Vincent Volpe
Vincent R. Volpe Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1960 United States |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Owner of Le Havre AC football club |
Vincent R. Volpe Jr. (born 1960) is an American entrepreneur who has owned the French football club Le Havre AC since 2015. His professional journey commenced at Dresser-Rand in 1981, where he rose to the position of CEO by 2000. Following the company's acquisition by Siemens in 2015, Volpe took ownership of Le Havre AC. Under his leadership, the club achieved promotion to Ligue 1 after clinching the Ligue 2 championship in the 2022–23 campaign.
Biography
Volpe, an American with Italian heritage, completed his engineering degree at Lehigh University in 1980 and received the Pi Lambda Phi Big Pi award in 2025.
Starting his tenure at Dresser-Rand in 1981, he worked internationally, including a relocation to Le Havre, France, in 1990, where he met his spouse Christine. In 2000, he assumed the role of CEO at Dresser-Rand, overseeing a workforce of 12,000 and generating $3.5 billion in revenue.
Upon leaving Dresser-Rand after its sale to Siemens in 2015, Volpe made a significant investment in Le Havre AC by purchasing a 90% ownership share and initially committing €3.5 million, with intentions to raise this figure to €10 million if necessary. He negotiated a €1.2 million rent waiver for Stade Océane with local authorities and formed a new board that included former colleagues from Dresser-Rand as well as ex-U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley. Throughout his ownership period, Volpe has primarily lived in Houston.
Volpe focused on expanding the utilization of Stade Océane beyond football matches, successfully organizing events such as the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, while also emphasizing the advancement of the club’s women's squad.
During the 2017–18 Ligue 2 season, Le Havre secured fourth place and qualified for promotion playoffs against AC Ajaccio. In one game, Volpe was attacked by supporters, which led him to seek match forfeiture and damages; however, these appeals were ultimately rejected.
In June 2022, Volpe implemented changes in Le Havre AC’s leadership by naming Jean-Michel Roussier as president and Mathieu Bodmer as sporting director. By blending academy prospects like Yassine Kechta with seasoned players including goalkeeper Arthur Desmas, the team won the 2022–23 Ligue 2 title and returned to Ligue 1 after a hiatus of fourteen years.