André Tarallo - Chief Executive Officer of Société nationale Elf-Aquitaine

Born on 5 April 1927 in Centuri (Corsica). Degree in Arts, Political Science, National School of Administration. Civilian administrator in the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance (1959-1967).

Joined ERAP, where he was successively Assistant to the Administrative Director (1967-1971), Administrative Director (1971-1974), Geographical Director for Africa (1974-1979), Director for Foreign Affairs (1979). He was Chairman of Elf-Gabon in 1977, of Elf Congo in 1984, Foreign Country Manager of Elf Aquitaine in 1982, then Managing Director of Exploration & Production of Elf Aquitaine in 1984, and finally Managing Director of Hydrocarbons in 1989.

When he arrived, Loïc Le Floch-Prigent wanted to replace him with Alfred Sirven, then Alain Guillon, but André Tarallo succeeded in having Frédéric Izoard appointed to replace him; he himself became director of Elf subsidiaries and moved to Switzerland in 1991, from where he served the Group in a completely different way.

He was later caught up in court cases that did much for his reputation: nicknamed "Mr. Elf's Africa", he was at ease in the political arena and knew the main African leaders well; he used them to set up practices that earned him a heavy sentence in the "Elf affair" in 2004: 2 million fine, the court taking into account the 25 years he spent in the service of the Group, and stating that it was at the end of his career with the arrival of Loïc Le Floch Prigent at the head of the Group that André Tarallo was "mistaken".

He died on 24 April 2018.