Thierry Desmarest

Born: 18 December 1945
Graduate of the École polytechnique (1964-1966)
Graduate of the École nationale supérieure des mines (1967-1970)

Current position:

Chairman, Total

Previously:

Biography:

Thierry Desmarest was born in 1945. He is a graduate of the École polytechnique and of the École des mines. He began his career in 1971 as head of the Mining Directorate in New Caledonia, before serving as a technical advisor at the Ministry of Industry (1975-78) then at the Ministry of Economic Affairs (1978-1980). He joined Total in 1981 as managing director of  Total Algeria. He held various positions within Total Exploration Production, ultimately becoming its president in July 1989 and a member of the Group's Executive Committee that same year. He became president of the Upstream segment in January 1995, and chairman and chief executive officer of Total in June 1995. Following the merger with PetroFina in June 1999, Thierry Desmarest became chairman and chief executive officer of Totalfina. In February 2000, as a result of the European Commission's approval for the merger between Totalfina and Elf Aquitaine, the Board of Directors of Elf Aquitaine named Thierry Desmarest, chairman and chief executive officer of Elf Aquitaine. Thierry Desmarest became TotalFinaElf chairman and chief executive officer in March 2000.  On May 2003, he became Total chairman and chief executive officer. Since February 2007, Thierry Desmarest has been Chairman of Total.