Jean-Franзois Decaux, the eldest son of Jean-Claude Decaux, joined JCDecaux in 1982 and lived in Germany to create and develop the German subsidiary.  He then moved to London in early 1990 to develop the UK and the subsidiaries in Northern and Central Europe, primarily through organic growth.  Jean-Franзois has more recently expanded the JCDecaux Group's interests globally, establishing operations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Russia and Central Asia.

In June 1999, with his father and brother, Jean-Franзois completed the purchase of Havas Communication's out of home division, making JCDecaux the world's second largest out of home media group, and in 2001 he led the move to take the company public on the Paris Exchange, paving the way for JCDecaux to become the driving force in the consolidation of outdoor advertising worldwide.

Currently Co-Chief Executive Officer, Jean-Franзois also takes an active role in the creation of new street furniture designs in collaboration with some of the best architects and designers in the world.