Orange’s Board of Directors, which met on 28 January, has appointed Christel Heydemann as CEO of Orange with effect from 4 April 2022.
In appointing Christel Heydemann, Schneider Electric’s current Executive Vice President Europe Operations, the Board has selected a candidate who is recognized for her experience in the telecoms sector and in managing business transformations. To safeguard the continuity of the Group’s operations and to ensure the smoothest possible transition, the Board has asked Stéphane Richard to continue as Chairman & CEO until Christel Heydemann takes up her role.
Christel Heydemann is currently Executive Vice President Europe Operations and a member of the Executive Committee of Schneider Electric. A graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, she began her career in 1997 at Boston Consulting Group. In 1999, she joined Alcatel where she was entrusted with a range of roles and responsibilities, specifically in the context of the merger of Alcatel and Lucent. In 2011, she was appointed to Alcatel-Lucent’s Executive Committee as Director of Human Resources and Transformation. In 2014, she joined Schneider Electric as the Director of Strategic Alliances and in April 2017 she was appointed as Executive Vice President of Schneider Electric France and subsequently Executive Vice President Europe Operations in May 2021.
Stéphane Richard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orange SA
Christel’s involvement as a Board member and her long experience at Alcatel and then Schneider Electric means she has an excellent understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the digital future and the critical role this will play in the decades ahead.
Christel Heydemann, Incoming CEO, Orange SA
I would like to thank the Board members for their confidence. As a member of the Board for nearly five years, I have gained a solid understanding of the technological challenges and opportunities that lie before us. I know that these are significant, but it is equally a huge honour to be able to contribute to the development of one of the leading players in our industry and Orange will have my total commitment as we set about this task.
