And if it is the entire nuclear industry

He thinks leaving walls lithographs of Raoul Dufy representing the electricity fairy. But for the rest, Henri Proglio has some ideas for interior design... The new CEO of EDF, which takes this morning duties avenue Wagram, arrives in a House that he knows well: since five years, he was able to explore as a Director and head of its strategic Committee; was for five years, the whirlpool skipper of Veolia to logbook more or less openly the lack of vision of his predecessor, of some form of industrial decay and, especially, too much space given to finance. Today, it is for him to take over the public electrician and, in the company, each prepares to shaking. "I plan to walk in head", smiles at the individual, who wishes to commit to at the outset to its first site: the renewal of the teams.

The successor to Pierre Gadonneix cited no names, but within a few weeks, does not hide that the casting will be pretty changed at the top of EDF. First decision, but it is in size and symbolic to the old public monopoly: "I will start removing cabinets, promises the new President." EDF is a publicly traded administration who will become a business...

First bombs

There are of Sarkozy in Henri Proglio. For this willingness to move the lines, this refusal of the language of wood and this way brusque to the debate. As shown in past taken positions on the French nuclear industry: when it says that EDF must become the sole leader of the Habs Atom, when it advocates simply dismantle Areva and between the lines of GDF Suez, Henri Proglio said just what he thinks! "I have not used the politically correct, or diplomacy," he justified. Those who are surprised of his statements, the new boss of EDF strikes this finding, cruel: "When we look at lucidly things, we see that, in the current configuration, the French nuclear industry does not work." Some mess was created by dispersing the skills. In international competition, Russian-German Giants or Japan-us, can we afford to make the lace while others gather their forces It does not sell coffee machines or of barley sugars! Nuclear power, it is of heavy industry. It must be that the whole industry ranks behind EDF. It has always worked like this, and I do not see why it would change...

In the spirit of Henri Proglio, this reconstruction of the hexagonal landscape does not necessarily pass by one of these industrial Meccano great secrecy with the France. It assumes that the historical operator provide an enormous effort to develop a "true ability of engineering-construction", to acquire technology and adequate human resources, but also of new product lines. This is perhaps the major criticism formulated against its predecessor... In recent years, the French electrician is gently asleep, lulled by the promises of the EPR. Today, his new boss said: "do you know many companies that have a single product catalogue There were Ford and the Ford T. But it was a hundred years ago, and he at least knew the build and sell it...

It is safe: Proglio style style. And risk of surprise more than one after five years of a less... iconoclastic "gado" Presidency. The first bombs dropped by the former CEO of Veolia in any case lead some to wonder: how to interpret freedom of speech of Henri Proglio Must it be inferred that the person concerned is in service, in full agreement with the head of State, and feels authorized so to say Should we instead see the mark of a rebel, attached personality more than anything to its independence and ready to cross the railway with the whole earth, understood guardianship The truth, as always, is probably between the two.

A posture of Angel man

Wire his confidences, it is the portrait of a man no longer has much to be feared that Henri Proglio strives to draw. "Candidate for nothing."But capable of everything. "Me, I was very pleased at Veolia." I there would have remained readily, he explains. They wanted to believe that I was running after the Presidency of EDF. This is not true. I simply made ideas on what I thought to be the strategy of this group. You say that the project you defend would be good for the company, it is your duty to implement.

The duty. The word is often in the mouth of Henri Proglio. "Even if Veolia was my life, I didn't have the right to say not the day where the country asks me to take such responsibility, loose it. The task is considerable. EDF is a key topic for the France of tomorrow. At sixty years, thirty-seven past in Veolia, I did not go to prove me anything. Although there is always something to prove... I'll go with enthusiasm, I put my life in the balance, I put everything I have. Perhaps even despite my interests, but I do not have the habit of scroll me.

The contempt of his interests Financially, it is probably true. "I am the only pattern of the private sector who agreed to end his professional life in the public sector!", it creaks. By agreeing to take the reins of EDF, Henri Proglio knew that his salary would lessen: Pierre Gadonneix (EUR 1.1 million in 2008) was almost less than half what it was in Veolia. However, the pattern of EDF assured him: never the level of remuneration would have weighed in the balance. Even when it came to negotiate his continued non-Executive Chairman of Veolia. Those who claim the contrary seek only to "dirty", and this, Henri Proglio the digests poorly: "I didn't have address me for purely physical reasons." I have a mundane life, I am a normal type, I have no boat, no horses or secondary residence. I do not work for the money! ", to carry, stating that the issue of his salary has not always been settled:"If I could keep the income level that I had in Veolia, it seems to me that it would not be shocking in itself for a company which weighs 70 billion euros on the stock market."

The new pattern of EDF feels invested with a mission. To save this gem of the "national heritage" is EDF. And if it is, the entire nuclear industry... This costume of providential man, Henri Proglio endorses it also about Veolia. If it has to maintain a role in his former home, is not "a question of affect", he explains. "Just a question of continuity and faithfulness: for employees, first, who feel that I embodies this company and heavily expressed the wish that I retain duties at Veolia.". As large orders then donors, who need to work in the long term, in confidence. Some of them clearly made me understand that the day when I am gone, Veolia would become one House like any other. "What no doubt delight his successor appointed at the head of the company, Antoine Frérot.

EDF-Veolia: initiate a reconciliation

Incidentally, the successor to Pierre Gadonneix also points out that devote each week to his former group "an hour to an hour and a half" of his time he do not "useless", to take advantage of the "convergence" between EDF and Veolia. As Henri Proglio does cache: it will all work to initiate a rapprochement between the two companies. "Without a merger", he says, but "EDF will be a shareholder of accompaniment of the development of Veolia. "The France was fortunate to have two global giants in the water and electricity," notes Henri Proglio. Try to draw the best to create industrial synergies. "Will not immediately begin it by this construction, the new boss of the public electrician:"I do not want it imagines that I went at EDF for it", argued there, before returning the question... to early 2010. Here again, we barely know if the subject is actually on its roadmap, or if it simply, for him, "crimping" debate to see how far it will be possible to go.

The short term, another key folder should measure the margin of manoeuvre of the CEO of EDF: that of reform of the electricity market. Because, on this point, Henri Proglio leaves poses no ambiguity: go foot to foot the project of the Government, which would lead to the incumbent operator to assign to a part of its production cost to its competitors. "It is not." And it is a question of survival, he warned. Accept a device of this type, it would accept that the box more worth nothing. If it's to do that, it was not sentencing me to appoint...