Vanessa Roux-Collet began at Clifford Chance in 2004, working in the Real Estate team in the Paris office. She has since moved to AEW, where she has progressed to become CEO of Europe and Head of France.
Early career: foundations in Real Estate and negotiation
When Vanessa Roux‑Collet arrived at Clifford Chance in 2004, it was a period of change. Newly married and only two years qualified, she joined the firm alongside François Bonteil, then Head of Real Estate at Jones Day.
“ I followed him because I loved working with him. I would never have spontaneously joined such a large organisation on my own. I preferred smaller firms, but I was young, and it was flattering. ”
She entered a large team within one of the world’s largest law firms, discovering something she hadn’t experienced before: deep, specialised expertise in the underlying real‑estate asset.
“ Clifford Chance gave me technical excellence and the chance to negotiate constantly. Negotiation is my thing, and it shaped everything that came next. ”
Vanessa describes the Paris real‑estate team as “excellent: technically strong, with a great atmosphere.” Yet the scale of the firm was challenging for someone who identifies deeply as a “people person.”
Long hours defined the early years. “Back then, we barely slept,” she says, remembering transactions like the year‑long Bifrost matter and major work for clients such as Thales, relationships that followed her from Jones Day to Clifford Chance.
Even after leaving, she maintained warm ties and ended up developing more relationships across the global network than she ever had while she was there. “I continued doing many international deals with Clifford Chance partners. I sent the firm a huge amount of work.”
Transitioning to AEW: discovering leadership potential
In 2009, during the Lehman crisis, AEW sought a senior secondee. Vanessa, returning from her second maternity leave, stepped into the position. Clifford Chance viewed it as a way both to support the client and to strengthen the relationship.
“ They sent me to AEW because I had a strong relationship with clients. I was dynamic, proactive. The idea was: she’ll build the relationship, come back, and it will strengthen the partnership. ”
François Bonteil checked in weekly to ensure she was settling in.
She quickly realised she had found an environment where she could thrive.
“ I fell in love with AEW. I’m a corporate animal; I need to belong. ”
Six months later, AEW asked her to stay. A turning point she embraced wholeheartedly.
AEW immediately recognised her strong emotional intelligence and included her in high‑potential programmes.
Leadership at scale: a European CEO shaped by legal training
Vanessa began at AEW as International Legal Counsel with no team, focusing on comparative law work and high‑stakes negotiation.
“ They asked me to negotiate, to persuade, not to draft. I was very good at that. I enjoy negotiating, persuading, and fostering agreement by leveraging the power of reasoning. It was hugely valued. ”
From there, her trajectory accelerated far beyond what she imagined: she successively became Head of French Legal, then Head of European Legal, before expanding her responsibilities to risk, compliance and insurance, later taking oversight of IT, data and AI, becoming General Secretary Europe and Co‑Head of France, and ultimately being appointed CEO Europe and Head of France.
“ It is rare in France for a former lawyer, especially a woman, in Real Estate, to be put in such roles. ”
Vanessa attributes her ascent to the strong buy‑in she is able to create:
“ My teams pushed me. They always told me: take more. ”
She speaks passionately about how legal training prepared her for executive leadership.
“ Legal reasoning is an incredible foundation. It structures your thinking and helps you understand clients. You take what you learned and turn it into a strength. ”
While she enjoys the reasoning, she admits drafting was never her preference.
“ AI scares me a bit, but it also empowers people like me. Give me structured content and I can communicate, convince and bring people along. ”
Her focus, she says, has always been on people: communication, talent, cohesion.
Creativity and authenticity are central to Vanessa's leadership style. She encourages young lawyers to embrace their individuality.
“ Be yourself. Don’t force yourself into a mould. When you are atypical, you must be excellent, but you also show that different paths are possible. ”
She notes that in France, it is uncommon, particularly for women, and for lawyers, to rise to executive leadership roles. At a recent symposium in Japan, she was the only woman CEO among 18 male CEOs. Yet, she sees this not as pressure but as purpose.
“ I am proud of having been a lawyer. We need good lawyers, especially now. Clifford Chance has many. I left with no frustration; no one told me to stop being a lawyer. I chose something else. ”
Vanessa Roux-Collet’s journey from a junior associate at Clifford Chance to CEO Europe and Head of France at AEW demonstrates how embracing individuality, leveraging legal expertise, and prioritising people can lead to remarkable leadership success in a traditionally male-dominated sector.
