Orange, one of the leading mobile operators in the world, announced the appointment of Christel Heydemann as CEO.
Christel Heydemann will replace Stephane Richard, who recently stepped from the role as chairman and CEO.
About Christel Heydemann
Christel Heydemann is currently Executive Vice President Europe Operations and a member of the Executive Committee of Schneider Electric.
Christel Heydemann is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees. 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, Christel Heydemann 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.
Orange selected Christel Heydemann for the CEO job because she is recognized for her experience in the telecoms sector and in managing business transformations.
Stephane Richard’s leaving the telecom giant after spending the past twelve years as the head of Orange.
Orange has tied up with executive search consultancy Spencer Stuart for selecting the right CEO for the top job. Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronner and Bernard Ramanantsoa have also contributed throughout the selection process.
