Fernand Hautain was a Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 businessman and governor of the National Bank of Belgium

National Bank of Belgium

The National Bank of Belgium has been the central bank of Belgium since 1850...

 (NBB) from 1923 until 1926.

Career

He started his career at an early age, and combined working with evening classes and self-tuition. He started working for the NBB at the age of 19, as a bank clerk in the bank's branch in his home town of Nivelles

Nivelles

Nivelles is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the old communes of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux....

 and three years went on to work as a clerk at the Brussels head office. In 1901, Fernand Hautain was appointed an agent in Philippeville

Philippeville

Philippeville is a Walloon municipality located in Belgium in the province of Namur. The Philippeville municipality includes the old communes of Fagnolle, Franchimont, Jamagne, Jamiolle, Merlemont, Neuville, Omezée, Roly, Romedenne, Samart, Sart-en-Fagne, Sautour, Surice , Villers-en-Fagne,...

 and then in La Louvière

La Louvière

La Louvière is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. La Louvière's municipality includes the old communes of Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pierre, Saint-Vaast, Trivières, Boussoit, Houdeng-Aimeries, Houdeng-Gœgnies, Maurage, and Strépy-Bracquegnies...

, where in 1907 he became the manager of the discount office. As a businessman, he became commissioner for a several industrial limited companies. When World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 broke out, he was appointed as a director of the Bank and after the war, in 1923, he succeeded Leon Van der Rest

Leon Van der Rest

Léon Van der Rest was a Belgian lawyer, businessman and governor of the National Bank of Belgium from 1918 until 1923.-Career:...

 as governor of the NBB.

During his term as governor, the Belgian government tried to deal with the postware monetary crisis and to stabilise the belgian franc

Belgian franc

The franc was the currency of Belgium until 2002 when the euro was introduced into circulation. It was subdivided into centimes , 100 centiem or Centime .-History:...

. In 1926, Emile Francqui

Emile Francqui

Emile Francqui was a Belgian soldier, diplomat and business man. Being an orphan, he was sent to the military school when he was 15 years old...

, as minister Minister without Portfolio was the architect of the reform plan which would solve the monetary crisis. The bad relationship between Emile Francqui and Fernand Hautain would lead to the dismissal of Fernand Hautain from office. He was succeeded by Louis Franck

Louis Franck

This article is about Louis Franck the lawyer and not about Louis Franck the frontman of Esthetic Education.Louis Marie François Franck was a Belgian lawyer, liberal politician and statesman.-Education:...

.

After his dismissal, Hautain returned to the business world, and he remained deputy administrator of the Société Nationale de Crédit à l'Industrie, which he had helped to establish in 1919.

Sources

• P. Kauch, Fernand Hautain, neuvième Gouverneur de la Banque Nationale de Belgique (1868-1942), Bruxelles, BNB, 1960
• Fernand Hautain