Francis Mer
Francis Mer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 May 1939 |
| Died | 1 November 2023 (aged 84) |
| Occupation(s) | Industrialist, entrepreneur, politician |
| Known for | Chairman of Usinor and Arcelor, Minister of Finance of France, Chairman and Vice Chairman of Safran |
Biography
Francis Mer (born 25 May 1939 – died 1 November 2023) was a prominent French industrialist, entrepreneur, and political figure. He graduated from the prestigious École polytechnique in 1959 and also completed his studies at the École des Mines de Paris. His career included membership in the elite Corps des mines. In 1970, Mer joined the Saint-Gobain corporation. By 1982, he had advanced to become chairman of the board at Pont-à-Mousson SA. During the 1980s, he was also involved with the Saint-Simon Foundation, a notable think tank.
After the conservative victory in the 1986 elections and the appointment of Jacques Chirac as Prime Minister, Mer was appointed president of the newly formed Usinor group. He maintained this leadership role following the company's privatization in 1995 and oversaw its rebranding to Arcelor in 2002. Between 2002 and 2004, he served as France’s Minister of Finance within Jean-Pierre Raffarin's center-right government.
Starting in 2005, Mer held a seat on the board of directors at Vale Inco, which received significant tax incentives for operating a nickel mining project in New Caledonia during his tenure as finance minister.
In June 2009, Mer took on the role of chairman of the board at Safran.
Following Safran’s corporate restructuring in April 2011, Jean-Paul Herteman assumed the position of CEO while Francis Mer transitioned to Vice Chairman.
Francis Mer passed away on 1 November 2023 at age 84.