France Desmarais
Partner, Head of Brunswick Arts Gulf
As the Partner heading the firm's Arts sector work in the Middle East, France has led some of the largest and most complex mandates in Brunswick Arts’ portfolio.
With more than 25 years of experience in museums, heritage, and culture, she specialises in establishing, launching, and transforming cultural organisations, providing strategic counsel, navigating crises and managing risk.
Before joining Brunswick, France was a Museum Director that led the development of new museums and cultural institutions while overseeing a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She also served as the Founding Scientific Director and Deputy Executive Director of ALIPH, an international foundation in Geneva, and spent eight years as a Director at the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in Paris. France created the International Observatory on Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods and co-drafted the UNESCO Recommendation on the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society. She has also published and lectured in different academic institutions around the world.
France has lived in North America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East which has enriched her insight and expertise in diverse cultural settings.