The government is preparing to officially appoint the person who will head the leading port on the Atlantic coast. This former engineer at Chantiers de l’Atlantique is still the director of the Grand Port de la Martinique.
SOURCE: OUEST FRANCE – Ouest-FrancePublished on March 15, 2024 at 3:51 p.m.
Jean-Rémy Villageois is expected to be appointed chairman of the executive board of the Nantes–Saint-Nazaire Seaport Authority. | DR
Jean-Rémy Villageois will be the new director of the Nantes Saint-Nazaire port complex. According to our sources, the supervisory board has just approved his nomination as chairman of the executive board of the fourth-largest port in France. This opinion was the final step in the decision-making process prior to approval by the ministry, the appointment by the President of the Republic, and publication in the Official Journal.
A native of Martinique, he knows the region well, having worked at STX Europe (formerly Chantiers de l’Atlantique) until 2013 alongside the current CEO, Laurent Castaing. At just 34 years old, the engineer was tasked with launching the Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner ever built at the time (345 meters).
Starting a new position in April
Jean-Rémy Villageois’s experience will be crucial for a port facing major challenges related to the climate crisis. The economic model of the Grand Port Nantes Saint-Nazaire relies 70% on hydrocarbon (oil and gas) traffic, which is set to disappear. His recent predecessors have been working on alternatives related to wind power, the decarbonization of industry, and new fuels, but most of these projects are still in the planning stage.
The 59-year-old man is expected to take over starting in April by Michel Puyrazat, who was serving as interim director since Olivier Trétout’s departure in the summer of 2023. The leading port on the Atlantic coast directly employs 600 people, but its operations support 28,000 jobs, including 20,000 in industry and services.
