Dominique Folloroux-Ouattara
Encyclopedia
Dominique Folloroux-Ouattara (born 16 December 1953) is the current first lady of Côte d'Ivoire
. Born as Dominique Nouvian to a Pied-Noir
(French
) family in Constantine
in French Algeria
, she married a French teacher named Français Folloroux in 1979 and moved to Abidjan
, the largest city and commercial capital of Côte d'Ivoire. She had two children by her husband and established AICI, a property management company that rapidly rose to prominence for its role in managing the estate of Félix Houphouët-Boigny
, the first President of Côte d'Ivoire. The company now employs 250 people and is based in Paris
, where it manages 250 buildings and 8,500 apartments, and Cannes
as well as Libreville
, Gabon
and Ouagadougou
, Burkina Faso
. It is also a Jacques Dessange franchisee in the United States
.
Her husband died in 1983 but a few years later she met Alassane Ouattara
, the head of the Central Bank of West African States
. The couple were married in Paris
in 1991 in the town hall of the prestigious 16th arrondissement. Although there have been claims that the marriage ceremony was presided over by French President Nicolas Sarkozy
when he was mayor of Neuilly
, this was not actually the case, although two prominent French business figures with interests in Africa – Martin Bouygues, head of the Bouygues
industrial group, and Jean-Christophe Mitterrand
, son of former French president François Mitterrand
– were present as friends of Ouattara. According to an account published by Grazia
magazine, her access to President Houphouët-Boigny made her a key contact for French business leaders: "Her proximity to Houphouët-Boigny was highly coveted by a bunch of businessmen, the Bouygues, Bolloré and especially the cocoa industry ... They had to go through her to gain access to the old man."
Folloroux-Ouattara also established the Children of Africa Foundation, which is supported by French and international stars. Her dual role as a leading businesswoman and charitable activist earned her the award of "Best Business Woman of the Year 2000" in Venice.
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. Born as Dominique Nouvian to a Pied-Noir
Pied-noir
Pied-Noir , plural Pieds-Noirs, pronounced , is a term referring to French citizens of various origins who lived in French Algeria before independence....
(French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
) family in Constantine
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
in French Algeria
French Algeria
French Algeria lasted from 1830 to 1962, under a variety of governmental systems. From 1848 until independence, the whole Mediterranean region of Algeria was administered as an integral part of France, much like Corsica and Réunion are to this day. The vast arid interior of Algeria, like the rest...
, she married a French teacher named Français Folloroux in 1979 and moved to Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, the largest city and commercial capital of Côte d'Ivoire. She had two children by her husband and established AICI, a property management company that rapidly rose to prominence for its role in managing the estate of Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny , affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was the first President of Côte d'Ivoire. Originally a village chief, he worked as a doctor, an administrator of a plantation, and a union leader, before being elected to the French Parliament and serving in a number of...
, the first President of Côte d'Ivoire. The company now employs 250 people and is based in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where it manages 250 buildings and 8,500 apartments, and Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
as well as Libreville
Libreville
Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
, Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
and Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
. It is also a Jacques Dessange franchisee in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Her husband died in 1983 but a few years later she met Alassane Ouattara
Alassane Ouattara
Alassane Dramane Ouattara is an Ivorian politician who has been President of Côte d'Ivoire since 2011. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund and the Central Bank of West African States , and he was the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from November 1990 to...
, the head of the Central Bank of West African States
Central Bank of West African States
The Central Bank of West African States is a central bank serving the eight west African countries which comprise the West African Economic and Monetary Union:*Benin*Burkina Faso*Cote d'Ivoire*Guinea Bissau*Mali*Niger*Senegal*Togo-See also:...
. The couple were married in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1991 in the town hall of the prestigious 16th arrondissement. Although there have been claims that the marriage ceremony was presided over by French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
when he was mayor of Neuilly
Neuilly
Neuilly is a common place name in France, deriving from the male given name Nobilis or Novellius:...
, this was not actually the case, although two prominent French business figures with interests in Africa – Martin Bouygues, head of the Bouygues
Bouygues
Bouygues S.A. is a French industrial group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Bouygues is listed on Euronext Paris exchange and is a blue chip in the CAC 40 stock market index. The company was founded in 1952 by Francis Bouygues and since 1989 has been led by his son Martin...
industrial group, and Jean-Christophe Mitterrand
Jean-Christophe Mitterrand
Jean-Christophe Mitterrand is the son of former French president François Mitterrand. He was an advisor to his father on African affairs from 1986 to 1992, and earned the nickname Papamadit in Africa.- Life and career :Mitterrand was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine...
, son of former French president François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
– were present as friends of Ouattara. According to an account published by Grazia
Grazia
Grazia is an Italian weekly women's fashion and celebrity gossip magazine, with international editions printed in France, Serbia, Australia, United Kingdom, Greece, Portugal, Japan, the Netherlands, India, Bulgaria and Germany....
magazine, her access to President Houphouët-Boigny made her a key contact for French business leaders: "Her proximity to Houphouët-Boigny was highly coveted by a bunch of businessmen, the Bouygues, Bolloré and especially the cocoa industry ... They had to go through her to gain access to the old man."
Folloroux-Ouattara also established the Children of Africa Foundation, which is supported by French and international stars. Her dual role as a leading businesswoman and charitable activist earned her the award of "Best Business Woman of the Year 2000" in Venice.
External links
- http://www.childrenofafrica.org/en/the-president-of-the-foundation Profile on the Children of Africa Foundation's website