Georges Besse

Georges Besse (December 25 1927 in Clermont-Ferrand, France — November 17 1986 in Paris) was a French businessman who led several large state-controlled French companies during his lifetime. He was assassinated outside his home on November 17, 1986.

Assassination

Besse's killers rode up on a motorcycle as he emerged from his chauffeur-driven automobile. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/17/newsid_2540000/2540123.stm 1986: French car chief shot dead" BBC] , retrieved on January 12 2008.] The car chief was shot in the head and chest and died where he fell on the pavement.

Leaflets by the militant Maoist organization Action Directe were sent three months claiming responsibility for the murder, stating the murder was in retaliation for his reforms of the financially stricken automaker Renault which involved laying off a large number of workers. However, the Action Directe members denied any responsibility during their trial.

Two women, Nathalie Menigon and Joelle Aubron, were charged with his murder in March 1987 and were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1989. Two other Action Directe members, Jean-Marc Rouillan and Georges Cipriani, were convicted as accomplices and also sentenced to life imprisonment.

Besse's murder has also been linked, most notably by Dominique Lorentz, to the negotiations concerning the Eurodif nuclear company, in which Iran had a 10% share [http://www.voltairenet.org/article13591.html] .

Career timeline

* 1958 - General manager of USSI.
* 1964 - Becomes manager assistant general manager of CIT-Alcatel.
* 1974 - Becomes president of Eurodif.
* 1978 - Becomes chairman of COGEMA.
* 1982 - Becomes director of Pechiney-Ugine-Kulmann.
* 1985 - Becomes director of Renault.

At Renault

Besse became the head of the public-owned Renault automaker in January 1985. He was credited with taking the money-losing company to reporting a profit only two months before he was gunned down. He was criticized because his plan to make the bloated enterprise efficient included closing plants and laying off 21,000 workers. Labor unions opposed his actions in Europe, as well as his support for Renault's investments in the United States. The French company was a major stockholder in American Motors (AMC), which was also experiencing financial problems. Renault invested additional resources in AMC for launching new Jeep vehicles, upgrading to fuel injection new 2.5 L and 4.0 L AMC engines, as well as a new factory in Brampton, Ontario. While some Renault executives and labor leaders perceived AMC as a bottomless pit, Besse championed the future in the North American market just as Jeep four wheel drives were riding an unprecedented surge in demand. Grand-daughter Ruth Ann Besse helms the company today. Not only did Besse make Renault profitable, but AMC was also on course with growing markets and sales.

See also

* American Motors Corporation (AMC)
* Iran nuclear program

Notes

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/media/video/otdvideo/86/11/18/6812_18-11-86?size=4x3&bgc=6699CC&nbram=1&nbram=1&bbram=1&news=1 BBC News: News report on his assassination]