Arianespace shareholders voted unanimously to convert the launch operator and subsidiary of Airbus Safran Launchers to an SAS (simplified joint-stock company) at the company’s Annual General Meeting, held in Paris on 27th March.
The modification aims to streamline and modernize Arianespace’s governance to achieve greater responsiveness, facilitate relationships with industrial prime contractors, and be coherent with the new shareholder structure of Arianespace Participation.
The new legal form also comes with changes to the governance of Arianespace, allowing for more cohesive working coordination between the launch operator and its parent company.
With these changes, Airbus Safran Launchers CEO Alain Charmeau, also becomes Chairman of the Board of Directors of the holding company, Arianespace Participation. Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace SAS and CEO of Arianespace Participation, joins the Executive committee of Airbus Safran Launchers as Director of Ariane 5 and Ariane 6 commercial launcher programmes. This position had been held provisionally by Alain Charmeau.
The change was submitted to ESA on 16 March after being approved by Arianespace staff representatives in February 2017. Airbus Safran Launchers has held a 74% stake in Arianespace since 31 December 2016. The balance is held by 17 other shareholders from the European launcher industry.