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Raoul de Vitry

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Raoul de Vitry
Born
Joseph-Marie-Raoul de Vitry d'Avaucourt

June 28, 1895
DiedOctober 5, 1977
Alma materÉcole Polytechnique
École des Mines de Paris
OccupationBusiness executive
SpouseMarie-Claire-Henriette-Nicole Le Bret
Children10
Parent(s)Marie-Hyacinthe-Fernand de Vitry d'Avaucourt
Marie-Élisabeth-Louise de Louvencourt
RelativesJean Le Bret (father-in-law)
Marc Julia (son-in-law)

Count Raoul de Vitry d'Avaucourt (1895-1977) was a French aristocrat and business executive. He served as the chief executive officer of Pechiney from 1958 to 1967, then France's largest aluminium producer.

Early life

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Raoul de Vitry was born on June 28, 1895.[1] His father was Marie-Hyacinthe-Fernand de Vitry d'Avaucourt and his mother, Marie-Élisabeth-Louise de Louvencourt.[1]

De Vitry graduated from the École Polytechnique in 1914.[1] During World War I, he served in the French Army from 1914 to 1919.[1] He graduated from the École des Mines de Paris in 1922.[1]

Career

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De Vitry joined Pechiney in 1927.[2] He joined its board of directors in 1931.[1] By 1938, he was appointed as its general manager.[1] During World War II, he supported the French Resistance financially.[1] He served as the chief executive officer of Pechiney from 1958 to 1967,[2] when it was France's largest aluminium producer.[3] De Vitry believed in working through "a planning system", including making five-year plans for company investments.[3] Meanwhile, he believed in promoting or demoting employees depending on their performance regardless of their initial credentials.[4]

De Vitry was the co-founder of the American Research and Development Corporation.[1] He served on the board of directors of the Digital Equipment Corporation.[1]

De Vitry was a donor to INSEAD, where his name is inscribed on a plaque in the entrance.[1]

De Vitry was the recipient of the Croix de Guerre for his World War I service.[1] He was also a Commander of the Legion of Honour, a Grand-Officer of the National Order of Merit.[1]

Personal life and death

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De Vitry married Marie-Claire-Henriette-Nicole Le Bret.[1] They had ten children, including four sons who, like him, attended the École Polytechnique .[1] He was the father-in-law of Marc Julia. He died on October 5, 1977.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Joseph-Marie-Raoul de VITRY d'AVAUCOURT (1895-1977)". Les Annales des Mines. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Vindt, Gérard (2001). "Faire l'histoire sociale d'une entreprise Pechiney (1921-1973)". Vingtième Siècle. Revue d'histoire (in French). 2 (70): 89–97. doi:10.3917/ving.070.0089.
  3. ^ a b Childs, Marquis (October 2, 1962). "France's Guided Capitalism Through Planning Excites Interest of U.S. Economic Experts". Bennington Banner. Bennington, Vermont. p. 4. Retrieved August 15, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Neumann, Cédric (2009). "Le recrutement et la gestion des ingénieurs à Alais, Froges et Camargue durant l'entre-deux-guerres". Le Mouvement Social (in French). 3 (228): 57–73. doi:10.3917/lms.228.0057.