Jean-Benoît Devauges is Group General Counsel (Secrétaire général) at GEODIS, a global leader in transport and logistics. Appointed in December 2024 and joining the Management Board in early 2025, he is responsible for global legal affairs, corporate governance, insurance, and strategic counsel to executive management, reporting directly to the Chairwoman of the Management Board.

With a career spanning more than 20 years across Europe, Asia and North America, Jean-Benoît has established himself as a trusted legal leader, recognised for his insight, integrity and expertise in managing multicultural teams. His view is that ‘the legal function must be a trusted partner to the business – driving transformation, anticipating risks and creating value at every level.’

Before joining GEODIS, Jean-Benoît led Legal, CSR, Ethics and Governance at MEDEF (the French Business Confederation), where he focused on regulatory advocacy and responsible enterprise. He previously spent nearly two decades with Renault and Nissan, beginning his in-house career at Renault in 2000 before progressing to senior legal roles at Nissan Motor in Japan and Nissan North America. At Renault, he served as Deputy General Counsel responsible for partnerships and M&A, later becoming Group General Counsel and Secretary to the Board. In these roles, he played a pivotal part in complex transactions, compliance, crisis management and global operations.

Jean-Benoît began his career in international arbitration, gaining experience in cross-border disputes before moving in-house. He holds a DESS in International Business Law from Paris I, a DEA in European Law from Paris II, and is admitted to the French Bar.

Throughout his career, Jean-Benoît has demonstrated a consistent ability to link strategic vision to operational achievement, fostering a culture of service, collaboration and business acumen in every organisation he leads. His expertise covers corporate governance, regulatory strategy, crisis and litigation management, and the oversight of joint ventures and corporate transactions.

At GEODIS, Jean-Benoît oversees the global legal and insurance functions and serves on the Management Board, helping to steer the Group through periods of transformation, growth and increasing regulatory scrutiny. His approach prioritises trust, transparency and measurable business impact – a philosophy reflected in the legal function’s critical contribution to GEODIS’s ongoing success.