Jean-Pierre Jouyet, French economist, was born February 13, 1954. After having graduated from the prestigious Institute for Poltical Science (Institute d'études politiques, IEP, otherwise known as Science Po), and later from Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA), he worked nearly two decades for the French government. He worked as an official for the French ministry of Economy and Finance (1980), was engaged in the simplification of the French tax system (1983), and had further government posts until 1991.

From 1991 to 1995, Jean-Pierre Jouyet took part in the works of the European Union, in his last year of that period acting as Chief of Staff of the European Commission.

After participation in the government of Lionel Jospin from 1997 to 2000, and a four-year period as "Directeur du Trésor", he became the president of the Paris Club.

In the wake of Wolfowitz's nomination to head the World Bank, European governments were concerned about that banks possible shift to the current American administration's policy of spreading democracy. Jean-Pierre Jouyet has been mentioned to hold a proposed new post of deputy to the president at the World Bank, thus tempering European fears of the multinational organisation becoming an instrument of American foreign policy.

Curriculum Vitae, at the site of the Paris Club: [1]