Michèle Bellon, born Carlier on January 22, 1949 in Bapaume, Pas-de-Calais, is a French business leader. Since March 2010,« Nomination de Michèle Bellon à la présidence du directoire d’ERDF » [archive], Communiqué de presse ERDF, le 22 mars 2010 she served as President of the Directorate ERDF (Électricité Réseau Distribution France). She was the womanA.M., Une nouvelle dynamique pour ERDF, le journal des grandes écoles, le 20 septembre 2011 at the head of the largest French company in terms of number of employees (35,000),Natacha Monhoven, Michèle Bellon présidente d'ErDF : "Essentiel de maintenir les efforts dans la durée", La Nouvelle République, le 26 juin 2012 until 2014.
Biography Early life and family
She is the daughter of Jeanine Carlier, a nursery school principal, and André Carlier, agricultural equipment trader, Michèle Bellon grew up in the town of Bapaume.« Depuis mars 2010, une enfant de Bapaume est aux manettes d’une filiale d’EDF », La Voix du Nord, le 9 janvier 2011 She studied at the Gambetta School in Arras in 1961, then completed her final year at the Fénelon School in Lille in 1965.
She has been married since July 29, 1972.Thibaut Madelin, Michèle Bellon Une femme à poigne chez ERDF, Les Echos, le 29 mars 2010, She has two children and is a grandmother.Carole Bellemare, « ERDF : Michèle Bellon, la ‘dame de l’électricité’, en première ligne », Le Figaro, le 22 novembre 2011
Education Bellon trained at École Centrale Paris, now CentraleSupélec. She continued her studies in the United States where she obtained a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Northwestern University.
Career at EDF In 1974, Michèle Bellon joined EDF as Principal Engineer and then deputy to the Head of Service in the Equipment Department during the seventeen years she spent there.
In 1991, she became the first woman appointed deputy director, responsible for the Engineering Studies Department of the National Center for Thermal Equipment. She then developed several international power plant projects.Proglio choisit Michèle Bellon pour présider ERDF, Enviro2B, le 17 mars 2010, consulté le 26 septembre 2012
In 1995, Michèle Bellon joined the Personnel and Social Relations Department of EDF-GDF (180,000 employees) as Project Director and then Deputy Director. In these functions, she was responsible for social negotiations within EDF (employment, working time, training, salaries, integration of the handicap, etc.) in the context of the 1995 strikes.
From 1999 to 2000, she was Deputy Director, in the clientele division of the Presidency and General Management of EDF. She then participated in the international development of the company (EDF Energy, EnBW, and EDF Trading). In mid-2000, Michèle Bellon was appointed Director of the Fuel Division of EDF Pôle Industrie.
Managing Dalkia As part of her functions within the clientele division, Michèle Bellon ensured EDF's acquisition of capital of the energy division of Veolia: Dalkia.
In 2001, she joined the Veolia Group, at the request of EDF,Domitille Arrivet, "État-major d'ERDF"(archive)« Copie archivée » (version du 6 août 2018 sur l'Internet Archive), Le Point, le 30 août 2012, as Deputy Director-General of Veolia Energy (Dalkia) and Director General of Dalkia International. As the main contact for local authorities, she is also responsible for negotiating with industrial partners.
Director of ERDF In March 2010, she was appointed Chairman of the Board of ERDF"Nomination de Michèle Bellon à la présidence du directoire d’ERDF" [archive], Communiqué de presse ERDF, le 22 mars 2010 after the departure of Michel Francony.Ana Lutzky, "Michèle Bellon prend la tête d’ERDF", L’Usine Nouvelle, le 18 mars 2010 She sees ERDF as "a company that rests on two feet: Men and women, skills, with real expertise, real dedication, a real commitment to public service. And the technologies, the technologies of cables and transformers, but also the tomorrow of smart meters."Intervention Michèle Bellon colloque UFE 28 novembre 2012, Youtube, le 9 décembre 2012, consulté le 7 février 2013
Another project she is working on is improving relations with the FNCCR, the national federation of authorities granting electricity distribution networks.Véronique Le Billon, Tarifs, investissements : les chantiers d'ERDF pour 2013, Les Echos, le 7 janvier 2013, consulté le 7 février 2013 For this, the regional organization of ERDF was reviewedM.L., "L’interview de Michèle Bellon, ERDF : '230 M€ d’investissements en Midi-Pyrénées et une nouvelle organisation'" [archive], ObjectifNews.com, le 4 juillet 2012 under her supervision in order to facilitate contacts between ERDF managers and local elected officials.ERDF soigne les collectivités locales, La Lettre A, le 4 février 2011Rencontres régionales d'ERDF : les élus constatent une amélioration des relations, Youtube, le 27 novembre 2012, consulté le 7 février 2013 Michèle Bellon has also undertaken dialogueSerge Marshall, "ERDF hier à Rennes : le courant est passé", Phares et Balises, le 1er février 2012Yannick Boucher, "La patronne d’ERDF livre à Lille sa vision de la transition énergétique en France", La Voix du Nord, le 2 juillet 2012 directly with the granting authorities, to sign several charters with representatives of local authorities (FNCCR,Energie2007, "Signature FNCCR ERDF 11 mai 2011", Dailymotion, le 19 mai 2011 AMRFCommuniqué de presse AMRF, "Distribution