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GTT said in a statement on Monday that the appointment is effective January 5, 2026, thereby restoring a dissociated governance structure.
According to the LNG containment specialist, this decision was taken unanimously by GTT’s board of directors at its meeting held on December 13.
“Following a demanding selection process, the board of directors selected François Michel for his managerial experience, his strong command of the technological challenges specific to GTT and its industry, as well as for his strategic vision,” the company said.
In his new role, Michel will be responsible for continuing the implementation of GTT’s strategy, strengthening technological innovation and operational excellence, while supporting the group’s diversification efforts and development.
In February this year, Jean-Baptiste Choimet resigned as GTT’s CEO just eight months after he took the top job at the French LNG containment giant.
GTT assigned the role of CEO on an interim basis to Philippe Berterottière, chairman of the board of directors.
Before Choimet’s appointment, Berterottière served as GTT’s CEO for 15 years.
A new chapter for GTT
“I am delighted by the appointment of François Michel as Chief Executive Officer of GTT. His experience and strategic vision will enable the group to open a new chapter in its development, building on a trajectory shaped over many years around innovation and excellence,” Berterottière said in the statement on Monday.
Berterottière said that he is “confident” that Michel will extend and strengthen this momentum.
“I look forward to supporting him as he takes up his new responsibilities, in line with the long-term vision that guides GTT’s actions,” he said.
Michel said that he “fully appreciates the responsibility entrusted to me at a time of profound transformation in the energy sector.”
“I very much look forward to joining the GTT teams and contributing to the group’s technological and international reach,” Michel said.
A graduate of École Polytechnique and École des Mines, François Michel, aged 46, began his career in the marine and power activities of the Alstom group, according to GTT.
He then joined the French Ministry of Economy and Finance and later the International Monetary Fund in Washington, where he worked on international economic stability issues.
In 2009, he joined the office of the President of France as a technical adviser, responsible for public finances.
He subsequently joined the Saint-Gobain group in 2012 as director of strategy and planning, before going on to hold executive positions within several of the group’s international subsidiaries.
Since 2022, he has served as managing director – CEO of John Cockerill, a technology group active in the fields of energy, defence, green hydrogen, metallurgy, and industrial services, GTT said.