François Pérol
François Pérol (born November 6, 1963, in Le Creusot, France) is a French banker and former public official. He is currently the CEO of Natixis.
Education
Pérol studied at HEC Paris, Sciences Po, and the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA).[1]
Career
In 1994, Pérol became rapporteur and later Secretary-General of the Interministerial Committee for Industrial Restructuring. He then headed the Financial Markets Office of the French Treasury from 1996 to 1999 and also served as Secretary-General of the Paris Club. In 2001, he was appointed Director of Finance and Economic Development at the Treasury Department.[2]
In 2002, Pérol became Chief of Staff to the Ministers Francis Mer and Nicolas Sarkozy, who at the time served as Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry. He was notably responsible for the rescue of Alcatel, Bull, and France Telecom, and played a key role in the recapitalization of Alstom, negotiated with the European Commission. He was also involved in the creation of Sanofi-Aventis, in the French government's negotiations with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles to resolve the "Executive Life2" case, and organized the sale of Ixis by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations.
In 2004, he joined the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) due to his collaboration with then-Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. From 2005 to 2007, he served as Managing Director of Rothschild Bank. In this role, he advised Philippe Dupont, CEO of Banque Populaire, in the creation of Natixis.[3]
In May 2007, he was appointed Deputy Secretary-General to the President of France. In this role, he became known as the "chief architect of Nicolas Sarkozy's economic program." In connection with the Clearstream affair, businessman Imad Lahoud accused Pérol of arranging a meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy, which Pérol has denied.
In 2009, Pérol became CEO of Groupe BPCE and in November 2012, he was reappointed to this position for another four-year term.[4]
Since September 1, 2009, he has also served as President of the French Banking Federation.