With a new CTIO, Head of Europe, CEOs for Belgium and Spain and leader for the Engage2025 strategy, there are plenty of new faces in the Orange executive management team.

Although this should not be seen as a complete overhaul of the business, Stéphane Richard is still the big boss and Ramon Fernandez is still effectively his second-in-command, quite a few executives will have to get used to a new role.

“The months ahead include some uncertainties but also real opportunities, whether that means accelerating digital transformation, making further technological progress (5G, network function virtualisation, cloud, edge) or taking advantage of developments specific to our telecoms sector,” Richard said.

“We are actively preparing to detect and where possible seize these opportunities. We need to accelerate and shorten our reaction and decision times so that we can confront with confidence the profound changes brought about by the global epidemic.”

Here are the changes to be aware of:

• Ramon Fernandez becomes Executive Director Finance, Performance and Development, which is similar to his previous role though he will no-longer directly oversee European operations
• Gervais Pellissier is now the Executive Director Human Resources and Group Transformation, responsible for making sure the workforce is ready for the digital era
• Current CTIO Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière is in charge of all European operations, excluding France, with a particular focus on the deployment of 5G and full-fibre broadband
• Michaël Trabbia will become Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, leaving his role as CEO of the Belgian business
• Béatrice Mandine’s role has expanded to Executive Director Communications, Engagement and Brand
• Elisabeth Tchoungui has been appointed Executive Director CSR, Diversity and Philanthropy, responsible for the pillar of the Engage2025 strategy dealing with corporate social responsibility and sustainability
• Jean-François Fallacher will shift from CEO of Poland to CEO of Spain
• As well as being Group Financial Director, Jérémie Dutray will also be responsible for transforming the mobile infrastructure operational model

These are some significant changes for the business, though there will still be two new appointments in the immediate future to fill the currently vacant roles of Belgium CEO and Poland CEO.

While it is hardly unusual for management changes en masse as we are seeing here, there are some very interesting elements to keep an eye on.

Fernandez is no-longer responsible for European operations, though it remains to be seen what ‘development’ and ‘flagship projects’ actually translates to. As for Dutray, ‘transforming the mobile infrastructure operational model’ is sufficiently vague enough to capture the imagination.

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