Speaker

Florence Devouard is a consultant and a professional speaker in Collaborative Media. Formely Chair of the Board of Wikimedia Foundation (the non profit organization hosting Wikipedia); Now member of the Advisory Board of Wikimedia Foundation.
Also a founding member of Wikimedia France and more particularly involved in the fundraising effort of the Wikimedia mouvement.

 

 

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Florence was born in Versailles (France). She grew up in Grenoble, and has been living since then in several French cities, as well as Antwerpen in Belgium and Tempe in Arizona, USA. Currently living in Clermont Fd (France).

She holds two masters, one in Agricultural Sciences (a 5-year degree in agronomical engineering (Diplome d’Ingénieur Grande Ecole) from ENSAIA and the other a postgraduate degree (DEA) in Genetics and Biotechnologies from INPL. She also followed master degree level courses in civil engineering and computer sciences at Arizona State University.

She has been working in public research, first in flower plant genetic improvement, and second in microbiology to study the feasability of polluted soil bioremediation. She was employed until 2005 in a French company, to conceive decision-making tools in sustainable agriculture.

She joined the Wikipedia adventure in February 2002 and is known as a contributor under the pseudonym Anthere.

She served as one of the elected wikimedia community representative to the Board of Wikimedia Foundation during four years and is formely Chair of that Board (2006-2008). She is also a founding member of Wikimedia France (2004).

On May 16 2008, she was made a knight in the French National Order of Merit.