Gurle has also talked extensively about Symphony's potential beyond finance.
Investors stressed that if anyone can crack this Gordian knot, it is Gurle.
For those who know Gurle, the French president's praise will not
have been a surprise.
Almost four years into the Symphony project, Gurle and his team have made some headway.
The employee also complained that Gurle surrounded himself with“yes men,” a criticism echoed
by several other former employees.
Gurle acknowledged in a memo to staff in 2017 that he drove
many people“crazy” with his“relentless push for improvement and adaptation to our ever-changing ecosystem.”.
Macron, one of the most powerful men in European politics,
was praising Gurle's decision to set up a new French research
and development center for his company Symphony, a secure messaging platform.
The son of two former diplomats and
a veteran Silicon Valley executive for almost two decades, Gurle is known as the consummate salesman who could“charm
the birds from the trees,” according to a former employee.