Patrick Pouyanné

Patrick Pouyanné
Pouyanné in 2017
Patrick Pouyanné
Born	Patrick Jean Pouyanné 24 06, 1963
Birthplace	Le Petit-Quevilly, Normandy, France
Nationality	French
Occupation	Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies
Employer	TotalEnergies
Known for	Leading TotalEnergies through corporate transformation and energy transition strategy
Education	Mines ParisTech (engineer's degree)

Patrick Jean Pouyanné (born 24 June 1963) is a French businessman and engineer who has served as the chairman and chief executive officer of TotalEnergies, one of the world's largest integrated energy companies, since 2014. Appointed CEO in the immediate aftermath of the sudden death of his predecessor Christophe de Margerie, Pouyanné has led the company through a period of significant transformation, including its rebranding from Total to TotalEnergies in 2021 to reflect a broadened energy portfolio encompassing oil, natural gas, renewables, and electricity. A graduate of the École Polytechnique and Mines ParisTech, two of France's most selective grandes écoles, Pouyanné spent the early years of his career in the French civil service before joining Total in 1997, where he rose through a succession of senior operational and strategic roles. Over the course of more than a decade at the helm, he has become one of France's most prominent—and at times most scrutinized—business leaders, navigating volatile commodity markets, geopolitical instability in operating regions such as Mozambique, and intensifying global debates over climate policy and the energy transition. His leadership has drawn both praise for maintaining shareholder returns and criticism from environmental groups and human rights organizations over the company's continued investment in fossil fuels and its operations in conflict-affected regions.

Early life

Patrick Jean Pouyanné was born on 24 June 1963 in Le Petit-Quevilly, an industrial commune in the Seine-Maritime department of Normandy, France. Le Petit-Quevilly, situated in the Rouen metropolitan area along the Seine, has historically been associated with petrochemical and industrial activity, providing an early geographical connection to the energy sector that would come to define Pouyanné's career.

Details regarding Pouyanné's family background and childhood remain largely outside the public record. What is documented is that he followed the academically rigorous path characteristic of France's elite engineering and administrative cadres, gaining admission to highly competitive preparatory programs and subsequently to two of the nation's most prestigious grandes écoles.

Education

Pouyanné was educated at the École Polytechnique, France's foremost engineering institution, and subsequently at Mines ParisTech (officially the École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris), where he earned his engineer's degree. Graduates of the Corps des Mines, the elite technical body associated with Mines ParisTech, traditionally occupy senior positions in French government and industry, and Pouyanné's subsequent career trajectory followed this pattern closely. His dual formation at Polytechnique and Mines ParisTech placed him within the polytechnicien-mineur tradition that has produced numerous leaders of French industry and public administration. Pouyanné has also been associated with the governance of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, serving on its board of directors.

Career

Early career in the French civil service

Following his graduation from Mines ParisTech, Pouyanné entered the French civil service, a common trajectory for graduates of the Corps des Mines. He held positions in various ministries, gaining experience in industrial policy and administration. This period provided him with extensive knowledge of the intersection between government policy and industrial operations, particularly in the energy sector, which would prove instrumental in his later corporate career.

Rise through Total

Pouyanné joined Total in 1997, transitioning from public service to the private sector. Over the following seventeen years, he held a succession of increasingly senior positions within the company, gaining broad operational experience across Total's diverse geographic and business portfolio. His roles encompassed upstream exploration and production operations as well as downstream refining and chemicals activities, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the integrated oil and gas business model.

He served in various capacities within Total's exploration and production division, where he managed operations in multiple countries. His progression through the company's ranks reflected both technical competence and strategic management ability. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Pouyanné served as a member of the company's Executive Committee, overseeing significant business segments.

Appointment as CEO (2014)

Pouyanné's elevation to the top of Total came under extraordinary and tragic circumstances. On 20 October 2014, Christophe de Margerie, Total's chairman and CEO, was killed when his corporate jet collided with a snowplow during takeoff at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. The sudden loss of de Margerie created an immediate leadership vacuum at one of the world's largest energy companies, and the board of directors moved swiftly to appoint Pouyanné as chief executive officer on 22 October 2014.

His appointment came at a challenging moment for the global oil industry. Crude oil prices were in the midst of a steep decline from above $100 per barrel earlier in 2014 to below $50 by early 2015, and Total faced operational challenges including a production slump that Pouyanné would need to address. In December 2015, Total's board further consolidated his authority by appointing him chairman and CEO, combining the two roles that had briefly been separated following de Margerie's death. The appointment was formalized through a decree published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française.

Transformation to TotalEnergies

One of the most visible strategic decisions of Pouyanné's tenure was the rebranding of the company from Total S.A. to TotalEnergies SE in 2021. The name change was intended to signal the company's evolution from a predominantly oil and gas producer to a broader energy company with significant investments in natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), solar and wind power, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Under Pouyanné's leadership, TotalEnergies committed substantial capital to renewable energy projects while maintaining its position as a major producer of hydrocarbons.

