Jean-Marc Borello
Jean-Marc Borello started his career in 1977 as a special needs worker in a youth center for delinquent youngsters and highly vulnerable adolescents. After holding various positions in government offices and chairing a leading group of communication activities, restaurants and hotels, in 1997 Jean-Marc decided to focus full time on GROUPE SOS, a non-profit organization he had created in 1984. With its 16,000 employees, 480 locations and 850 million euros in sales revenue in 2017, GROUPE SOS is Europe's first social entreprise. This social business addresses major challenges related to youth, employment, solidarity, senior citizens and society at large. GROUPE SOS has diversified its activities over the years and is now able to provide solutions to people at all levels of society, including those with few or low resources. Jean-Marc was also the first President of the Movement of Social Entrepreneurs (MOUVES) between 2010 and 2013, and as such contributed towards making social entrepreneurship more visible.
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- GROUPE SOS
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- Model
- For-profit Social Enterprise
- Sectors
- Global Health; Entrepreneurship; Social Innovation
- Headquarters
- France
- Areas of Impact
- Europe, France
GROUPE SOS
With its 21,500 employees and 480 structures, GROUPE SOS is one of Europe's foremost social and societal undertakings. For over 30 years, GROUPE SOS has been putting economic efficiency at the service of the interests of the general public. In so doing, it provides responses to the issues of today's society by developing innovative solutions in its five main fields of activity. The actions undertaken by GROUPE SOS have an impact on 1.7 million beneficiaries every year.
Basing its actions on the fight against different forms of social exclusion, GROUPE SOS has diversified its activities over the years and is able today to provide solutions for people at all levels in society, and especially those with few or no resources. GROUPE SOS has aimed since its origins to use social innovation to provide solutions to the social issues of the times. By highlighting unnecessary costs and the ensuing wealth creation, GROUPE SOS is able to show how certain expenses can allow significant savings to be made and in turn transformed into societal investments.
GROUPE SOS has developed a new way of conceiving an enterprise: regulated salary scales, absence of shareholders, profits reinvested in development. In today's world it is possible to build a solid organization capable of creating long-term economic activities while at the same time having a strong social impact.
Strengthened by its know-how and the management tools that it has developed, GROUPE SOS has incorporated numerous organizations over the years. They have all developed synergies, professionalized their activities and pooled their expenses. The challenges of tomorrow's economic, social and environmental issues can only be met through the joint efforts of public sector actors and the lucrative and non-lucrative private sector. GROUPE SOS was founded in 1984, has an annual turnover of $900 million and is present in France and in 44 other countries.
awardees
Our awardees
Jorge G. Gronda
Frédéric Bailly
