EADS announced today that Jean-Paul Gut, Chief Operating Officer for Marketing, Strategy and Global Development, is to leave the company effective on 1 October 2007 at the end of a four-month notice period. He will remain a member of the EADS Board of Directors until this date. This follows a divergence in views over the organisation of the sales and marketing function within the Group.
Nonetheless, EADS and Mr. Gut had no disagreement over strategy. EADS is therefore keen to continue benefiting from his competence and expects to announce the shape of their continued cooperation in the near future. EADS would like to pay tribute to Mr. Gut’s remarkable qualities and to his major contribution, over 24 years, to the development of businesses successively within the Matra Group, Aérospatiale Matra and within EADS.
The conditions of Mr. Gut's departure are in strict accordance with the terms set forth in his employment contract. He will receive two years' salary as a severance payment without application of the non-competition clause of his employment contract.
In his position as a member of the EADS Executive Committee, Mr. Gut will be replaced by Marwan Lahoud, currently serving as CEO of MBDA.
Mr. Lahoud is appointed as EADS Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer with immediate effect. He will be replaced as CEO of MBDA by Antoine Bouvier, currently CEO of Astrium Satellites. Mr. Bouvier’s successor will be Evert Dudok, currently Head of EADS Astrium Space Transportation. Alain Charmeau will take over the full responsibility of the management of EADS Astrium Space Transportation.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2006, EADS generated revenues of € 39.4 billion and employed a workforce of about 116,000. The Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and EADS Astrium, the European leader in space programmes from Ariane to Galileo. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, develops the A400M through its Military Transport Aircraft Division, and holds a stake in the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems.
