Bernard Michel named Head of Crédit Agricole Assurances and CEO of Predica

October 27 2008

Bernard Michel has been appointed Head of Crédit Agricole Assurances, the insurance arm of Crédit Agricole. This entity handles personal insurance through Predica, non-life insurance through Pacifica, and creditor and international insurance through Crédit Agricole Creditor Insurance. Bernard Michel will report to Jean-Yves Hocher, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Crédit Agricole S.A. He has also been appointed CEO of Predica.

Further to these appointments, Bernard Michel was co-opted to the Board and elected Vice-Chairman of the French Federation of Mutual Insurers (FFSAM). The Executive Commission of the French Federation of Insurance Companies (FFSA) appointed him as a member of its Executive Board. He was also appointed Vice-Chairman of the French Bancassurers’ Group, GFB.

Born in 1948 and trained as an economist, Bernard Michel began his career at the National Tax Office before moving to the National Audit Office at the Ministry of Finance.

He joined GAN, an insurer, in 1987 as Director of planning, management control and audit. He later served as Director of strategy and development, Administrative Director for life insurance policies, and then Deputy Director for commercial networks. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Manager and then Deputy CEO of GAN before becoming Chairman of Socapi, the life insurance subsidiary of GAN-CIC. From 1994 to 1996, he was Chairman of CIC’s regional bank in western France. 

Joining CNCA (now Crédit Agricole S.A.) in 1996 as Corporate Secretary, Bernard Michel was appointed Deputy CEO in November 1998, a position he held until June 2003. In that capacity, he was in charge of the Technology, Logistics and Banking Services Division, before being appointed Chairman of Crédit Agricole Immobilier.

Since 2003, he has held the positions of Deputy Head of Operations and Logistics then Head of Operations and Logistics at Crédit Agricole S.A. He was Chairman of Silca, the IT subsidiary, from 2005 to 2006. And in 2006, he took over as Head of Property, Purchasing and Logistics at Predica, also serving as the company’s Vice-Chairman.

PR CAA-Appointment Bernard Michel 27-10-2008