Former IMS Health CEO Louis-Dreyfus Dies

Robert Louis-Dreyfus, former CEO of pharma MR giant IMS Health and the main shareholder in French soccer team Olympique Marseille, has died at the age of 63 after a long battle with leukaemia.

Louis-Dreyfus (or 'RLD' as he was known) was born in Paris in 1946 as heir to a dynasty of grain brokers and shipowners. He became a Swiss national in 1995.

From 1984 to 1989, Louis-Dreyfus was CEO of IMS Health in the US, before selling the firm to Dun & Bradstreet for $1.7bn.

He then joined Saatchi & Saatchi as CEO in London, where he was credited with a restructure that saved the firm's fortunes. He later joined sports manufacturer Adidas as CEO and major shareholder, where he revamped the company's management, marketing and product line, before leaving in 2001 to return to the family business.

He presided over Olympique Marseille (OM) for 13 years, during which time the team missed out in the final of the UEFA Cup on two occasions - in 1999 against Parma and in 2004 against Valencia. He is reputed to have invested EUR 200m in OM, and his family plan to retain control of the club.

Louis-Dreyfus is survived by his wife, Margarita, and their three children.