10 things to know about Fathallah Sijilmassi, the AU Commission’s new director-general

1. Economist

Born on 21 August 1966 in Rabat, Fathallah Sijilmassi graduated with a degree in European Economics from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Grenoble in 1989. He later completed his studies with a doctorate in European Economics from the Université des Sciences Sociales de Grenoble.

2. Banker

Sijilmassi started his career in 1989 at the Banque Commerciale du Maroc (BCM), which was owned by Royal Holding. He held various positions there, including that of the bank’s representative in Milan from 1990 to 1992, when he left the white-collar world to join the public sector and more particularly the Ministry of Foreign Trade.

3. Fearsome negotiator