In 1990, he became comms director for Lyonnaise Communications, and, six years later, was named the associate comms director of the Banque de France.
He replaces Elisabeth Ardaillon-Poirier who earlier this month was
named the new comms director of the European Central Bank at Frankfurt. She accompanied the Banque de France's former director Jean-Claude Trichet, formally appointed to head the ECB on 17 October, upon the resignation of Wim Duisenberg; whose main claim to fame was overseeing the introduction of the Euro as the single currency for most of the European Union's countries, four years ago.
At the Banque de France, Francois de Coustin's main task will be to continue the implementation of the single monetary policy of the European Central Bank, within the framework of the ECB. This should prove easier for the French now that Ms Ardaillon-Poirier - who worked alongside de Coustin for the past seven years at the Banque de France's headquarters near the Louvre Museum - is in charge of communications at the ECBT.