Astrium CEO François Auque Gives Eric Béranger and Evert Dudok New Roles

October 15, 2012 defpro.com

Swapping the roles will enhance the level of coordination between Astrium’s Satellites and Services divisions, two areas that are becoming ever more complementary in the global market

Astrium, Europe’s leading space technology company, is further accelerating its AGILE transformation plan by swapping roles for two of its three divisional chiefs. The move will make Astrium more competitive and enhance its technical and commercial capability in the satellite and space services markets.

As a result, on 15 October 2012 Evert Dudok will take over as Astrium Services CEO, with Eric Béranger moving in the opposite direction to become Astrium Satellites CEO. The switch will bring about even closer cooperation between the two divisions.

“The ability to provide satellites and services at the same time is an exceptional asset in the global space market,” said Astrium CEO François Auque. “Eric Béranger and Evert Dudok will each be able to take a fresh and informed view of the organisations and activities at their new divisions and they will help strengthen synergies between the two areas to develop innovative products and services for our customers.”

Among other satellites, Astrium Satellites has manufactured the radar observation satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X, the very-high-resolution optical Pléiades constellation, the optical high resolution satellites Spot 6 and 7, and the secure military satcoms Skynet 5 constellation, which are operated by Astrium Services. The two Astrium divisions are also working together on the future European Data Relay System (EDRS) in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA) and their partners.

Born in 1959 in the Netherlands, Evert Dudok began his career with Deutsche Aerospace AG (DASA) in Germany, having completed summa cum laude a degree in electronic engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology in 1984. After successfully working in the field of antennas, telecommunications and navigation, he was appointed head of Astrium Space Transportation in 2005, and then took over as CEO of Astrium Satellites in 2007. The division is now one of the world’s leading satellite manufacturers, not only in the fields of commercial and military telecommunications but also in Earth observation, science and navigation and is a world leader in satellite equipment.

Dudok will continue to represent Astrium in Germany, where he is also Vice-President of the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI). He will also be taking charge of industrial coordination with Cassidian.

Eric Béranger founded Astrium Services in 2003. Born in 1963, and a graduate of France’s École Polytechnique, he oversaw year-on-year growth of nearly 50 percent for Astrium’s youngest division prior to the acquisition of Vizada in 2011. A graduate of France’s Advanced School of Telecommunications (ENST), Béranger worked for France Telecom and Société Générale earlier in his career before joining Matra Marconi Space (now Astrium Satellites). He has also been Chairman of the European Satellite Operators’ Association (ESOA) since 2011.

Astrium Services is now one of the world’s largest satellite service providers and employs more than 3,000 people. It offers military, governmental and commercial telecommunications services, as well as Earth-observation satellite services.