Charles Schneider (June 28, 1898 – August 6, 1960) was a French businessman. He served as the Chairman of

Schneider Electric Schneider Electric SE is a French multinational company that specializes in digital automation and energy management. It addresses homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries, by combining energy technologies, real-time automation ...

from 1942 to 1960.

Early life

Charles Schneider was born on June 28, 1898 in Paris, France.Catherine Vuillermot
The Schneider Network during the Presidency of Charles Schneider, 1942-1960
''Business and Economic History'', vol. 2, Business History Conference, 2004les maîtres de forges
écomusée de la Communauté le Creusot Montceau His father was Eugène Schneider, II. His mother was Antoinette de Rafélis de Saint-Sauveur. He had two brothers, Henri-Paul and Jean, and a sister, Marie-Zélie. His cousin,

Germaine Dulac Germaine Dulac (; born Charlotte Elisabeth Germaine Saisset-Schneider; 17 November 1882 – 20 July 1942)Flitterman-Lewis 1996 was a French filmmaker, film theorist, journalist and critic. She was born in Amiens and moved to Paris in early child ...

, was a filmmaker.Tami Williams, ''Germaine Dulac: A Cinema of Sensations'', Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2014, p. 16

/ref> During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he served in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

from 1916 to 1918, retiring as Second Lieutenant. He received the

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

for his service.

Career

Schneider became a co-manager of the family business with his brother Jean in 1918. However, due to managerial disagreements with their father, they were fired in 1924. As a result, Schneider worked for the

Gaumont Film Company The Gaumont Film Company (, ), often shortened to Gaumont, is a French film studio headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Founded by the engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864–1946) in 1895, it is the oldest extant film company in ...

. In February 1942, Schneider was appointed as an official at the Comité d’ORganization de la SIDérurgie (later known as the

Comité des forges The Comité des forges (Foundry Committee) was an organization of leaders of the French iron and steel industry from 1864 to 1940, when it was dissolved by the Vichy government. It typically took a protectionist attitude on trade issues, and was o ...

). After his father's death in November 1942, he became the co-Chairman of the family business with his brother Jean.Schneider Electric history
/ref> From his brother's death in 1944 to 1960, he served as its sole Chairman.

Personal life

He married

Lilian Constantini Lilian Constantini (September 26, 1902 – January 5, 1982) was a French silent actress in the 1920s and 1930s. Early life Liliane Louise Hélène Chapiro-Volpert was born on September 26, 1902 in Paris.

, an actress, in 1943. Their daughter, Dominique Schneidre, is a novelist.

Death

He died on August 6, 1960 in Saint-Tropez.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schneider, Charles 1898 births 1960 deaths Businesspeople from Paris People from Saint-Tropez French military personnel of World War I Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) 20th-century French businesspeople