Robert André

Robert André ( businessman)
Born	1885  Paris,  France
Died	1964 (Age 78)  Paris,  France
Nationality	French
Alma mater	Sorbonne
Interests	Antoine Pinay
French oil executive who attended the first Bilderberg and 2 more. Sponsor of newspaper run by Antoine Pinay.

Robert André was a French patron (business executive) in the oil sector, including for Esso He was a sponsor of newspaper attempted started by Antoine Pinay in 1956, and attended the 1954, 1955 and 1956 Bilderberg meetings.

Education

He took a degree in law at the Sorbonne in 1910, with the thesis "The industry and the trade in petroleum in France".

Career

He was chairman and chief executive officer (1940-1948) of the Standard française des pétroles (now Esso). He was President of the trade union chamber of petroleum refiners (1941).

He was present at the opening of an Esso refinery in Bordeaux in 1959.

André was president of the Syndicat de Petrole, a lobbying group for French energy corporationsand the Union of trade union chambers of the petroleum industry (UCSIP).

Media

André was one of the backers of the evening newspaper, "Le Temps de Paris", launched under the impetus and direction of Antoine Pinay. It was published in Paris from April to July 1956, but almost immediately flopped. On April 17 of that year, 400,000 copies of an set out to conquer success. Its founders, Robert André (from Esso Standard, the Petroleum Trade Union Chamber and Philips petroleum), Robert Puiseux (from Michelin-Citroën), Roger Mouton (from Banque Worms ) and some others were eyeing the customers of France-Soir and Le Monde. On July 4, the paper closed. The operation had cost 800 million, for 66 issues.

Opinions

On oil from French Algeria and other French colonies:

The Union of trade union chambers of the petroleum industry has just published a study of the activity of the petroleum industry in France and around the world during the years 1956 and 1957. In his introduction, Mr Robert André, President of the Union, declares that we can legitimately hope for oil production in the franc zone of up to 15 million tons in a relatively short time. However, Mr Robert André believes that for the Sahara in particular an international competition will be essential and that it is up to the state to set the conditions.

On the eve of the year 1961, in a relatively short statement, the president of UCSIP looked back on the past year rich in events and expresses his concerns about the one to come. "It is perhaps this time the political concerns that prevail over the others in the minds of each of us". A very brief allusion to the Algerian problem was made before the president devotes half of his speech to the communist threat. "Under the laudable appearances of peaceful coexistence and profitable economic cooperation, the communist world is preparing to carry out a discreet stranglehold on the key sectors of the Western economy." he affirms. This alert concerns European countries but not France. Valuing those responsible for the oil industry, aware of the duties that are theirs, he congratulates the French industry on the efforts it has made.

 

Events Participated in

Event	Start	End	Location(s)	Description
Bilderberg/1954	29 May 1954	31 May 1954	Netherlands Hotel Bilderberg Oosterbeek	The first Bilderberg meeting, attended by 68 men from Europe and the US, including 20 businessmen, 25 politicians, 5 financiers & 4 academics.
Bilderberg/1955 March	18 March 1955	20 March 1955	France Barbizon	The second Bilderberg meeting, held in France. Just 42 guests, fewer than any other.
Bilderberg/1956	11 May 1956	13 May 1956	Denmark Fredensborg	The 4th Bilderberg meeting, with 147 guests, in contrast to the generally smaller meetings of the 1950s. Has two Bilderberg meetings in the years before and after

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