# Jean-François Baril

> Jean-François Baril is the French co-founder, chairman and CEO of HMD. His career spans oilfield operations, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq and Nokia procurement, followed by consultancy and industrial venture investment. He helped establish HMD in 2016 to produce Nokia-branded devices and later led its move toward an original HMD brand, repairable phones and partner-led products.

- **Role:** Co-founder, Chairman and CEO at HMD
- **Organizations:** HMD Global, Ginko Ventures, Connecting Partners, Smart Connect, Nokia, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Schlumberger
- **Nationality:** French
- **Education:** MSc in engineering, École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers, MSc, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Led Nokia sourcing during the period when its supply chain ranked first in AMR Research’s 2007 Top 25., Received the 2010 EIPM-Peter Kraljic excellence recognition for Organisation of the Year., Co-founded HMD in 2016.

## Career timeline

- **1981** — Began his career as a research engineer in France.
- **1982** — Worked in Schlumberger oilfield operations in West Africa.
- **1984** — Joined Hewlett-Packard; developed a career in purchasing and PC supply chains.
- **1994** — Joined Compaq in procurement, working in Scotland and later Texas.
- **1999** — Joined Nokia as Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer.
- **2012** — Founded Connecting Partners in Geneva.
- **2015** — Founded Ginko Ventures.
- **2016** — Co-founded HMD Global and established Smart Connect.
- **2019-06** — Became HMD Executive Chairman.
- **2023-09** — Announced an original HMD brand alongside Nokia devices and partner collaborations.

## Achievements

- Led Nokia sourcing during the period when its supply chain ranked first in AMR Research’s 2007 Top 25.
- Received the 2010 EIPM-Peter Kraljic excellence recognition for Organisation of the Year.
- Co-founded HMD in 2016.
- Established Ginko Ventures as an industrial venture investment firm in 2015.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — As HMD chairman and CEO, supported announced feature-phone plans for a digital wallet, video calling and AI, beginning with an India-focused rollout plan.
- **2025-03** — HMD reported that its M-KOPA partnership had put devices into 2.5 million customers’ hands.
- **2024-07** — Discussed the India-focused Crest smartphone range, exports and repairability in an Indian Express interview.

## Links

- Website: https://www.hmd.com/en_int/about/jean-francois-baril
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanfrancoisbaril/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jean-francois-baril
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26