Eric Molinié is a French celebrity in the worlds of charity and business. He is currently secretary-general of Dalkia, a member company of the EDF group. He is also president of the Ethics and Deontology Commission of the EDF group. He previously contributed to the launch and fame of the Téléthon, he created Généthon during the 1990s and he was president of the Samu Social de Paris from 2011 to 2013. (Paris/Versailles)


Eric Molinié was very young when he realised that something was wrong. His body hurt, he lost control, little by little he lost the use of his legs. A disabling disease, myopathy, was diagnosed. As a young adult, in spite of his handicap, pain, and doubt, he would do everything “to have the impression of mastering his own life”. Pursuing the studies of his choice and engaging in a high-flying professional career. His personal fight against his disease became the motor of a continual engagement in the service of others and against discrimination in all its forms.

From his action on the Téléthon to his presidency of the social Samu, in which he succeeded Xavier Emmanuelli, Eric Molinié never ceased in his efforts to put his sensitivity, his tenacity and his excellent management skills at the service of the disabled and the integration of people in difficulty.

This extraordinary story demonstrates the life force that one can possess in spite of adversity. A great lesson in humanism which advances positive values, willpower, solidarity, and the refusal to abandon action in the service of a cause. This is the journey of a man of goodwill.


This extraordinary story is a lesson in life.
How a handicap can be turned into a driver to surpass oneself and to engage with the service of others.
An illustration of what is ethical in life.
A living reflection on the manner of treating certain “big issues” in society, such as disability and social exclusion.