Total CEO Dies In Russia Crash French oil major, Total has issued a statement in Nigeria announcing with deep regret the sudden death of its Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Christophe de Margerie. Margerie died monday October 20, 2014, in a private plane which crashed at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, following a collision with a snow removal machine. Four people were found dead at the scene of the accident, including three crew members and Christophe de Margerie, the statement signed by Charles Ogan, Deputy General Manager – Policy, Media & Coordination “The thoughts of the management and employees of the Group go out to Christophe de Margerie’s wife, children and loved ones as well as to the families of the other victims” Ogan said. Christophe de Margerie, the charismatic and outspoken chief executive of the French oil company Total was killed when his private jet hit a snow plow as it was taking off from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Monday night. His death leaves a void at the top of one of the world’s biggest listed oil firms at a difficult time for the industry as oil prices fall and state-backed competitors keep them out of some of the best oil exploration territory. De Margerie, 63, was a strong opponent of Western economic sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine, and had been attending a meeting on foreign investment with around 30 other foreign executives at Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s country residence in Gorki near Moscow. The crash occurred around midnight Moscow time as his Dassault Falcon was taking off for Paris in poor visibility. The plane’s three crew were also killed, but television footage showed the snowplow driver seemingly unhurt. Total is France’s second-biggest listed company, with a market value of 102 billion euros ($130 billion) that makes it the fourth largest Western oil company, behind Exxon, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron. In a brief news conference on Tuesday, (yesterday) Total’s secretary-general, Jean-Jacques Guilbaud, said its governance committee and board would meet “as soon as possible”. “Total will keep going,” he said. “The group is organized to ensure the continuity of its governance.” With his distinctive bushy mustache and outspoken manner, de Margerie was one of the most recognizable of oil executives and a personal friend of French President Francois Hollande.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 07:52:25 +0000
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