On 13 May Denis Ranque, Chairman and CEO of Thales Group, announced the new organization and management team of the Thales group. The goal of this restructuring is to align the Thales' organization with its growth and competitiveness strategy in its Defence, Aerospace and Security activities: strengthening international operations management; better exploiting dual technologies; regrouping assets in Security and Services; simplifying structures and reducing overheads. The projects presented to the Works Council include the creation of six Divisions, instead of the current Business Areas and Business Groups. This would result from the grouping of Thales' activities into the following areas:
Aerospace, Air Systems, Naval, Land and Joint Systems, Security, and Services.

In addition, the Country structures will be homogeneously organized under "International Operations". Denis Ranque wishing to constitute without delay a new team, has appointed a new Executive Committee.
Executive Committee members are:
Bernard Retat, Vice Chairman
Jean-Paul Perrier EVP, Sales and Marketing Thales International
Alex Dorrian, EVP, International Operations. CEO Thales UK
Yves Barou, SVP, Human Resources
Sylvie Dumaine, VP, Communications
Ross McInnes, SVP, Finance
Jean-Loup Picard SVP, Strategy/Research and Technology
Reynald Seznec, SVP, Operations

and the following members, in charge of the project to create the new Divisions:
Alexandre de Juniac, SVP, Air Systems (and Corporate Secretary, in interim phase)
Jean-Paul Lepeytre, SVP, Services
Jean-Georges Malcor, SVP, Naval
François Quentin, SVP, Aerospace
Bruno Rambaud, SVP, Land and Joint Systems
Tim Robinson, SVP, Security

Other important positions within the Divisions or at the Head Office have also been entrusted to Guy Delevacque (Simulation and Defence Services within Services activities), to François Gayet (Senior Vice President, Deputy Managing Director of Thales International), to José Massol (Senior Vice President, Deputy Managing Director of International Operations), to Michel Mathieu (within Air Defense and Air Traffic Management activities), to Bernard Rocquemont (e.Government within Services activities), to Philippe Roger (Government Affairs in Defence and Security). Following these organisational changes, and upon completion of the refocusing of Thales' civil businesses, John Hughes will leave the Group this summer. Michel Roger, after 34 years spent in the Group in various senior responsibilities, will retire shortly. Denis Ranque expresses his gratitude to both for their remarkable contribution to the development of Thales.