Here's the gentleman's background. He was a graduate of a very tough engineering university (CalTech or MIT level), held managerial post at TOTAL,
He was born on the Caribbean island of St. Martin, and graduated from the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris (UPMC is part of the Sorbonne). UPMC is well-regarded in the sciences, it does offer engineering, but I believe the Sorbonne's principal engineering school is the Université de Technologie de Compiègne. Supposedly English fluent.