Eiffage has announced that its 47-year-old Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pierre Berger has died of a heart attack at his home.

On 23 October the company released in a statement:

"Eiffage is announcing with deep regret and great sadness that Eiffage chairman and CEO, Pierre Berger died last night. The thoughts of the management and employees of the group go out to Pierre Berger's wife, children and loved ones."

Pierre Berger was appointed as CEO of Eiffage in 2011 and in 2012 he became chairman. According to sources Eiffage's board met today to discuss his succession.

Prior to that, he worked for Vinci, where he was responsible for restoring margins after the economic downturn in France and Spain.

Eiffage is France's third-largest construction group by sales after Bouygues SA and Vinci. The company is focused on all sectors linked to construction, public works, concessions and industrial-process management. Conceived as a federation of companies, with up to 500 subsidiaries in France alone, Eiffage is the result of the 1993 acquisition by Fougerolle of Société Auxiliaires des Entreprises (SAE).