Who Is Patrick Pouyanné? TotalEnergies CEO and Career
Last updated: October 19, 2026
Patrick Pouyanné is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies SE, one of the world’s largest integrated energy companies. He has led the company as CEO since October 22, 2014, and added the Chairman title in December 2015, making him one of the longest-serving chief executives among the integrated oil and gas majors. Under his leadership, the company rebranded from Total to TotalEnergies in 2021 and expanded heavily into LNG and renewable power alongside its traditional oil and gas business.
Current Position
| Role | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, TotalEnergies SE |
| CEO since | October 22, 2014 |
| Chairman since | December 2015 (reported variously as December 16 or December 19 across sources) |
| Director mandate | Renewed May 24, 2024, through the 2027 shareholders’ meeting |
| Based in | Courbevoie, France (TotalEnergies’ headquarters, greater Paris) |
Education
Pouyanné was born June 24, 1963, in Le Petit-Quevilly, Normandy, France. He is a graduate of École Polytechnique and holds the title of Chief Engineer of the Corps des Mines, France’s elite civil-engineering corps for senior technical and administrative officials; some biographical sources also list Mines ParisTech among his engineering credentials.
Career Timeline
| Period | Role |
|---|---|
| 2014–present | Chief Executive Officer, TotalEnergies (Chairman added December 2015) |
| 2012–2014 | President, Refining & Chemicals; member of the Executive Committee |
| 2011–2012 | Deputy General Manager, Chemicals and Petrochemicals |
| 2006–2011 | Senior Vice President, Strategy, Business Development and R&D, Exploration & Production; joined the Management Committee (May 2006) |
| 2002–2006 | President, Finance, Economy and IT, Exploration & Production |
| 1999–2002 | Company representative in Qatar; President of the Exploration & Production subsidiary there |
| 1997–1999 | Chief Administrative Officer, Exploration & Production, Angola (joined the company January 1997) |
| 1995–1996 | Chief of staff to Minister François Fillon, responsible for information and aerospace technologies |
| 1993–1995 | Technical advisor on environment and industry to Prime Minister Édouard Balladur |
| 1989–1996 | Various administrative and cabinet posts, French Ministries of Industry and Environment |
Pouyanné spent nearly a decade in the French civil service, including senior cabinet posts advising two different government ministers, before joining what was then Total in January 1997. He built his career inside the company primarily through exploration and production roles — including an overseas posting leading the Qatar subsidiary from 1999 — before moving into strategy and then refining and chemicals leadership. He became CEO on October 22, 2014, succeeding Christophe de Margerie, who died in a plane crash days earlier, and was named Chairman in December 2015.
Previous Companies
Pouyanné’s career before TotalEnergies was entirely within the French government rather than other energy companies: he held posts in the Ministries of Industry and Environment from 1989 to 1996, including as technical advisor to Prime Minister Édouard Balladur (1993–1995) and chief of staff to Minister François Fillon (1995–1996), before joining Total in January 1997, where he has remained for his entire corporate career.
Major Energy Projects
As CEO, Pouyanné has overseen TotalEnergies’ expansion across LNG and renewable power, including equity stakes in Ruwais LNG in the UAE, Rio Grande LNG in the United States, the Absheron Gas Field Expansion in Azerbaijan, and a 25%-of-25% (effective ~6.25%) interest in Qatar’s North Field East expansion — reportedly the largest stake QatarEnergy awarded to any single international partner. He also led the company’s 2021 rebrand from Total to TotalEnergies, formalizing a strategic pivot toward electricity and renewables that has continued through 2026.
Board Memberships
- Capgemini SE — board member since May 2017; named Vice-Chairman and Lead Independent Director, and Chairman of the Ethics and Governance Committee, effective May 2026.
- École Polytechnique — board member since September 2018.
- Institut du Monde Arabe — board member since 2017.
- La France s’engage (foundation) — board member since 2017.
- Entreprises pour l’Environnement (EpE) — Vice-Chairman; previously Chairman from June 2022 to June 2025.
- Alliance pour l’Education – United Way — Vice-Chairman; previously Chairman from June 2018 to January 29, 2025.
No independently verified outside corporate-board memberships beyond Capgemini were found for Pouyanné in the sources reviewed for this profile.
Current Responsibilities
Pouyanné leads TotalEnergies’ overall strategy, capital allocation and operations across its Exploration & Production, Integrated LNG, Integrated Power, Refining & Chemicals, and Marketing & Services segments, reporting to the board of directors, which he also chairs. His recent priorities have included sanctioning new LNG and gas capacity (Absheron, Rio Grande LNG Trains 4–5, Nigeria’s Ima field), scaling the Integrated Power business toward its 2030 target of 100–120 TWh of power sales, and managing TotalEnergies’ return on capital employed, which the company reports as the best among the integrated majors for a fourth consecutive year through 2025.
Latest News
Pouyanné chaired TotalEnergies’ May 29, 2026 combined shareholders’ meeting, where investors approved a €3.40-per-share 2025 dividend, his 2025 compensation and 2026 compensation policy, and the appointment of a new director. On the company’s February 11, 2026 results call, he presented full-year 2025 adjusted net income of $15.6 billion, down 15% on lower oil prices, while highlighting the company’s continued LNG and power growth.
Related Entities
- TotalEnergies — full company profile, ownership and major assets
- Shell — fellow integrated major and co-equity partner with TotalEnergies in Ruwais LNG
- QatarEnergy — TotalEnergies’ partner in the North Field East LNG expansion
- Ruwais LNG — ADNOC-led export terminal where TotalEnergies holds a 10% equity stake
- Rio Grande LNG — NextDecade-led export terminal where TotalEnergies holds equity
Net Worth
No independently verified, reliable public estimate of Pouyanné’s personal net worth is available. His compensation as Chairman and CEO is disclosed annually in TotalEnergies’ Universal Registration Document and was subject to a shareholder advisory vote at the May 29, 2026 annual meeting.
Sources
- TotalEnergies SE — official biography of Patrick Pouyanné (totalenergies.com)
- TotalEnergies SE, Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting press release (May 29, 2026)
- TotalEnergies SE, Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results press release (February 11, 2026)
- Capgemini SE — board biography, noting Pouyanné’s Vice-Chairman and Lead Independent Director roles effective May 2026
- Wikipedia (discovery only; corroborated against TotalEnergies’ and Capgemini’s own biographical pages)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Patrick Pouyanné?
Patrick Pouyanné is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies SE, a role he has held as CEO since October 22, 2014, and as Chairman since December 2015.
How long has Patrick Pouyanné been TotalEnergies’ CEO?
Since October 22, 2014, when he succeeded Christophe de Margerie. His current director mandate runs through the 2027 shareholders’ meeting.
What did Patrick Pouyanné do before TotalEnergies?
He spent nearly a decade in the French civil service, including as technical advisor to Prime Minister Édouard Balladur and chief of staff to Minister François Fillon, before joining Total (now TotalEnergies) in January 1997.
Did Patrick Pouyanné lead the rebrand from Total to TotalEnergies?
Yes. Shareholders approved the renaming to TotalEnergies SE in May 2021 under his leadership, reflecting the company’s strategic shift toward electricity and renewables.
Illustrative image. Photo: GuavaTrain, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons — source
