Dell was the winner, Apple the outsider.
I still went to meet Steve. We spent hours walking on a Hawaii beach, challenging each other on technology, product, strategy. I liked his intensity, clarity, and obsession with building something “different."
I trusted my instinct, cancelled everything and joined Apple.
From 2000 to 2012, I had the privilege to lead Apple EMEIA. What we built was unique:
➡️ Revenue multiplied by 30, from $1.3B to over $40B
➡️ Expansion across 120+ countries, opening 20+ offices
➡️ Iconic products launches: iPod (23/10/2001), iPhone (9/01/2007), iPad (27/01/2010)
➡️ Distribution & brand, developing Apple Premium Resellers & Apple Stores.
Beyond numbers, what made Apple unique was its culture & focus on doing “insanely” great product. We challenged everything: how it looks, feels, works, turning everyday problems into simple, elegant solutions.
Looking back, I think of what Steve Jobs said in his 2005 Stanford commencement speech 🎓 : “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” Today, I see how that decision shaped not only my career, but how I think about product, leadership and life.
When in 2014 I co-founded
C4 Ventures with
Boris Bakech, we asked the same questions: is there a product vision? The courage to go against the market? With
C4 Industries, investing in lifestyle craftsmanship companies, we apply the same attention to detail
Faïencerie de Gien,
Lelièvre Paris,
DUVIVIER CANAPES. As France Ambassador for International Investments 🇨🇵, meeting companies investing in France, we look for purpose and ability to build over time.
Today, Apple is a $4T+ company and one of the most iconic brands.
Apple didn’t just follow the digital revolution. It defined it. Shaped a generation. Empowered creators, entrepreneurs, students, families. Made technology personal, intuitive, human.
This anniversary isn’t just about a company. It’s about all those who believed early, took risks, built, designed, sold, supported, pushed forward over 50 years. Incredibly grateful to have worked alongside such talented and committed people: thank you all.
Never underestimate the power of belief: in product, vision, people. The crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The ones who see things differently. Because “the people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do”.
#Apple50 #ThinkDifferent