Monitoring Desk: CEO of Total dies in jet crash at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. He was 63.
According to Moscow Airport statement:
During take-off at around 0:10am Moscow time on Tuesday, the light aircraft, according to preliminary data, hit a snow-clearing machine with its landing gear. Due to the damage, the pilot reportedly decided to turn back and land.
Total’s chairman and CEO was the only passenger in the Falcon 50 business jet besides three crewmembers who were also French citizens.
“Total confirms with deep regret and great sadness that Chairman and CEO Christophe de Margerie died just after 10pm (Paris time) on October 20 in a private plane crash at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, following a collision with a snow removal machine,” the company said in a statement.
According to biographic information released by Total company, De Margerie, 63, joined Total in 1974 after graduating from the École Supérieure de Commerce in Paris. He served in several positions in the Finance Department and Exploration & Production division. In 1995, he became President of Total Middle East before joining the Total’s Executive Committee as the President of the Exploration & Production division in May 1999. In May 2006, he was appointed a member of the Board of Directors. He was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Total on May 21, 2010.
He was the first person from European Oil industry who talked that oil business could be done without US currency– U.S. dollar.
Christophe de Margerie urged French policymakers to find ways at EU level to bolster the use of the euro in international business following a record U.S. fine for BNP.
During one press talk he said:
“There is no reason to pay for oil in dollars. Oil prices are quoted in dollars per barrel did not mean that payments actually had to be made in that currency”
