Eutelsat names new business unit chiefs as it pivots to telecoms

Cyril Dujardin & Laurence Delpy

Satellite operator Eutelsat has named Laurence Delpy as general manager of it video business unit and Cyril Dujardin as general manager of the connectivity business unit.

Eutelsat described the appointments as being at the core of its telecom pivot, which it said will be further strengthened by the combination of Eutelsat and OneWeb announced in July.

The operator said that the creation of two dedicated business units will enhance customer-centricity, boost efficiency and foster growth. Delpy and Dujardin will join Eutelsat’s executive committee as of 29 August 2022 and 10 October 2022 respectively.

Delpy has lived and worked in Asia for most of her professional life, including Singapore and China, where she has held leadership positions in the telecom industry, including driving R&D teams and demonstrating her ability to collaborate and engage with teams with highly diverse profiles.

She comes to Eutelsat from cybersecurity outfit Palo Alto Networks, where she served as VP of the EMEA service provider business.

Dujardin has international experience in the tech industry including smart cards, biometrics, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

He will be joining Eutelsat on October 10 from Atos where he is deputy head of the big data and security business line.

Michel Azibert, Eutelsat Deputy CEO, will act as interim general manager for the connectivity business, pending Dujardin’s arrival.

Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke said: “Both Laurence and Cyril will have the mission of structuring and developing our two Video and Connectivity Business Units in a fast-growing global market. These BUs will build a unique service offering that will be further reinforced by our combination with OneWeb. I am confident that Laurence and Cyril have the strategic vision and operational capabilities to successfully take on these challenges in order to best address the large spectrum of our customers’ needs.”