French multinational Rubis has promoted the former CEO of its Kenyan subsidiary, Jean-Christian Bergeron, to a global executive role, marking a dramatic change in fortune after his deportation from Nairobi in 2022.
The oil giant has announced in its latest report that it tapped Mr Bergeron as the global CEO of Rubis Energie, a subsidiary of the French firm that is responsible for the fuel and bitumen distribution in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
His appointment and that of Marc Jacquot as the Group Chief Financial Officer are set for approval by the company’s shareholders on June 12.
The Kenyan Directorate of Immigration revoked Mr Bergeron’s work permit and ordered him to leave the country immediately on the night of April 14, 2022 — during the last days of the Uhuru Kenyatta administration — following weeks of fuel shortages that had caused a public outcry.
He made a quiet return to Kenya and resumed his executive role at the leading oil marketer weeks after the swearing-in of President William Ruto.
Mr Bergeron, popular as JPB in the local oil industry, was recalled to Paris in August last year, ceding the Rubis top job in East Africa to Olivier Sabrié.
“In 2024, the committee reviewed the following topics, among others, follow-up of the succession plan in the subsidiaries (e.g, prior announcement of the appointment of Jean-Christian Bergeron as chief executive officer of Rubis Énergie from 1 January 2025),” Rubis Énergie said in its latest financial disclosures.
Mr Bergeron is now tasked with spearheading Rubis Énergie’s growth ambitions by identifying new market opportunities and building on his expertise in the development of the retail network.
Rubis Énergie is the subsidiary of the French conglomerate that handles the fuel, cooking gas and lubricant businesses of the conglomerate.
The other subsidiary deals in renewable energy, mainly developing and operating ground-based photovoltaic power plants.
The appointment of Mr Bergeron puts him in charge of Rubis Énergie’s fuel business across over 40 markets globally, including Kenya, the country where he fell foul with the previous administration.
Rubis Énergie says his appointment and that of Mr Jacquot is part of the succession plan as the firm’s two founders, Gilles Gobin and Jacques Riou, prepare to step down from the management board after the 2027 shareholders’ meeting.
The deportation of Mr Bergeron—who at the time had led the company for four years-- followed a fuel crisis that led to long queues at service stations and a spike in petrol and diesel prices, triggering a government clampdown.
The move to send the Frenchman parking was linked to the company’s involvement in selling more petroleum products in the neighbouring countries, which the government had blamed for the shortage.
Official data shows that leading oil marketers reduced their fuel allocations for Kenya in favour of the regional market where they could make more money.
The oil marketer goaded the State over its claims of deporting Mr Bergeron to France, saying the CEO had travelled to Paris to brief the head office over Kenya’s fuel crisis.
His return came weeks after the September 13 swearing-in of President Ruto, who took the helm a week after the country's top court threw out petitions challenging his victory.
Mr Bergeron was the biggest casualty of a probe of 10 CEOs of oil marketing firms who risked two years in jail or fines of up to Sh2 million over the fuel crisis.
Their firms had been blamed for breaching a regulation that demands they keep a minimum level of diesel and petrol stocks, causing the countrywide fuel shortage.
The 10 firms included Vivo Energy, Total Energies, Ola Energy, Gapco, Hass Petroleum, Petro Oil, Galana Oil and Lake Oil Petroleum. Oil marketers are under the law required to maintain minimum stocks of petrol and diesel to last 20 days and 25 days respectively to cushion the country from supply disruptions.
Government officials blamed the shortage on oil marketing companies, accusing them of breaching the rules on minimum stocks and hoarding supplies.
The State termed their actions economic sabotage, which is a capital offence that carries life imprisonment.
Under Mr Bergeron, Rubis Energy Kenya became the second-biggest oil marketer in Kenya with a share of 15.56 percent as at June last year, more than double the share when he assumed the role in 2019.
