Satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space has appointed Ben Olivier as the new president and CEO of its UK subsidiary.
Olivier replaces Martin Gee as the head of Thales Alenia Space UK after the latter announced he was retiring.
Gee joined Thales in…
Satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space has appointed Ben Olivier as the new president and CEO of its UK subsidiary.
Olivier replaces Martin Gee as the head of Thales Alenia Space UK after the latter announced he was retiring.
Gee joined Thales in 2013 to spearhead the creation of its UK business and subsequently led its June 2014 acquisition of the space activities of Systems Engineering & Assessment Limited (SEA). Olivier was previously the director of SEA’s space division.
Gee, who was CTO of Yahsat for seven years prior to joining Thales, will continue working for Thales Alenia Space UK in a non-executive role.
Alongside working at SEA, Olivier has held a series of strategic positions in the space industry, including as deputy chairman of the UK National Space Technology Steering Group, board member of the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation, and member of the UK Industrial Space Committee.
Based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus (HISC) in Oxfordshire, Thales Alenia Space UK is part of the company’s strategy to bolster its presence in key countries that invest heavily in the space sector.
The company opened a subsidiary in Germany in 2011 and extended its presence in Belgium by setting up a new office in Leuven in 2013.
