Satellite operator Eutelsat has appointed Jean-François Fallacher as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Fallacher joins Eutelsat following a lengthy career at Orange where he was latterly Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Orange France. Before that, he led Orange’s operations in various countries including Spain, Romania and Poland.
Before his career at Orange, Fallacher held several roles in R&D, sales and operations, including Chief Operating Officer of internet service provider Wanadoo in the Netherlands and Chief Executive Officer of Sofrecom, a consulting company specialising in the telecoms sector.
Fallacher succeeds Eva Berneke, who has steered the company since January 2022. She led the company during its merger with and integration of OneWeb in 2023, its appointment as one of the core players in the planned EU IRIS2 multi-orbit constellation, and the disposal of its passive ground segment.
Eutelsat delivers content to over 274 million homes across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Around 6500 TV channels, 2200 HDTV channels and 1100 radio stations now broadcast via its 34 satellites.
Dominique D’Hinnin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eutelsat, commented: “On behalf of myself, Vice-Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, and the other members of the board, I warmly thank Eva Berneke for her dynamic and committed leadership through these significant milestones in Eutelsat’s development and for delivering on our telecoms pivot strategy, in a period that has seen significantly increased competitive and geopolitical pressure.
"I am delighted to welcome Jean-François Fallacher as he picks up the baton from Eva. With his proven track record of success and wealth of experience and expertise, I am convinced he is the right leader to take Eutelsat forward and successfully steward the company through the opportunities and challenges which will undoubtedly present themselves in the coming years.”
Fallacher said: “I am excited to be joining Eutelsat at such a pivotal moment in its history. Technology is evolving faster than ever, and in today’s increasingly complex geopolitical context, satellite networks have become a key element in the Connectivity landscape. I am convinced Eutelsat has the fundamentals to be a winner in this environment, and I look forward to building on Eva’s foundations, and working with its talented teams to ensure we achieve our goals.”
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