A polyglot with a global mindset, Chiara Corazza has cultivated economic and social connections across over 100 countries. With dual Italian and English heritage, her journey took her from a PhD in Political Science and an early promising stint at Globo in Rome to Paris 40 years ago, driven by a passion for public service.
From 1985 to 1999, she served as the Director of International Affairs for the Île-de-France region. There, she founded Metropolis, the world’s first association of major metropolises, and spearheaded around twenty urban management and economic cooperation agreements with leading global cities like Beijing, Cairo, Tokyo, Moscow, Warsaw, Hanoi, Madrid, Beirut, Mexico City, Santiago, Manila, Johannesburg, Delhi, Dakar, Berlin, and more, as well as establishing a development fund for Mali, Mauritania, and Madagascar.
Following her leadership in Metropolis, Chiara championed Paris’s bid for the 2008 Olympic Games. In 2002, convinced of the need to position Paris among the top attractive global cities, she took charge of Paris – Île-de-France Capitale Economique, attracting worldwide investments, talents, and capital. The Grand Paris project became the focal point of her initiatives.
In 2017, Chiara became the General Manager of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, bringing the forum back to Paris and extending its influence across five continents. She transformed the forum into a powerful platform of influence, action, and impact, including at major international summits like the G7 and G20.
She has been the Vice-President of the Arab International Women’s Forum since 2009 and has served as an independent board member for RATP and April for two terms.
Chiara also represents France on the European Economic and Social Committee and has been appointed by President Emmanuel Macron as France’s private sector delegate to the G20 EMPOWER and a member of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council.
A proactive advocate for women in leadership and technology, Chiara authored multiple policy recommendations for heads of state and governments and was commissioned by the French government to develop a national strategy to attract more women into future-oriented professions. Her report, “Women at the Heart of the Economy,” has inspired measures both in France and internationally.
Chiara Corazza is an Affiliate Professor at ESCP Business School and a member of its International Advisory Board.
Recognized among the top 100 women changing the world by La Repubblica, Chiara was named the “Legendary Woman of the Decade” by the Women Economic Forum in 2023 and has been honored as a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by Minister Christine Lagarde in 2009 and as an Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy by President Sergio Mattarella in 2015.