d’électricité au service de l’aménagement du territoire" [archive], La fonderie agence numérique Île-de-France, le 31 mai 2012 ...). Involved in the field of disability integration, the ERDF manager also signedJ.E.N.B Productions, "Noisy-le-Sec : La lutte contre la fracture numérique renaît des cendres d’un E.S.A.T. en présence d’Eric Besson (reportage vidéo)" [archive], site de J.E.N.B Productions, le 8 septembre 2011 with Éric Besson, Minister of Industry, a cooperation agreement"ERDF s’engage dans la lutte contre la fracture numérique", Weka, le 15 septembre 2011 in September 2011, to reduce the “digital divide” suffered by the most vulnerable people. On the place of women in the business world, Michèle Bellon admits that "we are not very numerous as business owners" and that within ERDF its objective is to reach 20% of women in the company by 2015 (18% mid-2012).Club Media RH [archive], BFM Business, le 10 novembre 2012, consulté le 19 novembre 2012
In order to modernize the electricity distribution network, Michèle Bellon is involvedDominique Baillard, "Smart grids : En Californie, la fée Électricité devient intelligente", Radio France Internationale, le 25 novembre 2011 in the development of smart electricity networks, in particular through the smart meter "Linky," to ensure the integration into the network of renewable energy"Audition de Michèle Bellon par la commission d’enquête sénatoriale dur le coût de l’électricité", site du Sénat, le 21 mars 2012 and the development of the electric car.Claire Garnier, "Rouen, laboratoire du véhicule électrique", La Tribune, le 28 mars 2011 At the onset of the Grid4EU project,Philippe Collet, "Smart grids : lancement de l’initiative Grid4EU réunissant six des principaux distributeurs européens", Actu-Environnement.com, le 22 novembre 2011 the director of ERDF works to coordinate the different European initiatives in the field of smart grids.Enjeux électriques, "La construction de l’Europe des réseaux intelligents en marche avec GRID4EU" [archive], Le Post, le 23 novembre 2011Frédérique Jourdaa, "10 000 emplois pour les compteurs", Ouest France-Entreprises.fr, le 1er juillet 2012 At the national level, this desire is reflected in the multiplication of experiments with these new types of networks (NiceGrid, GreenLys...). In November 2012, the chairman of the ERDF management board accompanied Delphine Batho, Minister of Ecology, on a visit to the Landis+Gyr plant in Montluçon where the Linky smart meters produced by this company are assembled.Après un an de coupure, le gouvernement réenclenche le compteur Linky [archive], AFP, le 15 novembre 2012, consulté le 19 novembre 2012
Since the arrival of Michèle Bellon, the average power outage time has fallen by 39% between 2010 and 2011.Communiqué de presse ERDF, "Qualité de la distribution de l'électricité en France" [archive] « Copie archivée » (version du 6 août 2018 sur l'Internet Archive), le 19 janvier 2011 This improvement is explained by much more favorable weather than the previous year. The increase in ERDF investments to nearly 3 billion euros per year could have a stabilizing effect in the long term,"Demain la voiture électrique" [archive], L'Union, le 11 septembre 2012 while improving the financial situation"Résultats financiers 2011" [archive] « Copie archivée » (version du 6 août 2018 sur l'Internet Archive), site ERDF of the company. During Cyclone Joachim, Michèle Bellon intervened"RTL 2012 accueille Michelle Bellon, présidente d'ERDF", RTL, le 17 décembre 2011 in the management of the crisis unit and the rapid intervention force for electricityCommuniqué de presse d'ERDF, Tempête : ERDF aura rétabli ce soir près de 2/3 des 600 000 clients privés d’électricité [archive], le 16 décembre 2011 mobilized by ERDF in the event of large-scale power cuts.
Her first term ended in December 2012, Michèle Bellon was re-elected on January 11, 2013 as the head of ERDF.Michèle Bellon reste à la tête d'ERDF, site du Figaro, le 11 janvier 2013, consulté le 7 février 2013
On January 24, 2014, she left the position of chairman of the ERDF management board to Philippe Monloubou, as she turned 65 and reached the age limit set in ERDF's statutes.Lefigaro.fr avec AFP, « Philippe Monloubou prend la tête d'ERDF jeudi », Le Figaro, 20 janvier 2014 (lire en ligne [archive], consulté le 11 septembre 2020).
Other career Since 2014, Michèle Bellon has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Danish company Athena Investments and RATP. She has also been a member of the Board of HF Company since 2016. She was a director of l’Institut Pasteur de Shanghai.
Decorations Officer in the French Order of Merit (13 September 2000) Knight of the French Legion of Honour (14 July 20210Décret du 13 juillet 2010 portant promotion et nomination aux différents grades de la Légion d'Honneur, Journal officiel, le 14 juillet 2010) Officer of the National Order of Merit (15 May 2014)
References
External links CV de Michèle Bellon sur le site d'ERDF Portrait de Michèle Bellon dans la Voix du Nord Portrait de Michèle Bellon dans Le Figaro Portrait de Michèle Bellon dans Les Echos Portrait de Michèle Bellon dans Le journal des grandes écoles Interview de Michèle Bellon pour RTL au lendemain de la tempête Joachim Interview de Michèle Bellon pour RFI à propos du développement des smart grids Intervention de Michèle Bellon pendant le colloque de l'UFE, le 28 novembre 2012