French satellite operator Eutelsat Group has appointed Éric Labaye as its new chairman. He succeeds Dominique D’Hinnin, who opted not to seek reappointment earlier this year. Labaye’s appointment will be subject to approval at the next shareholders’ general meeting, where he will be nominated for a full term.
“I’m honoured and enthusiastic to join Eutelsat for a new chapter in its development and I want to thank the board members for their trust,” said Labaye. He also paid tribute to the outgoing chairman, D’Hinnin, acknowledging his leadership and expressing optimism about the future of Eutelsat within the rapidly evolving satellite connectivity market.
With over three decades of experience, Labaye has advised international governments and institutions on various strategic and operational challenges. He is the president and co-founder of IDEL Partners and chairs the supervisory board of Ekimetrics, a company specializing in data science and artificial intelligence solutions. Additionally, he serves as a senior adviser at Antin Infrastructure Partners, sits on the board of Rexel and chairs France’s Supervisory Committee of Investments for the Future.
Labaye’s career includes being chairman and president of École Polytechnique, during which he contributed to creating the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, a globally recognized engineering institution. He also spent over 20 years at McKinsey & Company, where he held several senior leadership roles, including managing director of the French office and chair of the McKinsey Global Institute.
In conjunction with Labaye’s appointment, the Eutelsat board approved several other changes. Michel Combes has stepped down from the board, effective Sunday. Meanwhile, Lucia Sinapi-Thomas, the former executive director at Capgemini Ventures, has joined the board as an independent member. Furthermore, Guillemette Kreis has been officially appointed to the board, representing the French state through the Agence des Participations de l’État.
The board changes come on the heels of the recent appointment of Jean-François Fallacher as Eutelsat Group’s new CEO following his predecessor Eva Berneke’s departure in June.
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