Alain Gomez

Alain Gomez   (businessman)
Born	18 October 1938 Paris, France
Nationality	French
Alma mater	École Nationale d'Administration, Harvard, Sciences Po, Sorbonne
Criminal charge	Corruption
Spouse	Francine Le Foyer
Member of	European Round Table of Industrialists
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Group when he attended the 1983 Bilderberg

Alain Gomez is a French business executive who was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the electronics industrial corporation Thomson Group when he attended the 1983 Bilderberg. When Gomez was named by the government in 1982 to head the company, it was an industrial conglomerate on the verge of bankruptcy.

Background

Alain Gomez was born on October 18, 1938 in the 14th arrondissement of Paris

Education

After studying at the Lamoricière high school in Oran, French Algeria, and then at the French high school in London, Alain Gomez continued his studies at the Faculty of Law in Paris, where he obtained a law degree. A graduate of the Institute of Political Studies in Paris (1959), he also graduated from the Program for management development (PMD) at Harvard University and was a student of the École Nationale d'Administration in 1963-1965.

Career

He was Inspector of finance at the Finance Ministry from 1965 to 1969, close to Jean-Pierre Chevènement, he joined the Patrie et Progrès (Fatherland and Progress) group, of Gaullist left tendency, which tried to associate nationalism and the left.

In 1970, Alain Gomez was appointed deputy chief financial officer of glass and construction-products giant Saint-Gobain SA, then had various executive functions in the company.

In 1982, he was appointed chairman and CEO of Thomson-Brandt during the nationalizations by the Socialist government of Pierre Mauroy, a position he held until 1996, when he was "dismissed from his position by Alain Juppé".

During the corruption case of the Taiwan frigates, suspicions of kickbacks were raised against Alain Gomez, who headed Thomson-CSF at the time of the case. Judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke investigated Alain Gomez in this context, but concluded in a mistrial in 2008. According to the judge, the pretext "defense secrets" was often used by Thomson, forcing him to dismiss the case.

Alain Gomez was cleared of suspicion of an attempt to destabilize his competitor, the Lagardère group, an attempt known as Operation Clipping the wings of the bird, when he was CEO of the Thomson Group, following the Taiwanese Mirage Affair. Thomson allegedly set up an operation to destabilize the Lagardère Group, with the complicity of an intermediary and American lawyer of Chinese origin, William Lee. According to the investigating judge in charge of the case, the means used involved the challenge, by Matra shareholders led by Lee, of the conditions of the merger of Matra with Hachette in 1992. Thomson then cut Matra off from several arms markets with Taiwan: Lafayette frigates, Mirage 2000 aircraft, missiles.

Alain Gomez then became a director of Fimalac, managing director of the real estate department, and member of the executive committee of Fimalac, and leader of a subsidiary until 2002.

Marriages

He is second husband of Francine Le Foyer, heiress and CEO of JIF-Waterman from whom he is divorced. He married Clémentine Gustin on June 24, 1986

 

Event Participated in

Event	Start	End	Location(s)	Description
Bilderberg/1983	13 May 1983	15 May 1983	Canada Quebec Château Montebello	The 31st Bilderberg, held in Canada

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