The Alstom board has approved a major reorganization of the company proposed by Patrick Kron, chairman and chief executive officer of Alstom. This reorganization is effective on July 4, 2011.
Alstom has undergone a period of strong growth, followed by the necessary adaptation to a tougher economic environment created by the crisis. As the company is experiencing a rebound in orders, this new organization will allow the group to better anticipate the structural changes in its business, accelerate its development and achieve its performance objectives. It will strengthen the group's ability to address strategic moves, focus the sectors on their operational objectives (commercial efficiency, product development, quality and project execution) and simplify the ways of working (quicker and leaner decision making processes, and empowerment).
This reorganisation includes the creation of a position of deputy chief executive officer, the reshaping of the operational activities of the group into four sectors and a major evolution of its executive committee.
Philippe Joubert, who has successfully led the recovery and the development of the power sector, is appointed deputy chief executive officer. He assists Patrick Kron in the strategy and Group development, the sustainable development and the supervision of the international network.
The operational activities of the group, which were until now, split into three sectors (Power, Transport and Grid) will now be organised in four sectors:
• Alstom Thermal Power,
• Alstom Renewable Power,
• Alstom Grid,
• Alstom Transport.
The split of the current power sector into two sectors, thermal and renewable, will allow the functioning of both entities to be simplified and to better address their specific markets.
Each of these four sectors will have a new president:
• Philippe Cochet, currently senior vice president Alstom Hydro and Wind within the power wector, is appointed president of Alstom Thermal Power and executive vice president of Alstom. The new Alstom Thermal Power Sector has sales of over €9 billion (in 2010/11) and 38,000 employees. It covers gas, steam and nuclear power generation as well as the Service and Automation & Control activities.
• Jérôme Pécresse, who leaves Imerys to join Alstom, is appointed president of the Alstom Renewable Power Sector and executive vice president of Alstom. The new Alstom Renewable Power Sector has sales of around €2 billion (2010/11) and 10,000 employees. It covers Hydro, Wind and other renewable sources of energy.
• Henri Poupart-Lafarge, currently executive vice president of Alstom and president of the Grid Sector, is appointed president of the Transport Sector. He leaves Alstom Grid at the request of Patrick Kron to replace Philippe Mellier, whose departure from the company was announced on 16 May. Alstom Transport has sales of more than €5 billion (2010/11) and 24,000 employees.
• Grégoire Poux-Guillaume, a former Alstom manager, leaves CVC Capital Partners to return to Alstom. He is appointed president of the Alstom Grid Sector and executive vice president of Alstom. The Grid Sector has sales of more than €4 billion (2010/11 pro-forma) and 19,000 employees.
In addition, Keith Carr, group general counsel since April 2011, and Bruno Guillemet, senior vice president human resources of the group since September 2010, join the executive committee. Bruno Guillemet replaces Patrick Dubert who joined Alstom in 2003 as senior vice president, human resources and who will continue to assist the CEO on specific missions and projects.
Alstom's executive committee will have nine members, of which five new members. Around Kron as chairman and chief executive officer, the executive committee will be composed of Philippe Joubert, deputy chief execliutive officer; Philippe Cochet, president of Alstom Thermal Power and executive vice president; Jérôme Pécresse, president of Alstom Renewable Power and executive vice president; Henri Poupart-Lafarge, president of Alstom Transport and executive vice president; Grégoire Poux-Guillaume, president of Alstom Grid and executive vice pPresident; Nicolas Tissot, chief financial officer; Bruno Guillemet, senior vice president, human resources; Keith Carr, general counsel.