Antoine Riboud
 Antoine Riboud     (businessman) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 25 December 1918 Lyon |
| Died | 5 May 2002 (Age 83) Paris |
| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | ESCP Business School |
| Children | • Franck Riboud • Christine Mital |
| Siblings | • Jean Riboud • Marc Riboud |
| Member of | European Round Table of Industrialists, Saint-Simon Foundation |
Founder of Big Food corporation Danone. Like his brother his brother and later his son, he was a Bilderberger. | |
Antoine Riboud was a French businessman who founded Big Food corporation Danone. Like his brother his brother and later his son, he was a Bilderberger. He was a member of the Saint-Simon Foundation.
Family
He comes from a family of Lyon bourgeoisie bankers. He is the brother of the photographer Marc Riboud, and the French businessman Jean Riboud, former president of Schlumberger. He is also the father of Franck Riboud, chairman and CEO of Danone until 2014, and of the journalist Christine Mital. His wife Lucette died on March 5, 2013.
Education
Antoine Riboud studied at the Lycée Ampère in Lyon, then at the École supérieure de commerce in Paris (today ESCP Business School).
Career
In 1942, he joined the sales department of the Souchon-Neuville Glassworks, a family business producing glass (bottles) and headquartered in Lyon. Through a number of mergers, he becomes CEO of the company, now BSN, in 1963.[1].
Faced with the significant rise of all-plastic packaging, Antoine Riboud then pushes BSN to convert from the glass industry to the food industry. In 1970, BSN became the French leader in beer, mineral waters and infant food.
In 1972, he delivered a speech in Marseille, during the meetings of the French National Employers' Council (CNPF), which made him, 15 years before Gro Harlem Brundtland in 1987, the promoter of the concept of sustainable development: "Let's conduct our companies as much with the heart as with the head and let's not forget that if the earth's energy resources have limits, man's are infinite if he feels motivated"[2].
It was at the moment when Antoine Riboud acquired the companies Kronenbourg and Evian that he met Daniel Carasso in 1972, at the time CEO of Gervais-Danone with whom he shared the desire to make Danone a world-wide brand. In June 1973, Antoine Riboud completed the merger between BSN and Gervais Danone. The new entity called BSN-Gervais Danone becomes the first agri-food company in France.
In the following years, Antoine Riboud continues his policy of disengagement from glass and refocusing on the agri-food industry.
In 1994, BSN took the more international name of Danone.
In May 1996, for the thirtieth anniversary of the corporation, Antoine Riboud announced that he was retiring. He then proposes to pass the baton to his son Franck Riboud.
He died on May 5, 2002 in Paris.
In 1993, Antoine Riboud relaunched the debate on working time. This question has remained unresolved since the 1981 elections and the 39-hour week. He then declares: "We have to go down to 32 hours, without intermediate steps. This will force all companies to create jobs".[3]
Event Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/1992 | 21 May 1992 | 24 May 1992 | France Royal Club Evian Evian-les-Bains | The 40th Bilderberg. It had 121 participants. |
