Bertrand Meunier informed the Board of Directors of his desire to step down as Chairman and Director of the Board.
The Nominations and Governance Committee, chaired by Elizabeth Tinkham, Lead Independent Director, conducted a thorough selection process with the support of a leading executive search firm, and assessed both internal and external candidates.
At its meeting held on October 14, 2023, upon the recommendation of the Nomination and Governance Committee, the Board unanimously approved the appointment of Jean Pierre Mustier as non-executive Chairman and Laurent Collet-Billon as non-executive Vice-Chairman, effective immediately.
The Board of Directors would like to thank Bertrand Meunier for his many years of dedication to Atos and his essential contribution as Chairman of the Board of Directors, since 2019, which he has chaired with integrity and responsibility.
Bertrand Meunier said: “During my time as Chairman, the governance of Atos has been strengthened with a renewed, tightened, more international and diversified Board of Directors. Recently, the Group welcomed a new CEO and a new CFO who will pursue the Group's fundamental transformation. My commitment to the global and transformative transaction has always been driven by the preservation of the company's corporate interest. Eviden is the only French solution capable of meeting the national and European sovereignty challenges. I am pleased to hand over the Group Chairman position to Jean-Pierre Mustier. His unwavering support has been invaluable to me, and I know that the management team will be able to count on him as they work together to lead the Group to success."
Jean Pierre Mustier has been serving as an independent director of the Group’s Board of Directors since May 2023. Since then, he has been actively contributing to the Board, in particular as Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee. His extensive experience in leading major French and European groups, his in-depth knowledge of corporate governance, his financial skills and his understanding of the digital sector are key skills for Atos.
Laurent Collet-Billon has been serving as an independent director of the Group’s Board of Directors since May 2023. Having reached the highest rank in the French military and as a former chief executive officer of the Directorate General of Armaments (“DGA”) of France, he brings invaluable experience, expertise and vision particularly in the digital, defense and cybersecurity sectors, in the context of the Group’s strategic plan.
Jean-Pierre Mustier, Chairman of the Board of Directors, commented: “I would like to thank Bertrand Meunier for his contribution to the Group and look forward, together with Laurent Collet-Billon and the whole board to work closely with the management team to move forward the transformation of the group in the interest of all of its stakeholders, clients, employees and shareholders."
