A former Conservator in Chief of Patrimony with the French Ministry of Research, Gilles is a well-recognized expert in conservation and museology. He believes that unspoiled cultural assets and strong cultural identities are of prime importance in the development of a destination’s branding strategies. Armed with more than 35 years experience in the field, Gilles is an expert at developing and exploiting the unique cultural products and programs of destinations to differentiate them from their competitors.

Gilles holds a masters degree in Earth Sciences from the University de Bourgogne in France. He has led many international scientific expeditions and has collaborated with prestigious institutions such as Harvard University and the French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS). For his long-time contribution to science and education Gilles was recently awarded the most prestigious honor presented to scholars by the French government: “Chevalier des Palmes Académiques”.