PARIS, May 26: Edouard Michelin, the joint managing director of the iconic French tyre maker, died in a boating accident in western France on Friday at the age of 43.

A company spokeswoman said Michelin died in the accident off the Ile de Sein island in Brittany, western France, while on a fishing trip. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.

The Michelin company, which was founded in 1889 and is one of France’s most prestigious groups, said that Michel Rollier, who had been joint managing partner along with Edouard Michelin, would “assure the continuity of the company’s management.”

He had a stint in France’s navy from 1987 to 1988 before going back to the Michelin group.

His decision to cut 7,000 jobs led to an attack on Edouard Michelin by then French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, who called on workers and politicians to unite in protest at the move.

However, Edouard Michelin rode through the backlash, saying the job cuts were necessary to enable his family’s company to compete with global rivals

in Japan and the United States.—Reuters