As of October 1, 2006, Jean-François Minster will move into the position of Senior Vice President, Scientific Development, replacing Claude Jablon. Effective that date, the Scientific Development Department will report to Group Management.

		Jean-François Minster, 56, is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique and holds a doctorate from Institut de Physique du Globe in Paris. In 1981 he created the hydrosphere physics and chemistry laboratory at Institut de Physique du Globe in Paris, then the oceanography and geophysics laboratory in Toulouse, which he managed from 1985 to 1996. From 1990 to 1996, he also held the position of Director of Institut des Sciences de la Terre in Toulouse and, in 1996, was named to head Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers at France’s National Scientific Research Center (CNRS). From 2000 to 2005, Jean-François Minster was Chairman and Managing Director of France’s Research Institute for Marine Development (IFREMER). In 2005 and 2006, he served as CNRS General Science Director.