Jean Riboud
 Jean Riboud     (businessman) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1919-11-15 Lyons, France |
| Died | 1985-10-20 (Age 65) Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | École des Sciences Politiques, Sorbonne |
| Children | Christophe Riboud |
| Siblings | • Antoine Riboud • Marc Riboud |
| Spouse | Krishna Roy |
| Member of | The 1001 Club |
| Interests | • François Mitterrand • Jean Jardin |
| Relatives | Franck Riboud |
Jean Riboud was a French CEO of Schlumberger, the largest oilfield drilling and services company in the world. "French in New York, American in Paris",[1] he was a Bilderberger, like his brother and nephew.
Jean Riboud was one of the people close to President François Mitterrand[2] and also to deep state actor Jean Jardin.[3]
Contents
Education
Jean Riboud was born on 15 November 1919, into a family from the Lyon bourgeoisie banking family. Jean Riboud is the brother of photographer Marc Riboud and Antoine Riboud, president of the Danone group, and nephew of Franck Riboud.
He graduated from the École des Sciences Politiques, Paris in 1939.[4] He was involved with politics from his student years and was a supporter of the Popular Front coalition government of Leon Blum
World War 2
He started his career as a lieutenant in the French Army. He joined the French Resistance, but waas captured by the Germans and sent to Buchenwald concentration camp where spent two years, suffering from tuberculosis,[5] before escaping from there with help from the communists.[6]
Post-war career
When the war ended, he pursued a career in banking by joining Andre Istel and Company, a private investment banking firm owned by a friend of his father, and this gave him an opportunity to visit United States in 1946 for opening an office of his bank in New York.[4] There, he met Marcel Schlumberger, one of the founders of the Schlumberger group, and on his invitation, Riboud joined Schlumberger as the founder's assistant in 1951 after studying at the Sorbonne.[7]
He continued in the company even after the death of Marcel Schlumberger in 1953 and rose in ranks to become the head of Europe operations[8] and later, as the chief executive of the company in 1965.[9] Seven years later, he became the chairman of the group, in 1972.[7]
Under his leadership, Schlumberger grew to become the largest oilfield services company in the world with interests in other sectors such as semiconductors.[10] He expanded the company business by acquisitions, too; the taking over of Fairchild Camera and Instrument was one such acquisition.[11]
By the time he relinquished his position to his successor, Michel Vaillaud, in 1985, the company had a net profit of USD 1.2 billion on a revenue of USD 6.4 billion[12] and had presence in over 100 countries, controlling the operations of 70 percent of the world's oil wells.[13] At that time, the company employed 80,000 people, held USD 10.9 billion in assets[9] and was considered by many as the best managed company in the world.[13] Towards the later days of his life, he was afflicted with cancer and handed over his responsibilities to Vaillaud in September 1985.
Marriage
Riboud married Krishna Roy, historian, art collector, the great-grandniece of Rabindranath Tagore, in 1949, and the couple had a son, Christophe.[6] It is reported that the Riboud couple had an extensive friendship circle, which included political figures like François Mitterrand, Indira Gandhi and Ne Win and art personalities such as Yves Tanguy, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Isamu Noguchi, M. F. Hussain, Joan Miró and Max Ernst. They also had an art collection, parts of which were later donated by Krishna Riboud to the Musee Guimet. where a separate gallery of the Jean and Krishna Riboud collection is being maintained.[6]
He died on 20 October 1985, he died at his Neuilly-sur-Seine home.[14]
Event Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/1972 | 21 April 1972 | 23 April 1972 | Belgium Hotel La Reserve Knokke | The 21st Bilderberg, 102 guests. It spawned the Trilateral Commission. |
References
- ↑ https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1970/04/29/m-jean-riboud-francais-a-new-york-americain-a-paris_3118901_1819218.html
- ↑ https://www.leprogres.fr/actualite/2017/06/27/jean-riboud-accueillait-regulierement-francois-mitterrand
- ↑ Alain Minc Voyage au centre du "système, chapter 1
- ↑ a b https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/22/world/jean-riboud-dies-in-paris-at-65-headed-schlumberger-company.htm
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=eGwzzm6q-0gC&pg=PA266
- ↑ a b c http://www.india-seminar.com/2000/492/492%20memoriam.htm
- ↑ a b https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-22-me-12354-story.html
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=AstNCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT32
- ↑ a b https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-29-fi-18973-story.html
- ↑ http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Schlumberger_Limited.aspx
- ↑ http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1983/06/06/a-certain-poetry-i
- ↑ http://www.hbs.edu/leadership/20th-century-leaders/Pages/details.aspx?profile=jean_riboud
- ↑ a b https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/22/business/riboud-s-protege-michel-vaillaud-assuming-the-mantle-at-schlumberger.html?pagewanted=all
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/22/world/jean-riboud-dies-in-paris-at-65-headed-schlumberger-company.html
