After World War I (1914–18) he joined one of the family companies as a factory worker, and quickly became an executive.

[2] He was the great grandson of Léon Talabot, one of the founders of the French railway industry.

[4] Jacques' father Léon trained as an engineer at the École centrale, specializing in mining and metallurgy.

[3] Léon was involved in various businesses and became chief executive officer of Compagnie de Mokta-El Hadid, an Algeria iron mining company.

[3] He became general secretary of the company in 1921, a director, then president and chief executive officer.

[3] The Centre des jeunes patrons was created due to the concerns of private business owners after the Popular Front won the 1936 elections.

This was the first of a series of mergers in the French steel industry, followed by the creation of Sidélor, Lorraine-Escaut and Sollac.

He was an administrator of Tubes de Valenciennes, Commentry-Fourchambault et Decazeville and Omnium Industriel et Commercial.