Corinne Vigreux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Corinne Vigreux
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Vigreux in 2015
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| Born | 9 December 1964 (age 60) Lyon, France
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| Alma mater | ESSEC Business School |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Title | Co-founder of TomTom and MD of its consumer business |
| Spouse(s) | Harold Goddijn |
| Children | 2 |
Corinne Vigreux, born on December 9, 1964, is a French businesswoman and entrepreneur. She is famous for co-founding TomTom, a company that makes navigation devices and other electronics. Since 2008, she has been in charge of TomTom's products for everyday people.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Corinne Vigreux was born in Lyon, France, in 1964. She grew up in a busy area called Vaulx-en-Velin. Her father worked for a chemical company, and her mother worked in a pharmacy.
In school, she was very good at physics and math. After high school, she went to the ESSEC Business School in Paris. She studied international business and finished her degree in 1987.
Starting a Career
In 1987, Corinne started working in London for a company called Psion. This company made consumer electronics. She helped manage their exports, traveling to many countries like North Africa, Israel, and all over Europe.
While working at Psion, she met Harold Goddijn. He was interested in selling Psion's products in the Netherlands. Corinne and Harold got married in 1991. They moved to the Netherlands.
Founding TomTom
Corinne soon joined up with two of Harold's friends, Peter-Frans Pauwels and Pieter Geelen. Together, they started a company called Palmtop Software. This company later became known as TomTom.
At first, Palmtop made software for handheld devices. But in the early 2000s, Corinne and her team saw a big chance. The US government, led by Bill Clinton, made the military GPS system available for everyone to use. This meant they could create special devices just for navigation.
The First TomTom Device
In March 2004, TomTom released its first stand-alone navigation device. It was called the TomTom. It had its own touchscreen, which was very new at the time. This device helped people find their way easily.
The market for these devices grew very fast. In just four years, TomTom's sales went from €42 million to €1.8 billion! In 2008, Corinne Vigreux became the managing director for TomTom's consumer products. She still holds this important role today.
New Directions for TomTom
Later, smartphones started to have their own mapping systems, like Google Maps. This made things harder for companies that only made navigation devices. So, Corinne led TomTom to explore new areas.
TomTom started making sport watches for athletes. In 2015, they launched the TomTom Bandit, a cool action camera. Corinne also sees a big future for mapping systems in self-driving cars. She believes TomTom can help these cars navigate safely.
CODAM: A Free Coding School
Corinne Vigreux also founded CODAM. This is a new coding college in Amsterdam. CODAM is special because it's a private, nonprofit, and completely free school for computer programming. It's based on the ideas of the 42 School in Paris, which helps people learn to code without traditional teachers.
Helping Others and Awards
Corinne Vigreux is involved in many important groups.
- She is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Sofronie Foundation. This foundation helps young people who are not as lucky through education and training.
- She is also on the board of the French Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands.
- She helps advise the Dutch National Opera & Ballet.
Corinne has received special honors for her work:
- In 2012, she was given the "Knight of the Legion of Honour" award in France. This was for her success in business and her work helping society.
- In 2016, she received another award called "Officier in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau" in the Netherlands.
Family Life
Corinne Vigreux lives in Amsterdam. She is married to Harold Goddijn, who is also a leader at TomTom. They have two children who are studying at universities.
