PARIS, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- French energy company Total said Wednesday it named former refining director Patrick Pouyanne as chief executive following the death of Christophe de Margerie.
De Margerie died in a Monday evening plane crash on a runway in Moscow. He served as chief executive officer since 2007.
The French company said it named Pouyanne, former president of refining and chemical operations for Total, to serve as the next chief executive officer and president of the executive committee.
Pouyanne served in the French government as an environmental adviser for the prime minister's office before joining Total as a Middle East and African program officer in 1997.
Thierry Desmarest will serve as the chairman of the board of directors, splitting de Margerie's role between two executives. He served as chairman and CEO from May 1995 until de Margerie came on board.
Share prices for the French supermajor increased more than 2 percent following the announcement of board changes.
De Margerie and three French crewmembers died after his business jet hit a snowplow during takeoff. Russian investigators are examining the incident on word the driver of the snowplow was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
