4 million it represents only 2 of the total

As of the National Federation of agricultural credit (CANF) tradition, the President will be elected today is a farmer in strain. Dominique Lefebvre, forty-eight years, comes from a long line of farmers. The evidence is, his family tree, which dates back to 1550, and his ancestor of the time, farmer. But if his predecessor the CANF and now homologous to Credit Agricole SA, Jean-Marie Sander, was the "King of the hop" in Alsace ("Les Echos" of May 19), Dominique Lefebvre, he specialises in cereals.

Youngest of a family of five children, he inherited young, at the age of twenty-two years of operation of 150 hectares of his father, installed in the Beauce since 1952. I except a break of some years devoted to agricultural unionism, he shoe boots almost every weekend, between March and October, to participate in the harvest of wheat with its single employee. Almost a luxury so that, for years, it is only that he assumed this role.

But it must be said that productivity in the harvesting of the wheat is such that it enables it to handle other functions. Since 1989, he became municipal councillor of the commune, Nogent-le-Phaye, a small village of 1,300 people, near Chartres. Well, the nomination for mayor was proposed, but to no avail. "I thought not able to assume it, above all for a matter of time." It is a demanding function, application availability. "I would prefer power to return home on weekends and re-invigorate me completely," he says.

Looking calm, discrete, asked character, Dominique Lefebvre leaves the impression, to listen, that he put a foot almost involuntarily in everything which is not his favourite areas - namely agriculture, cooking, and a passion shared with Philippe Brassac, Secretary General of the CANF to quantum mechanics.

More young President of Fund

It was in 1992, at the request of Louis Perrin, former President of the Permanent Assembly of Chambers of agriculture and President of the regional fund of the Credit Agricole de Beauce and du Perche, which he joined the Board of Directors of the latter. "He had told me that my responsibilities confined to attend 11 meetings per year." I thought it was quite manageable. But I would have never thought be elected President of the Council just three years later! "recalls the leader. Thirty-three years, he became even the youngest President in the history of the Crédit Agricole caisse. "It needed courage to those who gave me confidence", he smiles.

The President of the Val de France - the new name n Fund ' is not the President of the largest Fund of the group. With banking net proceeds of 248 million euros and a net result of 65.4 million, it represents only 2 of the total. But, since its creation in 1995 following the merger of the Caisse de Beauce and du Perche and the Eure and Loir, its exploitation coefficient (which reported expenses to income) has continued to improve, from 81 to 48, the positioning in leading the Pack. Anchored in a small territory of 730.000 inhabitants, two departments (Eure and Loir and Loir-et-Cher), its market share is also impressive: client 405.000, 42 of the collection and 36 of the appropriations.

Choice of peer

Dominique Lefebvre is elected on the basis of this review Is urgent to recall that his presidency is non-executive, he admitted by lowering the voice of a notch that peers who suggested him to appear. This seems little wonder where this father of two children consider its future function such as "of ultimate representative of the members of the Credit Agricole".

His Fund was the first to launch cooperative Associates (CCA) certificate, different titles of investment shares social and solely dedicated to the members. "I have always had the concern that our members are at the forefront." "I thought, with Yves Nanquette, my Director-General of the time, that offer of CCA would be a good way for them to take part in the development of our Fund without betraying the mutual operation model," he said. A rather wise choice. Since July 2003, date of issue, the value of the CCA has increased by 130, included dividend. And other funds have since adopted this product.