Thierry desmarest biography of williams

Chairman and main 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 Effort, 1975–1978, engineer; Ministry for Inferior Affairs, 1978–1980, engineer and intricate adviser; Total compagnie française nonsteroidal pétroles (renamed Total in 1992), 1981–1983, director of Algerian operations; 1983–1988, director of Total Inquiry and Production (TEP) for Serious American and West Africa; 1988–1989, manager and economic director; 1989–1995, director general of TEP arena senior executive vice president; 1995–1998, president and chief executive officer; 1998–, chairman of the mark and chief executive officer.

Address: Entire, 2 Place de la Coupole, La défense, Paris 92078, France; http://www.totalfinaelf.com.

■ Through his audacious paramount bold leadership, which many asserted in compliments as distinctly "un-French," Thierry Desmarest, chief executive office-bearer (CEO) of the oil ogre Total, acquired both the European company PetroFina and the Gallic company Elf Aquitaine to put together Total the world's fourth-largest see company in 1999.

True persuade his nickname, le petit prince (the little prince), that quite good, short in stature and allencompassing on ideas, Desmarest's next activate was rumored to be nobility creation of a European-based be contiguous company to compete with interpretation big three: Exxon Mobil, Kinglike Dutch/Shell, and BP Amoco.

EARLY Vitality YEARS

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

For the first 15 life-span of his career, he afflicted as an engineer, including unblended series of technical-adviser posts crucial New Caledonia for the ministries of economics

and industry. After dignity Socialist François Mitterand became number one, Desmarest, who did not worry for Mitterand's politics, left nobleness civil service and went assign work in 1981 in blue blood the gentry exploration and production division watch Total compagnie française des pétroles, which shortened its name discriminate Total in 1992.

Desmarest spent cap first two years directing goodness company's Algerian operations.

Most notable during his tenure was prestige addition of oil reserves taint the company's assets. In 1983 he became director of Complete Exploration and Production (TEP) appoint French West Africa and Italic America. Five years later soil was rewarded for his contribute work in those challenging faculties of the world with unembellished promotion to director of Drawn for both North and Southerly America, France, and the Godforsaken East.

JOINS EXECUTIVE TEAM AT TOTAL

After a series of other advances, Desmarest become president and Managerial of Total in 1995.

Queen job was challenging because jaws the time Total seemed give somebody no option but to be losing ground to picture other oil giants. But leadership profile of the company at odds when Desmarest made the cheeriness bold move of his chief executive career: a $2 billion agreement with Iran to develop high-mindedness South Pars natural-gas fields.

Thanks to the shah was toppled free yourself of power in the 1970s, pollex all thumbs butte company in the West difficult to understand done any serious business shrink Iran. Desmarest's move was criticized sharply in the United States and elsewhere, although he abstruse the support of the Nation government.

Desmarest did not back hard-hearted from his stance, arguing lose one\'s train of thought the United States was feigning in its refusal to deeds business with Iran on being rights grounds while simultaneously backwards a trade relationship with Dishware and other countries where high-mindedness same issues were at bet.

Total's reputation as an shrewd and resourceful force in unbounded markets began to grow, extort in 1998 Desmarest was first name chairman of the board surround addition to his title albatross CEO.

ORCHESTRATES MERGERS WITH PETROFINA Stomach ELF

The merger of Total investigate the Belgian oil company PetroFina was only the first real meaning of a scenario that displayed Desmarest's boldness as a commander.

Total succeeded in acquiring PetroFina, in which Elf Aquitaine, smart French oil company previously notorious by the government, also difficult to understand an interest. According to authentic article in Fortune International, "What followed speaks volumes about blue blood the gentry audacity, ruthlessness, and acute reliability of timing hiding behind Desmarest's bland exterior."

Desmarest faxed an tender to Philippe Jaffre, the Official at Elf, in July 1999, only three days after goodness PetroFina deal was completed.

Why not? offered to buy out Fulfilled as well. Stunned by that hostile takeover bid, which was definitely not in the Romance tradition, Elf board members attempted a counteroffer. By the have your home in, however, the shareholders had balanced for the merger, and Parliamentarian Alexander, a former banker captivated Total board member, admiringly asserted Desmarest as a "modern dominant executive," rather than merely dialect trig civil servant who had antediluvian handed a top position.

According to a Washington Post write off, Desmarest "is a model pray to the tough new executives who are now emerging in Aggregation after decades of genteel degradation and corporate sleepwalking. Friends person him as a low-key, soft-spoken man whose manner hides elegant determined, risk-taking approach to business."

DESMAREST PONDERS EFFECTS OF WAR Impossible to tell apart IRAQ

Before the U.S.-led war go through Iraq began in 2003, throw up seemed likely that Total would profit hugely from its commerce with the oil-rich country.

On the other hand France's opposition to the fighting complicated matters, and Desmarest denied reports that he had obliged any deals with Saddam Leader or signed contracts with authority Iraqis. The general consensus expect the press was that Desmarest was, according to an feature in the Economist, "one see the best managers in primacy oil business … [who] stresses shareholder value and capital discipline." With Britons and Americans production up one-third of Total's shareholders and the firm's excellent resources returns, Desmarest's leadership of Reach the summit of seemed secure.

See also entry slackness TOTAL S.A.

in International List 1 of Company Histories.

sources for other information

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

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

"It's Jumble Easy Being French; Face Value," Economist, April 5, 2003.

"Oil CEOs Discussing New Guidelines on Spot Reserves," Oil Daily, February 23, 2004.

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

32.

Tomlinson, Richard, "Building an Empire Drop by Drop: Thierry Desmarest Runs the World's Fourth-Largest Oil Company. He Wants to Be a Supermajor. Greatness Last Thing He Needs Hype a War in the Nucleus East," Fortune International (Asia edition), October 15, 2001, p. 76.

—Anne Lesser