RNS Number:5511P
Lafarge
9 September 2003

                                                                   PRESS RELEASE

Euronext: LG, NYSE: LR                                  Paris, September 9, 2003

                    Juan Gallardo is co-opted to serve 

                         as a Director of Lafarge


Juan Gallardo was co-opted to serve as a Director of Lafarge by the Board of 
Directors in its meeting chaired by Bertrand Collomb on September 3, 2003.

Juan Gallardo is a prominent leader of Mexican and international business. He is
Chairman of the board of GEUSA (Grupo Embotelladoras Unidas, S.A. de C.V), a
major Mexican bottling company and has several other corporate responsibilities.
In his role as Chairman of the Mexican trade organisation, he has been at the
forefront of efforts to build the North American Free Trade market (NAFTA) and
the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. He has been a member of the
International Advisory Council of Lafarge since 1996.

This appointment will be ratified at the next Annual General Meeting on May 25, 
2004. He replaces Richard Haythornthwaite in this position.

Bertrand Collomb, Chairman of the Board of Lafarge, said "we are pleased to
welcome Juan Gallardo as a Director of Lafarge. His leading role in
international business development, his broad experience of management and his
knowledge of our Group will be a valuable asset."

Lafarge is the world leader in building materials, and employs 77,000 people in
75 countries. The Group holds top-ranking positions in all four of its
Divisions: Cement, Aggregates & Concrete, Roofing and Gypsum. Lafarge posted
sales of Euro14.6 billion in 2002. More information is available on:
www.lafarge.com

PRESS CONTACTS:                          INVESTOR RELATIONS:
 
Veronique Doux: (+33) 1 44 34 19 47      James Palmer: (+33) 1 44 34 11 26
veronique.doux@lafarge.com               james.palmer@lafarge.com

Brunswick                                Daniele Daouphars: (+33) 1 44 34 11 51
Rurik Ingram 44-20-7404 5959             daniele.daouphars@lafarge.com
ringram@brunswickgroup.com


                                  Profile 

                               Juan Gallardo

Juan Gallardo, aged 56, is Chairman of the Board of GEUSA (Grupo Embotelladoras
Unidas, S.A. de C.V) a major Mexican bottling company which has a joint
venture with PepsiCo.

In addition, Juan Gallardo is Chairman of the Board of The Mexico Fund, the
first Mexican investment fund, registered on Wall Street and The First Mexico
Income Fund. Juan Gallardo is Vice Chairman of Home Mart de Mexico, S.A de C.V.,
a retail trade company.

He is also a Member of the Board of the following companies: Nacional de Drogas,
the largest distributor of pharmaceuticals in Mexico; Intercon, a diversified
holding company and Grupo Mexico, Mexico's largest mining and railroad
transportation group. He also sits on the International Advisory Council of
Textron, Inc. and has been a member of the Board of Directors of Caterpillar,
Inc. since 1997.

His achievements have led Juan Gallardo to be regarded as a leading figure
within the Mexican and international business communities. He is a member of the
Consejo Mexicano de Hombres de Negocios, the Mexican counterpart of the U.S.
Business Round Table. Juan Gallardo is Vice Chairman of the Mexican Chapter of
the Consejo Empresario de America Latina (CEAL) the leading Latin-American
private sector organization.

In June 1990, the Mexican business community chose him to be the Coordinator of
COECE, a special ad-hoc alliance of all Mexican private sector organisations
formed to promote expanded trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada,
and the rest of the world, particularly in the context of the North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the Free Trade Agreement with the European
Union. Created under the auspices of the Consejo Coordinador Empresarial - the
main coordinating body in the Mexican business community - COECE functions as
the private sector advisory structure to the Mexican government on issues
related to free trade agreements. Mr. Gallardo served in this capacity for over
12 years.

After completing his French Baccalaureat, Juan Gallardo was awarded a degree in 
law at the Escuela Libre de Derecho.

                                                                  September 2003



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END
BOAFKLFBXKBXBBX