Atos appoints Paul Saleh as new CEO

Atos announces that Paul Saleh has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Group, by the Board of Directors, taking over from Yves Bernaert who leaves the Group after an intense period of transformation for which the Board is thankful. Paul Saleh’s appointment will be effective as of today. Jacques-François de Prest joins Atos to take over the role of Group CFO, effective on January 29, 2024.

Atos also announces the appointments of Sujatha “Suja” Chandrasekaran and Monika Maurer to the Board of Directors, strengthening its skills in the strategic areas of digital technologies and major transformation projects. Further Directors appointments are currently under review, to continue reinforcing the Board of Directors during this transformation period.

Paul Saleh will primarily focus on refinancing the Group’s financial debts and ongoing or coming negotiations concerning, in particular, the sale of its Tech Foundations business to EPEI and its Big Data & security (BDS) activities to Airbus. He will work closely with Carlo d’Asaro Biondo, Group General Manager, who is in charge of business operations, commercial development, partnerships, product and business delivery efficiency.

Paul is a seasoned leader within the IT services industry. Most recently, Paul was CEO of Gainwell Technologies and has held many executive leadership positions during his distinguished career, including as CFO at CSC/DXC, as CFO and interim CEO at Sprint Nextel Corporation, as well as senior leadership roles at Walt Disney Company. Paul has been Group CFO since August 2023. He holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Michigan. He will bring his strong experience and expertise in turnaround of companies, and especially in the IT industry.

Jacques-François de Prest joins Atos from Mobivia, where he was CFO and Performance Leader. Before that he spent over 20 years in the telecommunications industry, including senior finance roles at both Vodafone and Millicom. Jacques-François holds a graduate degree from ESCP Europe and an MBA from INSEAD.

Jean-Pierre Mustier, Chairman of Atos’s Board of Directors, said: “Paul is a seasoned senior executive, with extensive experience in corporate finance, corporate turnarounds and restructuring – including within the technology industry. He is the right person to lead Atos during this period of transformation as we take decisive and disciplined action to secure the long-term sustainability of our business to the benefit of our 105,000 employees, our clients and our investors. I’m also pleased to welcome Jacques-François de Prest as Group CFO, as well as Sujatha Chandrasekaran and Monika Maurer, two highly experienced board members.”

Paul Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of Atos, said: “During my time as CFO of Atos Group, I have gained deep insight into the company and have a clear understanding of what actions need to be taken to secure a successful and sustainable future for the Group. I look forward to working with the board, Carlo d’Asaro Biondo and the management team to implement these measures in the interest of all stakeholders.”

Yves Bernaert, outgoing Chief Executive Officer of Atos added “I am very proud and grateful to have been able to work with all team members of Atos. I joined the business to run its transformation and development. Based on my conviction and with the support of the board I also worked on adjusting the strategy for the benefit of the company, its employees and shareholders. Due to a difference of opinion on the governance to adjust and execute the strategy, I decided to leave the company. I would like to thank everyone at Atos for their hard work during my time at the business and I wish Atos and all the teams all the best for the future.”

CT Bureau