Francis Mer

Francis Mer, 2003

Francis Mer (born May 25, 1939 in Pau ) is an industrialist and French politician .

Professional career

Mer is a graduate of the École polytechnique in Paris and is a mining engineer. In 1970 he joined the Saint-Gobain group of companies . There he held the positions of planning officer (1971), planning manager (1973), general director of the subsidiary Saint-Gobain Industries (1974–1978) and finally deputy general director of the group (1978), responsible for industrial policy. In July 1982 he became chairman of the company's board of directors and head of the sewerage and mechanics branch.

When the French state decided to merge the two steel producers Usinor and Sacilor as the main shareholder in September 1986 , Mer was appointed chairman of the new steel-producing company. After its privatization in 1995, Mer was also confirmed as chairman of the board of directors.

In addition, Mer has headed the French Association of the Steel Manufacturers since 1988.

From 1990 to 1997 he also chaired the Eurofer Association of Steel Manufacturers in Europe .

He has been on the board of the National Association for Research and Technology since 1991.

From 1997 to 1998 he held the board position of the International Iron and Steel Institute.

Political commitment

• 2002: Member of the First and Second Cabinets of Jean-Pierre Raffarin as Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry
• 2004: Chairman of the Foundation for Political Renewal
• 2004: Chairman of the Committee for the Evaluation of Ministerial Reform Work
• 2005: Publication of reflections on the functioning of the state and the difficulties of finding a suitable form of solution under the title (Vous les Politiques - you, the politicians)

Web links

• Prime Minister's website