James Michel

Who is James Michel?

James Alix Michel is a Seychellois politician who served as the third President of Seychelles from 2004 to 2016. Born on 16 August 1944 on Mahe, he began his career as a teacher before moving into the islands' growing tourism sector and joining the Seychelles People's United Party ahead of independence in 1976. As the party evolved into the Seychelles People's Progressive Front, Michel rose through its Central Executive Committee and held a series of ministerial portfolios under President France-Albert Rene, including roles overseeing land use, tourism and defence. He served as Vice-President from 1996 to 2004 and became President on 14 July 2004 when Rene stepped down before the end of his term. Michel was subsequently elected in his own right in 2006 with 53.7 percent of the vote and re-elected in 2011 with 55.4 percent, governing through a period of economic diversification and growing international attention to Seychelles' marine conservation and blue-economy initiatives. He resigned the presidency on 16 October 2016, less than a year into a third term, handing power to Vice-President Danny Faure. After leaving office he founded the James Michel Foundation to support projects on climate change and the blue economy, and remains active as an international voice on ocean sustainability.

Sources: James Michel, Wikipedia · Encyclopaedia Britannica, "James Michel" · jamesalixmichel.com, official biography