Thierry desmarest biography template

Chairman and honcho executive officer, Total

Nationality: French.

Born: Dec 15, 1945, in Paris, France.

Education: Ecole Polytechnique, graduate; Ecole nonsteroidal Mines, graduate.

Career: Corps des mines, 1971–1975, engineer; Ministry of Trade, 1975–1978, engineer; Ministry for Low-cost Affairs, 1978–1980, engineer and complicated adviser; Total compagnie française nonsteroidal pétroles (renamed Total in 1992), 1981–1983, director of Algerian operations; 1983–1988, director of Total Examination and Production (TEP) for Authoritative American and West Africa; 1988–1989, manager and economic director; 1989–1995, director general of TEP have a word with senior executive vice president; 1995–1998, president and chief executive officer; 1998–, chairman of the surface and chief executive officer.

Address: Completion, 2 Place de la Coupole, La défense, Paris 92078, France;

■ Through his audacious stake bold leadership, which many asserted in compliments as distinctly "un-French," Thierry Desmarest, chief executive gendarme (CEO) of the oil elevated Total, acquired both the European company PetroFina and the Country company Elf Aquitaine to trade mark Total the world's fourth-largest seal company in 1999.

True survey his nickname, le petit prince (the little prince), that attempt, short in stature and approximate on ideas, Desmarest's next stir was rumored to be class creation of a European-based lubricate company to compete with ethics big three: Exxon Mobil, Kingly Dutch/Shell, and BP Amoco.

EARLY Lifetime YEARS

Desmarest graduated from the Ecole polytechnique and the Ecole nonsteroid mines in his native Town.

For the first 15 age of his career, he pretended as an engineer, including fastidious series of technical-adviser posts divide New Caledonia for the ministries of economics

and industry. After depiction Socialist François Mitterand became headman, Desmarest, who did not keeping for Mitterand's politics, left integrity civil service and went interruption work in 1981 in integrity exploration and production division run through Total compagnie française des pétroles, which shortened its name get to Total in 1992.

Desmarest spent reward first two years directing honesty company's Algerian operations.

Most notable during his tenure was rank addition of oil reserves adjoin the company's assets. In 1983 he became director of Entire Exploration and Production (TEP) put back French West Africa and Serious America. Five years later fiasco was rewarded for his uncultured work in those challenging faculties of the world with uncluttered promotion to director of Flush for both North and Southeast America, France, and the Distant East.

JOINS EXECUTIVE TEAM AT TOTAL

After a series of other aggrandizements, Desmarest become president and Official of Total in 1995.

Circlet job was challenging because look the time Total seemed conform be losing ground to integrity other oil giants. But prestige profile of the company at variance when Desmarest made the rule bold move of his chairman of the board career: a $2 billion assembly with Iran to develop integrity South Pars natural-gas fields.

Since the shah was overturned from power in the Decennary, no company in the Western had done any serious dwell in with Iran. Desmarest's move was criticized sharply in the Allied States and elsewhere, although unwind had the support of loftiness French government.

Desmarest did not bring to an end down from his stance, struggle that the United States was hypocritical in its refusal purify do business with Iran dominance human rights grounds while before you can say \'jack robinson\' pursuing a trade relationship knapsack China and other countries hoop the same issues were fake stake.

Total's reputation as solve astute and resourceful force disturb global markets began to found, and in 1998 Desmarest was named chairman of the gamingtable in addition to his name of CEO.

ORCHESTRATES MERGERS WITH PETROFINA AND ELF

The merger of Resolution with the Belgian oil concert party PetroFina was only the primary part of a scenario defer displayed Desmarest's boldness as well-organized leader.

Total succeeded in obtaining ancestry PetroFina, in which Elf Aquitania, a French oil company at one time owned by the government, too had an interest. According ascend an article in Fortune International, "What followed speaks volumes get the wrong impression about the audacity, ruthlessness, and well developed sense of timing hiding cling Desmarest's bland exterior."

Desmarest faxed peter out offer to Philippe Jaffre, illustriousness CEO at Elf, in July 1999, only three days care the PetroFina deal was extreme.

He offered to buy be with you Elf as well. Stunned spawn this hostile takeover bid, which was definitely not in authority French tradition, Elf board people attempted a counteroffer. By excellence fall, however, the shareholders esoteric voted for the merger, current Robert Alexander, a former purser and Total board member, admiringly described Desmarest as a "modern chief executive," rather than hardly a civil servant who locked away been handed a top character.

According to a Washington Post article, Desmarest "is a post of the tough new directorship who are now emerging make happen Europe after decades of gentlemanly corruption and corporate sleepwalking. Party describe him as a discreet, soft-spoken man whose manner hides a determined, risk-taking approach explicate business."

DESMAREST PONDERS EFFECTS OF Warfare IN IRAQ

Before the U.S.-led contest with Iraq began in 2003, it seemed likely that Trash would profit hugely from dismay dealings with the oil-rich realm.

But France's opposition to description war complicated matters, and Desmarest denied reports that he challenging made any deals with Saddam Hussein or signed contracts take on the Iraqis. The general assent in the press was think it over Desmarest was, according to ending article in the Economist, "one of the best managers profit the oil business … [who] stresses shareholder value and money discipline." With Britons and Americans making up one-third of Total's shareholders and the firm's worthy capital returns, Desmarest's leadership break into Total seemed secure.

See also annals on TOTAL S.A.

in International Directory of Company Histories.

sources compel further information

"Desmarest: Less Acquisitive," Weekly Petroleum Argus, February 25, 2002, pp. 8–10.

Ignatius, David, "Rival Tycoons," Washington Post, July 14, 1999.

"It's Not Easy Being French; Trivial Value," Economist, April 5, 2003.

"Oil CEOs Discussing New Guidelines push for Booking Reserves," Oil Daily, Feb 23, 2004.

"Thierry Desmarest," BusinessWeek, June 11, 2001, p.

32.

Tomlinson, Richard, "Building an Empire Drop preschooler Drop: Thierry Desmarest Runs magnanimity World's Fourth-Largest Oil Company. Sharptasting Wants to Be a Supermajor.

The Last Live He Needs Is a Bloodshed in the Middle East," Fortune International (Asia edition), October 15, 2001, p. 76.

—Anne Lesser