Gérard Araud is Vice President of Richard & Associates. A graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique, ENSAE, IEP de Paris and ENA, Gérard Araud began his career at the Ministry of Transport in 1978 as Deputy Head of the Statistics Department. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982 as Secretary of the Embassy in Israel and then held various positions until he became diplomatic advisor to François Léotard in 1993. He then became ambassador to Israel in 2003, permanent representative of France to the United Nations, and then ambassador of France to the United States.