Interview francois michelin biography

French businessman (1926–2015)

François Michelin (15 June 1926 – 29 April 2015) was a French heir and businessman. He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Michelin from 1955 to 1999.

Under his leadership, a family business founded by his grandfather became the leading global tire manufacturer, dominating the market in Europe and the US. A practising Roman Catholic, he was idiosyncratically non-hierarchical and conducted business from his hometown of Clermont-Ferrand in the rural Auvergne.

Early life

François Michelin was born on 15 June 1926 in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, France.^[1][2]

His grandfather, Édouard Michelin, was the founder of Michelin, when it was known as Michelin & Cie.^[2][3] His father was Étienne Michelin and his mother, Madeleine Callies.^[3] He became an orphan at the age of ten.^[4]

He received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.^[5]

Career

Michelin sta