Born on 1 May 1933 in Bayonne (F)

Nationality: French

Civil Administrator in the Treasury Department of the French Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (1960–1966; 1968–1971)

Financial Attaché to the French Permanent Representation to the European Economic Community (1966–1968)

Assistant Director (1971–1974), Deputy Director (1974–1982) and Director (1982–1984) of the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs

Chairman of the Paris Club (1982–1984)

Chairman of the Monetary Committee of the European Economic Community (1982–1984)

Deputy Governor (1984) then Governor of the Banque de France (1984–1987)

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) (1987–2000)