Autumnpuma 0 Report post Posted May 26, 2006 from grandprix.com **** Edouard Michelin, the boss of the Michelin tyre company, has been drowned in an accident in Brittany. Michelin was spending the weekend at the l'Ile de Sein in Brittany and was involved in a boating accident. The great great nephew of company founder Andre Michelin, he was picked by his father Francois to be the leader of the business, despite having several elder brothers. After graduating from college he worked under an assumed name on the Michelin production line in Clermont-Ferrand to learn all aspects of the business and followed up with spells in purchasing, research and as an apprentice to Michelin's research center in Greenville, South Carolina. He then did his national service in the French navy before returning to the business in 1989. He ran Michelin's US operation in the early 1990s before taking over the top job in 1999. He began by restructuring the company to eliminate 7500 jobs over three years but this returned the company to profitability. Under his management the company returned to Formula 1 although Michelin was deeply upset with the way the sport dealt with the problems last year at the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis and he announced that the company would be leaving F1 at the end of this year. **** A glass raised high for a man who brought his company back into Formula 1 and saw it take race wins and Championship honors last season. Well fought, Edouard, well fought. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pumpdoc 2 Report post Posted May 26, 2006 from grandprix.com**** Edouard Michelin, the boss of the Michelin tyre company, has been drowned in an accident in Brittany. Michelin was spending the weekend at the l'Ile de Sein in Brittany and was involved in a boating accident. **** A glass raised high for a man who brought his company back into Formula 1 and saw it take race wins and Championship honors last season. Well fought, Edouard, well fought. Should've stuck to cars Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cavallino 2 Report post Posted May 26, 2006 Damn thats sad I wonder if this will have an impact on their F1 plans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ecapdeville 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2006 Damn thats sad I wonder if this will have an impact on their F1 plans. I guess it will...new management, new ideas... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
demonhorse 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2006 I guess it will...new management, new ideas... I assume the company will still stop providing F1 tyres at the end of the season, bit late to change that now as contracts have probably been signed for next year already. RIP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cavallino 2 Report post Posted May 28, 2006 They could still apply for 2008, though of course, the FIA would be crazy to accept it with their fickle nature of randomly pulling out when they want to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites