Total’s former CEO, Christophe de Margerie, will be honoured posthumously with the 2015 Special Lifetime Achievement Award during the ‘3rd Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Awards’ to be held in Doha on May 3.
The Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Foundation for Energy & Sustainable Development bestows an honorary award each year for the “Advancement of International Energy Policy and Diplomacy” to an outstanding global energy industry leader.
This year, the trophy will be presented to de Margerie’s wife, Bernadette, in a gala dinner at the Museum of Islamic Art here. Last year’s winner was the late Rilwanu Lukman, former Opec secretary-general and Energy Minister of Nigeria.
De Margerie, who died in a plane crash in Moscow last year, was known to be influential in helping shape the French government’s energy policy, said former US Ambassador to France Craig Stapleton.
“He was, in general, an outspoken critic of international sanctions and maintained active and open communication channels with many countries in an attempt to find solutions when political conduits were failing,” Stapleton said.
Known as “big mustache” among his colleagues for his signature handlebar moustache, de Margerie was on friendly terms with heads of state and national industry leaders from across the Middle East, a region he led for Total from 1995 to 1999.
“There is no doubt that Christophe de Margerie had a sharp technical intellect, but it was this skill, combined with his celebration of the human side of business partnerships, which not only allowed him to secure much commercial success in this region but to also make many lifelong friendships,” said HE the former Energy Minister of Qatar Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah.
Foreign Affairs Minister and former prime minister Laurent Fabius said, “Christophe de Margerie was passionate about his company; he knew how to internationally develop and place it at the forefront of innovation. He was an exceptional business leader, who knew how to shine light on France.”
The Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Awards recognises individuals for their lifetime achievement in the advancement of the global energy industry. It is divided in five categories: Opec, education, journalism, Qatar energy industry, and producer-consumer dialogue.
The nominees, who are reviewed by an international selection committee, are recognised for an outstanding record of accomplishment in their sector, acknowledging individuals who have made an exceptional impact on the industry with distinct personal achievements for a consistent and prolonged period of time.
Both al-Attiyah and de Margerie have been recognised with France’s Légion d’Honneur, the National Order of the Legion of Honour. Established by Napoleon Bonaparte, it is France’s highest honour and is divided into five degrees from Chevalier to Grand Croix.