Charles Laurent

Charles François Laurent was born in Paris on 12 November 1856.

His parents were Pierre Charles Laurent, a merchant, and Narcisse Decaux.

He studied at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand and the École Polytechnique (1875).

He was a second lieutenant at the School of Artillery in 1877.

After leaving the civil service Laurent began a new career as a company director, first at the Suez Canal Company, then at the Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans.

He became president of the Compagnie Francaise Thomson-Houston, a manufacturer of electrical equipment, in 1915.

Although Laurent had no prior relationship with the electrical industry, he was valued for his contacts and understanding of the administrative machinery, important to a company for whom the state was the most important customer.

Laurent succeeded Florent Guillain (1844–1915) as president of the Comité des forges de France (CFF).

Robert Pinot continued to serve as secretary general of the CFF under Laurent, as he did under Laurent's successor Gabriel Cordier.

Laurent represented the Mechanical and Electrical Construction group of industries in the Union des industries et métiers de la métallurgie (UIMM).

He became president of the UIMM in 1916.

While president of the CFF Laurent joined the Confédération générale de la production française (CGPF).

He left the presidency of the CFF and UIMM in 1920 when he was appointed ambassador to Berlin.

The Crédit national was founded under a law of 10 October 1919 with a capital of 100 million francs, and played an important role in providing medium and long term credit in France.

It was jointly owned by the state, the main credit suppliers and the main French industrial enterprises.

The public/private institution was to handle reparation payments and provide credit to small and medium enterprises.

Laurent was co-founder and administrator of the Crédit national.