Thierry Philipponnat is responsible for Finance Watch's strategy, advocacy, output and staff. After graduating from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris and training as an economist (Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies en économie), he started a career in finance in 1985. His more than twenty years of experience range from trading to devising structured equity products. In 2006, Mr. Philipponnat crossed into the NGO world, campaigning and lobbying on behalf of Amnesty International, with a particular emphasis on the impact of the financial sector on human rights. He was later elected as an executive board member of Amnesty International France.