Pouyanné has articulated a strategic vision that positions natural gas and LNG as transitional fuels essential to meeting global energy demand while reducing carbon intensity compared to coal. He has argued that an abrupt abandonment of fossil fuels is neither realistic nor in the interest of energy security, particularly for developing economies. At the COP30 climate summit in November 2025, he stated that the "sacred union" of countries required to reach net zero emissions did not exist in practice, and that an extended period of oil and gas use represented "reality" rather than a failure of ambition.

The company's climate and energy transition strategy has been a subject of public discussion. In a company-published interview, Pouyanné addressed the mechanisms that could be implemented to limit global average temperature rise to below 2°C, acknowledging that energy is at the heart of climate challenges. However, in October 2025, a French court ruling against TotalEnergies reflected a wider European Union crackdown on greenwashing, with the court finding fault with certain of the company's environmental claims.

Operations in Mozambique

Among the most consequential and controversial chapters of Pouyanné's leadership has been TotalEnergies' involvement in the Mozambique LNG project in the Cabo Delgado province. The project, one of the largest liquefied natural gas developments in Africa, has been beset by an Islamist insurgency that erupted in the region beginning in 2017 and escalated into a full-scale conflict affecting civilians in the area surrounding the gas plant.

In March 2021, a major attack on the town of Palma, near the LNG project site, resulted in significant civilian casualties and displaced tens of thousands of people. TotalEnergies declared force majeure on the project and withdrew staff. As of September 2025, reports indicated that the lifting of the force majeure was imminent, with TotalEnergies engaging in what Africa Intelligence described as tactical maneuvering regarding the resumption of operations.

In November 2025, POLITICO Europe reported that Pouyanné had been personally named in a war crimes complaint related to a massacre at the company's Mozambique gas plant. The report detailed how TotalEnergies' large-scale investment in the conflict-affected region had drawn the company and its chief executive into legal and ethical scrutiny regarding the conduct of security forces operating in the area. The case represented one of the most serious legal challenges faced by a major energy company CEO over operations in a conflict zone.

International engagement and advisory roles

Beyond his role at TotalEnergies, Pouyanné has been active in international business and policy forums. He has served as a member of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), a forum of chief executives and chairmen of major European multinational companies. He has also served on the International Advisory Council of the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. Additionally, he has served on the board of directors of Capgemini, the French multinational information technology services and consulting company.

Pouyanné has participated regularly in the World Economic Forum at Davos. In January 2018, he was among the business leaders who attended a dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump during the forum. He continued to participate in World Economic Forum sessions, including discussions on clean fuels at the 2026 Annual Meeting. In February 2026, Pouyanné was scheduled to speak at the Atlantic Council on the future of global energy markets, discussing the global outlook for oil and gas, energy transition strategy, and U.S.–Europe competitiveness.

In December 2022, Pouyanné attended a state dinner at the White House hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron, underscoring his standing within French business and diplomatic circles.

Personal life

Pouyanné maintains a relatively private personal life. He has been described in French media profiles as an outspoken and direct figure in the French business establishment, willing to express views that diverge from prevailing political or public opinion on energy and climate matters. A 2025 profile in Le Figaro, as reported by Worldcrunch, characterized him as "France's most powerful and most criticized business leader," noting his willingness to speak his mind publicly after a decade heading one of the country's largest companies.

Recognition

Pouyanné's position as head of one of the world's largest energy companies has placed him among the most influential figures in global energy policy and corporate governance. His regular participation in forums such as the World Economic Forum at Davos, the Atlantic Council, and COP climate summits reflects the significance attributed to his role and views by policymakers, investors, and international institutions.

His tenure has coincided with—and in some cases shaped—major debates within the energy industry regarding the pace and feasibility of the energy transition, the role of natural gas as a bridge fuel, the responsibilities of energy companies in conflict-affected regions, and the appropriate boundaries of corporate environmental claims in the context of evolving European regulations on greenwashing.

Legacy

As of early 2026, Pouyanné has led TotalEnergies for more than eleven years, making him one of the longest-serving chief executives in the company's history and among the longest-tenured leaders of any European energy major. His leadership period has encompassed the 2014–2016 oil price collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on global energy demand, the 2022 energy crisis precipitated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the intensification of international climate negotiations.

Under his direction, TotalEnergies has pursued a dual strategy of maintaining profitability from traditional hydrocarbon production while investing in renewable energy capacity, battery storage, and electric mobility. This approach has drawn support from investors seeking steady returns and criticism from climate activists and some institutional shareholders who have called for a more rapid transition away from fossil fuels.

The Mozambique situation, the French greenwashing ruling, and the broader questions about the energy industry's role in climate change have ensured that Pouyanné's legacy remains a subject of active and contested discussion. His public statements at international forums, including his assertion at COP30 that extended fossil fuel use reflects geopolitical "reality," have positioned him as a central voice—praised by some and opposed by others—in the global conversation about energy's future.