Extraordinary ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ Council appoints new Director-General
8 Mar 2015
Delegations from the seven ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ Members convened in Paris on 5 March to appoint Bernard Bigot, from France, Director-General of the ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ. © CEA- Philippe Dureuil
The ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ has a new Director-General.
Bernard Bigot, from France, was appointed on 5 March 2015 in Paris where the ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ Council convened for a one-day Extraordinary Meeting. Representatives from all ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ Members were present.
Mr Bigot became ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ Director-General nominee during the Fifteenth Meeting of the ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ Council in November 2014. He presented an action plan to the ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ Council, which was endorsed during the meeting today. The action plan addresses, and is in line with, the recommendations of the most recent Management Assessment and stresses the importance of delivery of the revised project baseline.
One of the first official acts of the new Director-General was to nominate his predecessor as Director-General Emeritus. © CEA- Philippe Dureuil
Bernard Bigot has taken up his duties immediately. He is the third Director-General of the ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ, succeeding Osamu Motojima (2010-2015) and Kaname Ikeda (2005-2010).
In his long and distinguished career, Bernard Bigot (65) has held senior positions in research, higher education and government. Prior to his appointment at ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ he completed two terms (2009-2012 and 2012-2015) as Chairman and CEO of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, CEA.
He has been closely associated with ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ since France's bid to host the project in 2003 and has acted since 2008 as the High Representative for the implementation of ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ in France.
In its decision today, the ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ Council emphasized Bernard Bigot's record as "an experienced senior manager of large programs and projects, a leader capable of finding common ground among ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ Members [and] an excellent communicator."
One of the Director-General's first official acts was to nominate his predecessor Osamu Motojima as Director-General Emeritus of the ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ.