Orange names Laurent Martinez as new CFO to help ‘lead the future’

Laurent Martinez

Telco group Orange has announced the appointment of Laurent Martinez as executive director in charge of finance, performance and development from September 1, 2023. Until Martinez joins the firm, Jean-Michel Thibaud, currently deputy chief financial officer of the group, will act as interim manager during this transition period.

Martinez has been Alstom’s chief financial officer and member of its executive committee since 2018. During this period, he played a key role in transforming Alstom. As a graduate in electrical and telecommunications engineering and with a Master’s degree in finance and accounting, he also spent a significant part of his career at Airbus.

Christel Heydemann, chief executive officer of Orange, said: “I am delighted to welcome Laurent Martinez to head group finances. His experience in business transformation will be of great value for the deployment of our new strategic plan Lead the Future.”

The Lead the Future plan was unveiled by Orange in February of this year. At the time, the company said the new blueprint “aims to generate value from the recognised excellence of its core business and to grow sustainably in Europe, Africa and the Middle East”. Orange also confirmed “the repositioning of its Enterprise activities in next generation connectivity solutions and the acceleration in cybersecurity”.

Introducing Lead the Future in February, Heydemann said: “The quality of our infrastructure, our customers’ satisfaction and the expertise of our teams as well as our solid finances give us an unrivalled competitive advantage. This plan aims to position Orange as the group that builds the future of telecoms and digital solutions. Our aim is sustainable growth, particularly in cybersecurity, in Africa and the Middle East.”