François Michelin
François Michelin (15 June 1926 – 29 April 2015) was a French industrialist who led the Michelin Group from 1955 until 1999.
Biography
François Michelin was the son of Étienne Michelin (1898–1932) and Madeleine Callies (1898–1936), and grandson of Édouard Michelin (1859–1940). After the early death of his parents, he was raised in Clermont-Ferrand by his grandmother Thérèse Wolff (1870–1953).
He earned a degree in mathematics from the Faculty of Science in Paris. In 1951 he joined the family business under an assumed identity, first working on the factory floor before moving into commercial and research roles.
On 28 May 1955, he was appointed co-managing director of Michelin alongside Robert Puiseux, becoming sole manager in 1959. In 1986 he named his cousin François Rollier and René Zingraff as co-managing directors.
Under his leadership the company developed the radial tyre, propelling Michelin to the position of world’s leading tyre manufacturer. A devout Christian, his paternalistic management style and reserved communication were both praised and criticized. In 1999 he handed over control of the company to his son Édouard Michelin.
He was appointed Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur on 12 April 2009. [1]He died on 29 April 2015 at the age of 88.[2]