TotalEnergies SE
Leadership History
5 leaders · 1984 to present
Patrick Pouyanné is the CEO of TotalEnergies, in the role since 2014. The first chief executive was François-Xavier Ortoli, from 1984.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Pouyanné | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | 2014 | Present | 12 |
| Christophe de Margerie | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | 2007 | 2014 | 7 |
| Thierry Desmarest | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | 1995 | 2007 | 12 |
| Serge Tchuruk | Chief Executive Officer | 1990 | 1995 | 5 |
| François-Xavier Ortoli | Chief Executive Officer | 1984 | 1990 | 6 |
TotalEnergies reported $182.344 billion in 2025 revenues from sales, $15.6 billion in adjusted net income and $13.127 billion in IFRS net income attributable to shareholders. The company remains a multi-energy major: oil and gas production, LNG, refining, marketing, electricity and renewables sit inside one capital-allocation system led by Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné, with a market value of roughly $205 billion in September 2026. The company is headquartered in Courbevoie, France.
TotalEnergies makes money across five reporting segments. Exploration & Production sells crude oil and gas from about 2.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day of output. Integrated LNG liquefies, ships, trades and sells gas from projects in Qatar, the U.S., Nigeria, Australia, Papua New Guinea and elsewhere. Integrated Power sells electricity from renewables and gas-fired plants plus retail power and gas supply. Refining & Chemicals turns crude into fuels and polymers, and Marketing & Services sells fuels, lubricants and EV charging through its global station network. Hydrocarbons still generate most of the cash flow, which funds both shareholder returns and the low-carbon build-out.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
2014 – Present
12 years (current)
CEO since October 2014 and Chairman since December 2015, Pouyanné renamed the company TotalEnergies in 2021, expanded LNG and Integrated Power, and kept returns at the top of the majors (12.6% ROACE in 2025).
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
2007 – 2014
7 years
De Margerie aggressively expanded Total's exploration footprint in high-risk, high-reward regions including Russia and the Middle East, striking massive LNG deals.
He transformed Total into one of the most geographically diverse supermajors before his sudden death in a plane crash in 2014.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
1995 – 2007
12 years
Desmarest orchestrated the massive, multi-stage consolidation of the French oil industry, acquiring Petrofina and Elf Aquitaine.
Under his leadership, Total more than doubled in size, becoming a dominant global supermajor capable of competing with Exxon and Shell.
Chief Executive Officer
1990 – 1995
5 years
Serge Tchuruk served as chief executive of TotalEnergies SE from 1990 to 1995.
Chief Executive Officer
1984 – 1990
6 years
François-Xavier Ortoli served as chief executive of TotalEnergies SE from 1984 to 1990.
These officers report to the chief executive and are not part of the CEO timeline above.
TotalEnergies faces oil and gas price swings, refining-margin volatility, European tax and regulatory pressure, execution risk on large LNG projects such as Mozambique LNG, security and human-rights scrutiny in Mozambique and Uganda, climate litigation in France, and investor debate over the returns of its electricity spending.
Patrick Pouyanné serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies SE, having held executive leadership since October 2014 and the Chairman role since December 2015.
An engineer from École Polytechnique and Mines ParisTech, Pouyanné held senior French government posts, including chief of staff to the Minister of Information Technology. He joined Total in 1997, leading deepwater E&P in Angola and serving as President of Refining & Chemicals.
Pouyanné slashed upstream cash breakevens below $30/barrel, orchestrated the $7.45B Maersk Oil acquisition, built the world #3 LNG business, pioneered the Integrated Power renewable build-out, and executed the 2021 rebrand to TotalEnergies.
Christophe de Margerie served as CEO from 2007 until October 20, 2014, when his private jet tragically collided with a snowplow during takeoff at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. He was beloved globally for charismatic diplomacy, securing landmark Arctic LNG deals in Russia.
Thierry Desmarest led Total as CEO from 1995 to 2007 and Chairman through 2010. He orchestrated the audacious acquisitions of Petrofina (1999) and Elf Aquitaine (2000), turning Total into an undisputed global supermajor.
Ernest Mercier (1878–1955) was a prominent French industrialist and engineer who served as the first Chairman of CFP from 1924 to 1928, negotiating international oil concessions in Iraq and establishing France's sovereign petroleum presence.
Victor de Metz served as Chairman and CEO for over two decades after WWII, guiding CFP through Saharan oil discoveries in Algeria, launching the consumer "Total" fuel brand in 1954, and building a global refinery network.
Jean-Pierre Sbraire serves as Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Committee of TotalEnergies, managing capital allocation, balance-sheet gearing, dividend distributions, and credit ratings.
TotalEnergies maintains an international Board of Directors comprising corporate leaders from France, the U.S., Canada, and Asia, governing committees for Audit, Governance & Ethics, Compensation, and Strategy & CSR.
Executive compensation is heavily indexed to Total Shareholder Return (TSR) relative to global oil majors (Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP), Return on Average Capital Employed (ROACE), and quantifiable greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
Pouyanné is known as a pragmatic, fiercely outspoken executive who defends the realism of the energy transition, demanding high capital discipline and rejecting transition strategies that sacrifice shareholder cash flow.
In May 2024, TotalEnergies shareholders overwhelmingly renewed Pouyanné's mandate through 2027, ensuring leadership continuity as the company executes its 2030 multi-energy goals.
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