Biographies
Members of the Executive Committee
Jean-François Cirelli
Vice-Chairman and President in charge of the Energy Europe business line
Dirk Beeuwsaert
Executive Vice-President in charge of the Energy International business line
Valérie Bernis
Executive Vice-President in charge of Communications, Marketing and Sustainable Development
Jean-Marie Dauger
Executive Vice-President of GDF SUEZ in charge of the Global Gas & LNG business line
Jean-Louis Blanc
Member of the Executive Committee, Director of the Group Sales and Marketing Division
Born on February 5, 1949.
Education
- Agronomy engineering degree, Paris
- Graduate of l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris
- Graduate of Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA)
Professional career
- 2003: Commercial Director for France, Suez
- 1999: Director of water resources, Suez
- 1997: Chairman of the Société d’études et de promotion pour l’Aqueduc Languedoc-Roussillon-Catalogne
- 1992: Chairman of the Management Board of the Compagnie nationale d’aménagement de la Région du Bas-Rhône et du Languedoc
- 1985: Chairman of the Management Board of Domaine Cordier (Bordeaux wine production and trading)
- 1980: Chief of staff to Secretary General for the Government
- 1980: Representative to the office of the Minister for Foreign Trade
- 1976: Civil administrator at the Ministry of Agriculture, Head of Wine board
Claire Brabec-Lagrange
Member of the Executive Committee, Director of Group Purchasing
Born in 1962.
Education
- Graduate of Ecole Centrale de Paris
Professional career
- 2005: THALES GROUP Vice-President Purchasing
- 2004: EADS DCS Procurement Vice-President
- 2001: EADS TELECOM Procurement Vice-President
- 1997: Group BULL Non Production Purchasing Manager
Alain Chaigneau
Member of the Executive Committee, General Secretary
Born on September 8, 1951.
Education
- DESS degree in Company Administration and Management from IAE (Institut d’Administration des Entreprises) in Paris
- Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Poitiers
Professional career
- 2007: SUEZ Executive Vice-President in charge of Business Strategy
- 1984: Vice-President, Compagnie de Suez . Over the course of his career within the Group, he served as Senior Vice President for Strategy and Planning at Compagnie de Suez, Finance Director at Société Générale de Belgique, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration at Ondeo Services, and as Chief Executive Officer for North and South America within SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT
- Worked at the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Economy and Finance as recording Secretary and then Deputy General Secretary for the Committee for Improving Industrial Structures and the French Industrial Restructuring Authority (CIASI/CIRI)
Véronique Durand-Charlot
Member of the Executive Committee, Director of Information Systems
Born on June 11, 1957.
Education
- Graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and Supélec
Professional career
- 2008: Information Systems Director of GDF SUEZ
- 2002: Joins the Gaz de France Group and is appointed Director of Information Systems in 2004
- 1999: Quality Management representative, EDF GDF Services
- 1995: Head of the Asnières Distribution Centre, EDF
- 1980: Joins EDF and holds various management positions in the Distribution sector
Marc Florette
Member of the Executive Committee, in charge of Research and Innovation
Born on September 1st, 1953.
Education
- Graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique
- Master of Science in Physics Engineering, University of California
- CPA 94 (HEC School of Management, Paris)
Professional career
- 2003: Senior Vice-President, Research Division, Gaz de France, then Research & Innovation Division, GDF SUEZ
- 2000: Chair of the Cogeneration division within the service business line of Gaz de France and Chair of the CCGT construction project
- 1999: Deputy Director, Research Division, Gaz de France
- 1995: Director EDF GDF SERVICES Seine et Marne
- 1990: Deputy Director, EDF GDF SERVICES Grand Toulouse
- 1979: Joins the Research department of Gaz de France, then the Distribution department of EDF and Gaz de France
Philippe Jeunet
Member of the Executive Committee, Special Advisor to the Chairman, responsible for the creation of the City for Energy and the Environment
Born on June 25, 1953.
Education
- Graduate from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris
- Master’s Degree in Law
Professional career
- 2008 : Member of the Executive Committee in charge of the Audit and Risk Management Division
- 2007: Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of Gaz de France
- 2000-2007: Chief Financial Officer
- 1998-2000: Director of International Development
- 1995-1998: Manager of Supplies and Gas Projects
- 1991: Joined Gaz de France as Assistant Manager of the Financial and Legal Division in charge of subsidiaries and equity interests
- 1984-1986: Recording secretary of the French Government’s Interministerial Committee on Industrial Restructuring and the Industrial Financing Office of the French Treasury Department. Pursued the greater part of his career in the Crédit d’Equipement des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (CEPME) Group where he held different positions of authority in corporate finance for companies in the manufacturing and tourism industries. Managed two venture capital firms, Avenir Tourisme and Promotour Investissement
Didier Rétali
Member of the Executive Committee, Director of Audit and Risk
Born on March 17, 1957.
