Jean-Pierre Farandou left the SNCF presidency on October 13, 2025, to become Minister of Labor. Laurent Trevisani, deputy general director for strategy and finance, is serving as interim CEO until the new one arrives. Jean Castex has been proposed as successor, but parliamentary validation is delayed by political instability.
Jean-Pierre Farandou, who had led the SNCF for six years, was appointed Minister of Labor and Solidarities in Sébastien Lecornu's second government, announced on Sunday, October 12, 2025. Known for his openness to dialogue, particularly on railroad workers' pensions, Farandou left the SNCF presidency on Monday, October 13, after 44 uninterrupted years with the group. His mandate had expired in spring 2024, and he reached the age limit of 68 in the summer.
The SNCF was caught off guard by this sudden departure, as the company expected Farandou to stay until his successor effectively arrived. President Emmanuel Macron had proposed Jean Castex, former Prime Minister and RATP CEO, to head the SNCF on September 26, 2025. However, this nomination requires validation by parliamentary commissions, a process suspended due to political instability following Lecornu's resignation.
In the meantime, Laurent Trevisani is serving as interim CEO from October 13, 2025, until the new president-director general takes office, in line with the company's statutes. A graduate of the Grenoble National Polytechnic Institute and Essec, Trevisani began his career in 1988 at Arthur Andersen, then joined Elf Aquitaine in 1993. He joined SNCF in 1996 as financial director of the Fret Naviland Cargo subsidiary, before becoming its general director and then moving to SNCF Proximités.
In July 2012, he was appointed group strategy director and general director of SNCF Participations, in charge of mergers and acquisitions. In October 2014, he expanded his role as director of Finance and Development for SNCF Mobilités. Since November 2019, he has been deputy general director for Strategy and Finance.