Arval appoints Marie-Laure Soulaine to public affairs role

Arval, the leasing and mobility solutions specialist in Europe, has appointed of Marie-Laure Soulaine to the role of Group Public Affairs Director, after eight years as Head of Arval Legal.

During more than eight years as Head of Arval Legal, Marie-Laure was instrumental in supporting the growth of Arval in the context of the Arval Beyond strategy and the expansion of its activities to become a strong international mobility provider and the expansion of the Element-Arval Global Alliance.

Marie-Laure Soulaine has over 20 years of legal experience across various sectors. She holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Edinburgh (1999) and a DESS – DJCE (Master of Laws) from the university of Aix-Marseille University (2000).

Marie-Laure began her career as a lawyer of the Paris Bar at the French law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel in 2001, before joining Clifford Chance LLP in Paris and London from 2002 to 2006. She then joined GE Capital France, where she served as Head of LEGAL France for leasing activities for nine years.

In 2015, Marie-Laure Soulaine joined Arval as Head of Legal at international level and has been a member of Arval’s Executive Committee since 2020. In her role, she set up a global and integrated legal function and, with the support of a team of 40 lawyers covering 30 countries, to monitor, anticipate, and mitigate legal risks while supporting Arval’s activities in various fields such as operating leasing, new mobility solutions, connected cars, insurance distribution, structured finance operations, strategic partnerships, etc.

“Marie-Laure has a strong record from her former LEGAL position within Arval, which is a key asset to represent us in public institutions in France and Europe. I’m glad to see her taking this role. Marie-Laure’s knowledge of Arval’s commitment towards ESG and energy transition will allow her to succeed in the challenges of her new position,” commented Alain van Groenendael, Chairman and CEO of Arval.

Marie-Laure replaces Gerry Wagner, who was Arval Public Affairs Director, and who is retiring after almost 20 years at the service of Arval and the BNP Paribas Group.