Education
- Graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique
Professional career
- 2010: Technical Advisor to the GDF SUEZ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- 2002: Executive Board within the Energy Services Business Line
- 2000: Plan, Controlling and Accounts Director of Suez
- 1999: Chief Financial Officer of Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux
- 1994: Director of Projects for Lyonnaise des Eaux – renamed Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux
- 1993: Lyonnaise des Eaux director for Hong Kong, Macao and China
- 1991: CEO of Société des Eaux de Macao
- 1989: joins the Lyonnaise des Eaux Group
Paul Rorive
Member of the GDF SUEZ Executive Committee, Director of Nuclear Development
Born on July 15, 1953.
Education
- Civil engineer (mechanical and electrical), graduate of the Université Libre of Brussels
- Graduate of the CEDEP (Fontainebleau)
Professional career
- 2006: Joined SUEZ Corporate to create the Nuclear Activities Department
- 2002-2006: Chief Executive Officer of Tractebel Engineering
- 1983: Joined the Nuclear Power Plant of Tihange, where he holds a number of operational posts and is appointed Director of the Plant
- 1997. 1978: Joined Intercom (one of the three companies from which Electrabel was created) and holds various posts in the traditional thermal power plants of Ruien and Marchienne-au-Pont
Principal other memberships and offices held
- Director of GDF SUEZ Energy Services, LABORELEC, SYNATOM, Belgian Nuclear Forum, BELGONUCLEAIRE and Foratom
- Executive Director of the Nuclear New Build Development Company
- President of the Tihange 1 Participation Association
Edouard Sauvage
Member of the Executive Committee, Director of Strategy
Born in 1965.
Education
- Graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées
Professional career
- 2012: Head of Natural Gas Supplies of the GDF SUEZ Energy Europe Business Line
- 2004: Head of Natural Gas Supplies at Gaz de France
- 2003: Co-Director of the International Division at the Gaz de France Strategy Division
- 2002: Deputy of Strategic and European Affairs at the Gaz de France Strategy Division
- 1995: Technical Advisor to the French Prime Minister
- 1993: DATAR (Délégation à l’Aménagement du Territoire et à l’Action Régionale [French Delegation for Territorial Development and Regional Action])
Denis Simonneau
Member of the Executive Committee, Director of European and International Relations
Born on April 8, 1963.
Education
- Graduate of Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA)
Professional career
- 2009: Diplomatic Adviser at GDF SUEZ
- 2007-2008: Chief of Staff of the Minister for European Affairs
- 2005-2007: Deputy spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs of the French Government
- 2001-2005: Consul General and Head of the French Trade Economic Mission in Houston, Texas (USA)
- 1997-2001: Counsellor at the French Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels
- 1996-1997: Adviser to the Minister of European Affairs
Principal other memberships and offices held
- Vice-President of Europanova
Willem van Twembeke
Member of the Executive Committee, CEO of GDF SUEZ Energy International
Born in 1965.
Education
- Master of Business Administration, 1994, Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium)
- Postgraduate in de Bedrijfskunde, 1992, Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium)
- Master in Engineering, major Nuclear Science, 1990, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York (U.S.A)
- Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering, major Electrical Power, 1988, Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium)
Professional career
- 2011 – 2013: President & CEO GDF SUEZ Energy Asia
- 2010 – 2011: COO GDF SUEZ Energy Latin America
- 2006 – 2010: Deputy General Manager Trading and Portfolio Management, Electrabel (Belgium)
- 2004 – 2006: CEO SUEZ Energy Peru and EnerSur (Peru)
- 2004 – 2005: CEO of Gas Natural de Lima y Callao (Peru)
- 2001 – 2004: Chief Executive Officer of Electroandina S.A. (Chile)
- 2000 - 2001: Commercial director EnerSur (Peru)
- 1997 – 2000: Site manager of the Nehuenco power plant and Site manager /Operations manager of the Tocopilla power plant (Chile)
- 1991 – 1997: Tractebel Energy Engineering (Belgium)