Early Life and Education

Estelle Brachlianoff was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, to a Bulgarian father and a French mother. Her mother, an engineer at Aérospatiale (later Airbus Group), inspired her to follow her ambitions. As a child, she aspired to become an astronaut or astrophysicist.

After completing her preparatory classes, she entered École Polytechnique in 1992. She later graduated from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in 1997 with a degree in Civil Engineering and Public Management.

Early Career in Public Service

In 1998, Brachlianoff began her career as Head of the Major Infrastructure Department for Val-d’Oise in Greater Paris. In 2002, she became a special advisor to the Prefect of the Île-de-France region, overseeing public transportation and urban planning.

Rise at Veolia

In 2005, she joined Veolia Environmental Services as a special advisor to the CEO. Her leadership roles within the company include:

• 2008: CEO of Veolia Environmental Services Cleaning and Multiservices
• 2010: CEO of Veolia Environmental Services Greater Paris region
• 2012: CEO of Veolia Environmental Services UK
• 2013–2018: Zone Director for UK and Ireland; Member of Veolia’s Executive Committee

During her UK tenure, she also served as President of the French Chamber of Great Britain (2016–2018) and sat on the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) President’s Committee.

Chief Operating Officer and CEO

In September 2018, Estelle Brachlianoff became Group COO and Deputy CEO of Veolia. She led the successful integration of Suez following its acquisition in 2022.

On July 1, 2022, she succeeded Antoine Frérot as Chief Executive Officer of Veolia, becoming one of the few women to lead a CAC 40 company. Under her leadership, Veolia has accelerated its mission as a global champion of ecological transformation, focusing on the circular economy and sustainable innovation.

Other Appointments and Board Memberships

• Hermès International – Member of the Supervisory Board, Audit and Risk Committee, and CAG-CSR Committee (since 2019)
• Vice-Chairwoman, French Association of Enterprises for the Environment (EPE) (since 2022)
• Former Non-Executive Director, Zodiac Aerospace (2016–2018)

Awards and Recognitions

• Knight of the National Order of Merit – 2014
• Knight of the Legion of Honour – 2020

Personal Life

Estelle Brachlianoff is married with two children. She enjoys reading and contemporary dancing.