Jean Fran�ois-Poncet was a French politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Val�ry Giscard d'Estaing between November 1978 and May 1981. From 1983 until 2010, he had been a member of the French Senate. Fran�ois-Poncet had served as a diplomat in the French government in the 1950s and 1960s. "Entering politics in 1967, he was elected in Lot-et-Garonne, as [a] member of the Conseil General...." Fran�ois-Poncet served as CEO of Carnaud SA, a major packaging business, from 1971 to 1974. He returned to government service in 1974 when President Giscard d'Estaing appointed Fran�ois-Poncet secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1976 President d'Estaing appointed Fran�ois-Poncet Secretary General in the Office of the President, "a key post in French politics". In 1978 d'Estaing appointed Fran�ois-Poncet Minister of Foreign Affairs. He held the latter position until 1981. In 1983, he was elected senator from the Department of Lot-et-Garonne. 

December 8th, 1928 in Paris  /  Died:   Jul 18th, 2012 - aged 83