Bertrand Collomb, figure of the French employers who led the Lafarge industrial group for fifteen years and made it the world leader in its sector even before its merger with the Swiss Holcim, died at the age of 76, announced Saturday the group .
"LafargeHolcim is now sadly aware of the death of Bertrand Collomb," the group said in a statement, which dominates the global construction materials sector with some € 24 billion in sales. Bertrand Collomb led the group from 1989 to 2003, keeping his position as president of Lafarge until 2007.
An industry boss turned towards the international
Coming from a family of the upper middle class of Lyon, son and grandson of polytechnic, Bertrand Collomb, himself X-Mines, had already done most of his career in this group, where he entered 1975.
Under his tenure as CEO, Lafarge became the first global group in its sector, thanks in part to its international strategy. The leader, who himself had an international profile after a long stint in the United States, had in particular led the purchase of two British competitors, Redland and Blue Circle.
Bertrand Collomb also bet on China well ahead of its competitors, allowing Lafarge to obtain a privileged position in this country, which has become one of the world's leading markets for building materials. He remained a member of the Board of Directors of the entity created by the merger of Lafarge and Swiss Holcim in 2015, but had left last year, reaching age 75 at the age limit.
A figure of the bosses
Bertrand Collomb was also a figure of French employers: he had been asked several times to lead the Medef, but without ever accepting, preferring "to devote himself to the development of his group". Elected however in 2001 at the head of the Afep (French Association of Private Enterprises), he had been a fierce opponent of 35 hours and denounced the excessive regulation of the state he described as "delusion".