By Phil Huff
May 26 2006

Michelin Chief Executive Officer, Edouard Michelin, has been killed in a boating accident, aged 43. A Michelin spokesman confirmed the news on Friday night, saying that his body was found drowned at sea, near the island of Sein, in northwest France. He joined Michelin in 1985 and has held various posts in the fields of research, production and sales, first as Production Manager at the Puy-en-Velay (France) plant then as CEO of Michelin North America, where he was in charge of both industrial plant and truck UOT sales and distribution.

Co-opted as a Managing Partner in 1991, he joined Francois Michelin and Rene Zingraff in Clermont-Ferrand in mid '93, and was appointed Michelin's new head by the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on June 11, 1999.

"Michelin has just learned the tragic news of the accidental death of Mr. Edouard Michelin, the company's co-managing partner," said a statement. "It is an immense sadness for his family as well as for all of our 130,000 Michelin employees throughout the world.

"In accordance with Michelin's established governance policies, Michel Rollier, our current co-managing partner, will ensure the continuity of the group's management."

Mr Michelin was due to leave the company at the end of the year, having admitted that he was extremely distressed by events surrounding the 2005 United States Grand Prix.

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