Mr. François Pinault, a French entrepreneur and one of the world’s leading collector of Contemporary art, became an International Advisor of Praemium Imperiale as of October 16, 2008.
Mr. Pinault will succeed the late Mr. Raymond Barre as French International Advisor, who passed away in August 2007. Mr. Pinault will preside over a French nomination committee and recommend candidates for 2009 Praemium Imperiale.

Mr. François Pinault (born 21 August 1936) is a French entrepreneur who founded the retail and luxury group PPR. Listed on the French Stock Market, the company owns among other subsidiaries, the Gucci Group (which includes worldwide brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Sergio Rossi Boucheron, Stella Mc Cartney and Alexander McQueen).
In parallel, via Artemis, his family holding group, Mr Pinault owns 100% of the leading world auctioneer Christie’s, the Château-Latour vineyard, the famous first growth of Bordeaux, along with investment in high-growth-potential companies. François Pinault is one of the world’s leading collectors of contemporary art.
In 2005, he acquired the prestigious Palazzo Grassi in Venice to display part of his collection of Contemporary art. Renovated by Tadao Ando, Palazzo Grassi opened in 2006 since when it organizes regular exhibition of François Pinault collection. In 2007, François Pinault has been chosen by the City of Venice to turn la Punta della Dogana, the 17th century building of the customs house at the entrance to Venice's Grand Canal into a new contemporary art center where he will display on a permanent basis his collection of Contemporary art. Renovated also by Tadao Ando, "Punta della Dogana"　will open in June 2009.
On the magazine Art Review's 2006 and 2007 list of most powerful people in modern art, he was ranked at the first place.