death of Serge BELLANGER

FACC / Community News

December 28, 2009

SERGE BELLANGER

It is with great sadness and sense of loss that the French-American Chamber of Commerce announces the death of its longstanding President, Serge Bellanger.

Mr. Bellanger was a pillar of the French-American community, a dedicated ambassador for strong French-American relations and a consummate professional, whose tireless work ethic, guiding wisdom and commitment to all of the many professional and philanthropic causes he supported will be sorely missed.

For thirty years, Serge Bellanger brought boundless energy to his positions as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Crédit Industriel et Commercial (CIC) in New York, President of the French-American Chamber of Commerce, the Union of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry Abroad as well as to the Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur, the Maison Française at Columbia University, the Grand Marnier Foundation and a variety of other volunteer positions. Mr. Bellanger was a Commander in the French Legion of Honor and National Order of Merit. To view Mr. Bellanger's complete biography, please click here.

Christine Lagarde, French Minister of the Economy, Industry and Employment, and Anne-Marie Idrac, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, have issued statements mourning the loss of Serge Bellanger and saluting his contributions to French-American relations.

During his hospitalization, Mr. Bellanger asked FACC Vice President Stephen L. Dreyfuss to serve as acting President in his absence. The Executive Committee has asked Mr. Dreyfuss to continue in that role until the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors have designated Mr. Bellanger's permanent successor.

The officers, directors, members and staff of the French-American Chamber of Commerce express their profound sympathy to Mr. Bellanger's wife, Danielle Bellanger, and pledge to continue his work to advance the cause of French-American cooperation.

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Serge Bellanger has been with Citibank from 1965 until 1973 as Vice President, Division Europe (NY)