Steve Collar, SES’ new CEO and president. Photo: SES.

SES’ board of directors announced its decision to appoint a new president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective April 5. Steve Collar, who is currently CEO of SES Networks, will become the new SES president and CEO, while Andrew Browne, who was until recently CFO of O3b Networks and CFO of SES between 2010 and 2013, has been reappointed as the next SES CFO. Over the coming weeks, they will work closely with Karim Michel Sabbagh, the current president and CEO, and Padraig McCarthy, the current CFO, in order to ensure a smooth handover.

Karim Michel Sabbagh announced during the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) that he would be stepping down from his role to spend more time with his family and pursue new interests. Padraig McCarthy also informed the board of his intention to retire during 2018; he will remain at the disposal of the company thereafter.

The other members of the executive committee, Ferdinand Kayser (CEO, SES Video), Christophe De Hauwer (Chief Strategy and Development Officer), Martin Halliwell (Chief Technology Officer), Evie Roos (Chief Human Resources Officer) and John Purvis (Chief Legal Officer), all remain in place. The company has not yet announced a successor to Steve Collar as CEO of SES Networks.

“I am excited to lead SES into its next phase of development, building on the achievements of 2017 and the foundations that have been laid,” Collar said. “Our focus will be on strong execution in the short term, continuing to roll out differentiated services to our customers, and staying focused on the long term delivery of our forward-looking strategy.”