Salesforce Chair and Co-CEO Marc Benioff was named “Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur” in recognition of Salesforce’s longstanding relationship with France and support to French Polynesia during the pandemic.

This distinction, which Benioff accepted at a special ceremony hosted by the President of French Polynesia, on Saturday, Oct. 8, is one of France’s most prestigious awards for an individual.

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At the ceremony, Benioff shared a message of unity:

• “Whether we live down the street or on the other side of the world, we are one community. We’re connected by the work we do every day and the trust, innovation, success and jobs we create together. We’re so grateful for our partnership built with the French government for more than 17 years, for our incredible customers and partners in the region — Accor, L’Oréal, Michelin, and so many others — and to the remarkable people of France and French Polynesia, who share our commitment to equality and opportunity for all people,” he said.

“Whether we live down the street or on the other side of the world, we are one community. We’re connected by the work we do every day and the trust, innovation, success and jobs we create together.

Marc Benioff, Chair & Co-CEO, Salesforce

Benioff believes business is the greatest platform for change and founded Salesforce on the principles of Stakeholder Capitalism — committing to serve all stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners, communities, and the planet. Over the last 23 years, Salesforce has given $575 million in grants and 7.2 million employee volunteer hours to nonprofit organizations, and more than 50,000 nonprofits use Salesforce software for free.

Salesforce is committed to growing its presence and serving communities in France.

• In March 2022, Salesforce announced a $3.5 billion investment in the region over the next five years — building on a previous commitment of $2.2 billion in 2018.
• France is a leading innovation hub for Salesforce, with expanding offices in Paris, Lyon, Nantes, and an R&D center in Grenoble. Salesforce also supports upskilling and reskilling programs to help France meet the growing demand for digital skills.
• In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Salesforce helped provide critical medical support to the Red Cross in French Polynesia.
• More than 800 French organizations are helped through Salesforce.org’s philanthropic business. And last year, Salesforce employees in France volunteered 27,000 hours in their communities.
• In 2022, Salesforce was named a Best Place to Work in France for the fifth year in a row.

More Information:

• Read more about Marc Benioff here.
• Learn more about Salesforce’s commitment to giving back.