The second division we went to the first

History turns in Total. At the general meeting of the group, Thierry Desmarest will entrust the Presidency of the Board of Directors of the group to the Director General of the company, Christophe de Margerie.

For Thierry Desmarest, this departure marks the end of a period of fifteen years during which the French of sixty-four years times the turnover Total by 5, fusing successively with the Belgian Petrofina and Elf Aquitaine. The group is thus spent in a decade, from the thirteenth to the fourth place of the large international oil companies.

"W hen ' it had to adapt to the price very low oil of the 1990s, Total is one that has most changed size." The second division, we went to the first. But by changing size, should lose efficiency. "I have therefore ensured that this is a marriage between equals and not absorption", explained Wednesday Thierry Desmarest on Public Sénat, the "Leaders" program conducted in partnership with "Les echos". Thierry Desmarest will remain a member of the Board of Directors. It will also continue to chair the appointments and Governance Committee.

A very large continuity

For the French oil tanker, this operation marks the end of a bracket of three years during which Chairman of the Board and Director-General had dissociated. This situation, considered from the outset as provisional, was intended to ensure a transition smooth. Not question to imitate BP or Shell. In both cases, they entrusted the Presidency of the Council to a size of Telecom. "There are countries, as in Britain, where it becomes a dogma of separating the functions of Chairman and Managing Director." In France, it is more pragmatic. "In Total, we wanted the best transition possible", explained Thierry Desmarest on Public Sénat.

Since 2007, Christophe de Margerie was already the single largest French company operational pattern. What should think of his first three years at the head of Total They have primarily been tainted by a very large continuity. Contrast of BP and Shell, Thierry Desmarest and Christophe de Margerie to have worked so hard to ensure a smooth change in accordance with the French social model. Sudden restructuring is no, no of profound reorganization of the management as in Shell or BP. When Peter Voser took the head of Shell last year, he organized three divisions into two, removed 5,000 positions on 102.000 and reduced by 20 the number of management positions.

Of course, Christophe de Margerie took difficult decisions such as the closure of the refinery at Dunkirk. He refused to engage in the war of prices in Iraq and shot balance of years of failure in the Gulf of the Mexico by signing a partnership with the Cobalt American exploration. But there was no great strategic turn.

Often attacked for its "superprofits", poorly loved French, Total remains a company deeply in tune with the country. The "liner" is difficult to evolve. Employees leave the company and appreciate its security. And if it is one of the jewels of the French economy, profitability is in the middle of one of his sisters.

On the stock exchange, Total is rather against its major rivals behind. By accessing the full powers in Total, Christophe de Margerie may have the means to change the situation.