Effective 1st July 2016, Stéphane Cueille (44) is named Safran Senior Executive Vice President, R&T and Innovation. He also joins the Safran Executive Committee. He replaces Pierre Fabre, who is retiring.

Cueille graduated from the École Polytechnique (1991), and holds a post-graduate degree in solid physics and a PhD in statistical physics (1998).

Holding the rank of “Ingénieur de l'Armement” (defence scientist), he was seconded to Snecma from 1998 to 2001 to work on ceramic matrix composites (CMC). He returned to the French defence procurement agency DGA in 2001, taking various management positions in the aircraft propulsion sector. From 2005 to 2008 he was placed in charge of the Missiles-Space unit in the industrial affairs department (S2IE).

In 2008, he returned to Snecma (Safran), starting in the turbine airfoils quality department at the Gennevilliers plant. He was subsequently named repair general manager in Snecma's Military Engine division, then director of the turbine airfoils Centre of Excellence.

In May 2013 he was appointed Managing Director of Aircelle Ltd, the British subsidiary of Aircelle (Safran) based in Burnley. From January 2015 until this latest appointment, he was director of Safran Tech, Safran's corporate Research & Technology centre.