
Philippe Cohet
Founder and Board Vice-Chairman, Uperio
Philippe Cohet is a graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines. He began his career in the chemical industry with the Rhone Poulenc Group, later known as Rhodia, where he held various management positions over twenty years. From 1998 to 2001, he served as Group Purchasing Director and later as Managing Director of the Rare Earths business unit.
In 2004, he transitioned from chemicals to the crane industry by joining Manitowoc as Vice President for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and as President of Potain in France – a company acquired by Manitowoc in 2002. During his ten-year tenure, he played a key role in expanding the global reach of the group’s products, especially Potain tower cranes.
In 2014, he became President of Arcomet, the leading tower crane rental, distribution, and services company in Northern Europe, based in Belgium. A year later, he also took the helm of Matebat, the market leader in France. With both companies sharing the same majority shareholder, his mission was to align the two organisations, encourage best practice sharing, and drive synergies. This effort culminated in a legal merger in July 2019, creating Uperio.
In 2021, he successfully led the group through a change in majority ownership, with the transition to the Anglo-Saxon investment fund TowerBrook. TowerBrook has a strong track record across various industrial sectors and is recognized for its long-standing commitment to social and environmental responsibility, formally reinforced through its B Corp certification.
Within the DLR (the French national association for rental and distribution companies), he helped establish the Tower Crane Commission, which he went on to chair. This commission was created to address new industry regulations and support member companies in navigating these changes. He also joined the board of the Syndicat des Monteurs et Dépanneurs de Grues à Tour (Association of Tower Crane Erector & Maintenance Technicians) and contributed to its integration into the DLR. In 2021, he was elected President of the DLR. Since then, his mandate has been renewed twice, reflecting the trust placed in him by the members. In this role, he oversees the federation’s initiatives, and engages with public authorities and industry partners to defend the sector’s interests.
Tower crane rental and ESG: building a sustainable future