PARIS, October 22. /TASS/. Patrick Pouyanne has been appointed as the director general of the French oil giant Total, the company’s board of directors said following an emergency meeting on Wednesday.

Thierry Desmarest has been named as the president of the corporation without executive functions.

The post of Total’s CEO became vacant after the death of Christophe de Margerie in the jet’s crash at the Moscow airport on Monday.

Pouyanne, 51, has been working for Total for around 20 years. In January 2012, Pouyanne was appointed President, Refining & Chemicals and member of the Executive Committee.