Corporate Governance Committee Chairman, Nomination & Compensation Committee, Audit Committee
French national, born 1939. Francis Mer has been a member of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Nomination & Compensation Committee since June 2004, and a member of the Audit Committee since May 2006. His one-year term of office ends on the day of the General Meeting of Shareholders in 2010.
A graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, France, Francis Mer joined the Saint-Gobain Group in 1970. He was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pont-au-Mousson S.A. in 1982. From 1986 to 2002, he was Chairman of the steel group Usinor Sacilor. Chairman of Eurofer from 1990 until 1997, he served as Chairman of the International Iron and Steel Institute from 1997 to 1998. In 2002, Mr. Mer served as Co-Chairman of the Board of Arcelor S.A., Luxembourg. In 2005 and 2006, he was a member of the boards of Alstom S.A., France, and Inco Ltd, Canada.
Francis Mer was French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry from May 2002 until March 2004, and is a Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur.
Mr. Mer is Chairman of the Board of Safran S.A.1 and member of the Supervisory Board of Rhodia S.A.1. Furthermore, Mr. Mer is a member of the Supervisory Board of Fondation pour l'Innovation Politique and Chairman of the Foundation Condorcet, all in France.
1 Listed company.