Jean Montet was born on 19 January 1912 in Villeurbanne, 69100, Rhône-Alpes, France. He died on 13 May 1996 at the Hopital Foch, Suresnes, 92150, Hauts de Seine, Île-de-France, France. He is buried in Riverie Cemetery, 69440, Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France.
He was the second of three siblings. His father, René Montet, died on the front in The somme during the First World War in September 1914.
Schooling with the Jesuits in Lyon. ENSCP (Ecole National de Chimie de Paris) class of 1934 Politechnicum Zurich class of 1935
1936 Marriage to Madeleine Soly, 4 children.
1939 Manager of the PROGIL plant, then Rhône-Progil in Pont de Claix 1946 Director of PROGIL's Chlorine Division in Paris 1961, Succeeded Ennemont Bizot as Chairman of PROGIL. 1971, Creation of Rhône-Progil, through the merger of the activities of Saint-Gobain and Péchiney. He is appointed Chairman.
between 1946 and 1976, he took part in the transformation of the French industrial landscape between Total, ELF, Pechiney, Ugine Kuhlmann to give birth to Rhône-Pouenc. 1971, Member of the Supervisory Board of Daunau Chemie 1973, he recruits Didier Pineau Valencienne as subsidiary manager. He later becomes CEO of Schneider Electric. 1974, creation of Rhone-Poulenc, through the merger of the Rhône, Progil and Poulenc plants. He becomes Chairman. 1976, he hands over the general management of Rhône-Poulenc to Jean Gandois, but remains a director and vice-chairman of the executive committee. 1982: Steps down as director and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee when the company is nationalised. 1977 to 1996: Founder and Chairman of Siparex. He gave the company its international dimension by bringing in the 3i fund and the State of Kuwait in 1978.
Director of the Nancy School of Chemistry. Director of Progil Director of Plastic Omnium from 1978 to 1996 Member of the CNPF economic commission
During the war, he was sentenced to death by the Nazis. He was saved by Michel Poniatowski, who killed the officer in charge of carrying out the order. In 1971, almost 30 years later, he learned of this adventure at a lunch at Laurent's on the Champs Elysées, from the man himself. The lunch was also attended by Gilles Brac de la Perrière and Maurice Lauré.
A friend of André Frossart, he introduced him to François Mellerio, who designed his academician's sword.
Decorations: 1981 Commander of the Legion of Honour, awarded by Prime Minister Raymond Barre. Academic honours Knight of the Order of Leopold, Belgium Order of Austrian Merit