Alain Jermannaud
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Alain was born in 1945 and died on June 24, 2024 at 79 years old.
Alain met his wife Francine in Guadeloupe in the early 1970s and they had two children, Paul and Julie who were both born in France. For the last 30 years Alain and Francine have lived in Soulac-sur-Mer, the beach town at the northern tip of the Médoc region on the Atlantic coast of France.
Education and Interests
Alain attended Agro Grignon (the National Agronomic School of Grignon), which later became part of the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon, from 1965 to 1968. Alain was a prominent member of his class. Wherever he went, Alain easily imposed his stature. But at Grignon, he was appreciated above all for his kindness and ability to listen, combined with a finesse of mind that enabled him to complete his studies without fail.
At Grignon, he was immediately involved in the two "major" institutions of our school: the Lyre and its rugby team, and was appreciated for it! The Lyre was a group of 8 students elected by their peers to oversee the running of the class and its links with the school administration. Alain was known for his baritone timbre, which he continued to display at alumni gatherings, and in the Médoc choirs he enjoyed frequenting throughout his semi-retirement. In his involvement in rugby, he was both the beam of the pack and the chief fireworks man, responsible for all kicking the penalties and conversions. Those who know rugby will recognize that a lock who is also the team kicker is extremely rare! In his position as 2nd row forward (lock), he was involved in all the battles and immediately proved himself to be "tough as nails".
Alain remained stoic through various health issues during his life, always remaining positive, emphasizing that he was back in shape and busy as usual with the things that were dear to his heart: his garden, of which he was justifiably very proud, his passion for good food and wine (from the Médoc, of course, but not only), his annual "Soulac 1900" event, and so on. When he took on a responsibility, he invested all his skill and seriousness in it, and efficiency was the order of the day!
Career
Alain’s career was marked by his dual need for openness and discovery:
1969-1970 Military cooperation in Honduras: Banana expert at the National Agrarian Institute Return to mainland France
1970-1971 Naves insemination cooperative: Creation of the Limousin producers' group Departure for the West Indies
1971-1975 DDA Guadeloupe: Development of livestock farming. He also learned to fly, and above all he met Francine and fell under her spell for good...
1975-1977 COFRANIMEX Limoges, France: Limousin export manager
1977-1983 RHONE-POULENC/AEC Food additives: Export manager for Northern Europe. At the same time, he decides to take over the family cattle farm in Limousin, and Paul and Julie, his two treasures, were born...
1983-1987 ROUSSEL UCLAF Produits phytosanitaires Cameroun: Manager Central and West Africa
1987-1989 ROUSSEL UCLAF Produits phytosanitaires Cote d'Ivoire: Manager Central and West Africa
1989-1990 ROUSSEL UCLAF Produits phytosanitaires Cameroun: Responsable Afrique Centre et Ouest
1990-1992 ROUSSEL UCLAF Paris, France: Développement Produits préservation Bois Paris (Responsable lutte anti termites, etc.)
1992-1994 ROUSSEL UCLAF London, UK: Responsable monde RetD lutte anti termites
1994- Soulac sur Mer, France: Creation of HEPEX: Expert Consultant Préservation Bois et lutte anti termites
Alain's desire "for discovery" took him to 3 continents and 99 countries worldwide. While travel was strong during the first part of his career (25 years), this faded somewhat during the second part of his 30-year career. Although business trips continued, they were no doubt less frequent and shorter. By setting up his own company in Soulac sur Mer, Alain was able to create the right conditions for his family and children to flourish, without curbing his professional interests. As a result, his expertise in termite control grew to become one of the best in the world.
Alain worked with and consulted for many different organizations throughout his career with HEPEX. Alain was also a skilled and gifted presenter, and was sought after for many and varied scientific and technological presentations to both industry partners and various technical associations, including the IRG, over his 30 active years with HEPEX.
IRG
Alain joined the IRG during the 1990s and became very well known to the IRG community. The first IRG meeting Alain attended was IRG22 in Kyoto, Japan in 1991. Alain went on to participate in at least 26 IRG conferences through to the IRG50 meeting in Quebec, Canada in 2019, a remarkable number indeed.
Alain was an active participant in every IRG meeting he attended, bringing knowledge and insight, as well as charm, humor and friendliness wherever he went. Francine accompanied Alain to many of the IRG meetings, especially in later years, and her warmth and charm were welcome by all who met with the extraordinary couple representing the best of France.
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This Memorial was written for inclusion with the July 2024 IRG Newsletter.