Christel Heydemann, who succeeds Stéphane Richard, will take over as head of the Orange group next April. His appointment was made official this Friday by the group’s board of directors.
It is a changing group that will lead Christel Heydemann from next spring. In Europe, the new boss will have to continue to manage the transformation of telecom networks, the group’s core business. In France, the old copper network must give way smoothly to fiber. 4G and 5G must also develop.
Christel Heydemann will also have to manage the group’s difficulties in the Spanish market, which is still weighing down finances.
Fortunately, there is Africa. The continent remains Orange’s main growth driver. The new leader should continue to develop the 4G network, already deployed in 17 countries. To pursue the group’s diversification strategy, it will have to support the growth of Orange Money, which already offers its financial solutions to more than 50 million customers, as well as that of Orange Bank Africa, the group’s bank launched two years old.
Investments are needed to maintain an already long-standing presence on the continent, which is increasingly challenged by competition from other multi-service operators.