Eutelsat appoints Eric Labaye as Chairman

Broadcast Pro

2 days ago

Eric Labaye brings over three decades of experience in telecommunications, high-tech and public sector strategy.
Eutelsat Communications has appointed Éric Labaye as the new Chairman of both Eutelsat Communications and Eutelsat SA, following approval by the Board of Directors at its latest meeting. Labaye succeeds Dominique D’Hinnin, who had earlier announced he would not seek renewal of his mandate beyond February 2025. Labaye’s appointment is effective from August 4, 2025, and he will serve as Chairman until the next Shareholders' General Meeting, where his appointment will be proposed for a full term.
The board also confirmed other key changes to its composition. Michel Combes has stepped down from his position, effective August 3, while Lucia Sinapi-Thomas has been co-opted as an independent board member. In addition, Guillemette Kreis, representing France’s Agence des Participations de l’État (APE), joins the board as the French State’s representative. With these changes, the board will comprise ten members, six of whom are independent, and five women—achieving a 50% female representation.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Vice-President and Co-Chair of the Board, said: “I want to thank Dominique D’Hinnin for his exemplary leadership of Eutelsat over the past eight years. Dominique oversaw the merger of Eutelsat and OneWeb that created Eutelsat Group as the first combined GEO/LEO satellite constellation, and ensured there is a European player at the forefront of satellite connectivity globally, including with the Iris² project.
He added: 'I welcome the appointment of Eric Labaye as Chairman of Eutelsat Group to preside over the company in its next stage. Eric Labaye is a leader with immense experience that will be invaluable to Eutelsat in the years ahead. I look forward to working with Eric, Lucia and Guillemette and the full board to shape the future of Eutelsat.'
Dominique D’Hinnin commented: 'Eutelsat Group is now well positioned to provide its customers with a superior satellite-based connectivity service on a worldwide basis. I want to thank all the Eutelsat and OneWeb employees and the management team for their outstanding work, in a challenging competitive environment; their dedication and skills are the main basis for the future success of the Eutelsat Group.'
Jean-François Fallacher noted: 'I extend my warmest thanks to Dominique D’Hinnin for his support as part my joining Eutelsat. Dominique has successfully presided over a major step-change in Eutelsat’s strategic journey, notably its telecom pivot, which positions Eutelsat as a unique player thanks to our unmatched portfolio of GEO and LEO solutions.'
He added: 'I am delighted Dominique is passing the baton to Eric Labaye, a seasoned strategy and tech expert, and I look forward to working with Eric to take Eutelsat to the next level.'
Eric Labaye remarked: '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. I would like to pay tribute to Dominique D’Hinnin for his critical leadership in the strategic evolutions of the company. Eutelsat has outstanding fundamentals and unique assets to succeed in the innovative and fast-changing satellite connectivity sector. I look forward to working with the board, Jean-François Fallacher and the executive team of Eutelsat to fulfill the company mission.'
Éric Labaye has worked for over 30 years for international clients in the telecommunications, high-tech and industrial sectors, as well as governments and public institutions on a variety of strategic and operational issues. He is the president and co-founder of IDEL Partners, an advisory firm focusing on major development and transformation topics. He is also the chairman of the supervisory board of Ekimetrics, a AI solutions company, senior advisor at Antin Infrastructure Partners, independent member of the board of Rexel and was appointed in April 2024 Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Investments for the Future in France. From 2018 to 2023, he was the Chairman and President of École Polytechnique, the elite French engineering school and of Institut Polytechnique de Paris, a top 40 global institution, of which he led the creation in 2019. Previously, Éric Labaye was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he was Managing Director of the French office (2002-2010), led the firm’s Global Knowledge and Communication Function as a member of the Global Executive Committee (2010-2013), chaired the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the firm's business and economics research arm (2010-2016) and was a member of the Firm’s board for nine years.