Paris, September 9 - ARESIA, a leading supplier of civil and defense aeronautical systems, announces the appointment of Sylvain Rousseau as Chairman and CEO, effective September 2, 2024.
Bruno Berthet becomes Chairman of the Supervisory Board and will continue to support the Group.
This change in governance comes against a backdrop of strong growth for ARESIA, majority backed by the European investment group HLD alongside Tikehau Capital, Société Générale Capital Partenaires, BNP Paribas Développement and Jacques Rafaut.
Sylvain Rousseau has some thirty years' experience in civil industrial groups (Alstom, Thomson or HP) and in the defense sector (Nexter, Naval Group or Ariane Group). Backed by his experience in industrial transformation, he will bring a dual operational and strategic expertise to bear in pursuing ARESIA's growth project and strengthening its role as a leading aeronautical supplier.
Sylvain Rousseau, CEO of ARESIA, comments: "I am honored by the confidence that ARESIA's Supervisory Board has shown in me by appointing me CEO. I'm delighted to be joining ARESIA, and to be bringing all my energy to bear in pursuing its development in the service of its customers, while improving operational performance. The quality of our products and the ground we have already covered give us great ambition for the Group. With the commitment and expertise of all our employees, we have the means to continue a remarkable experience."
Bruno Berthet, Chairman of ARESIA's Supervisory Board, comments: "I'm delighted that Sylvain Rousseau has joined us at the head of our company to lead the next phase of development, in this period of profound change in the aeronautics sector."
Jean-Hubert Vial, Partner at HLD, and Salim Helou, Managing Director at HLD say: "HLD has carried out a series of acquisitions since 2018 (Rafaut, Alkan, Aeds, Lace, Secapem, ...) to create the ARESIA group, which now has a clear strategic positioning and the critical size needed to assert itself as a leading equipment manufacturer. We are delighted that Sylvain Rousseau has joined ARESIA as CEO. His arrival will give further impetus to the Group's development. Sylvain's experience and expertise will be undeniable assets in promoting ARESIA's operational excellence and responding to a fast-growing aerospace sector."
Biography
- A graduate of ISAE-SUPAERO, with an MBA from HEC Paris and certified administrator by IFACI/Sciences Po Paris, Sylvain Rousseau (55) is married and has 4 children.
- He joined EADS Aérospatiale (Ariane Group) in 1993 as Development Project Manager for the Ariane 4 and 5 programs.
- He continued his career in Operations at HP (1995-2000), Thomson (2000-2004), Ingenico (2004-2006) and Alstom (2006-2010), before joining Naval Group in 2010, where he is in charge of Group Audit and Transformation.
- In 2018, Sylvain Rousseau joined Nexter as Director of Operations (2018-2022) and then took over as head of the Systems Business Unit (since 2022).
About ARESIA
ARESIA is a French group specializing in the supply of civil and defense aeronautical systems. In the civil sector, Aresia is a Tier 1 subcontractor to Airbus for the supply of mechanical systems, such as rudder pedals for the A320 and A330 ranges. In the defense sector, ARESIA designs, develops, manufactures and supports training and load-carrying systems for combat aircraft, including load-carrying systems for the Rafale for the French Ministry of Defense and Dassault Aviation.
ARESIA Press Contacts
Barbara ARTINIAN, Communications Manager communication@aresia.com
About Groupe HLD
Founded in 2010 by a group of entrepreneurs, HLD is a permanently-owned European investment group with operations in Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy. HLD's mission is to support management teams in building companies that are leaders in their field. As such, HLD invests in high-potential companies, giving them the human and financial resources to grow over the long term. Its approach is based on an entrepreneurial partnership, and prioritizes responsible operational development over financial leverage. With 3 billion in assets under management, HLD supports 22 companies employing over 37,000 people.
Press contact HLD
DGM Conseil : Etienne Gautier | etienneg@dgm-conseil.fr - Charles-Etienne Lebatard | ce.lebatard@dgmconseil.fr - Christian d'Oléon | chrisdo@dgm-conseil.fr - Michel Calzaroni | m.calza@dgmconseil.fr Tel: +33 7 48 15 22 35
About Tikehau Capital
Tikehau Capital is a global alternative asset management group with 46.1 billion euros in assets under management (as at June 30, 2024). Tikehau Capital has developed a wide range of expertise in four asset classes (private debt, real assets, private equity, capital markets strategies) as well as strategies focused on multi-asset solutions and special situations.
About Société Générale Capital Partenaires
Société Générale Capital Partenaires (SGCP) supports the shareholder-managers of SMEs and ETIs in their development and proximity initiatives. SGCP takes minority stakes in companies, for amounts ranging from €1 to €35 million, in a variety of contexts: development through external or organic growth, transfer of capital, reorganization of shareholder base, optimization of financial structure. Every year, SGCP's teams in Paris, Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Rennes invest between €150 and €200 million in some twenty transactions, confirming their long-term commitment to financing companies and the economy.
www.capitalpartenaires.societegenerale.com
About BNP Paribas Développement
BNP Paribas Développement, an autonomous subsidiary of the international banking group BNP Paribas, is a limited company which, for over 30 years, has invested its own funds directly as a minority shareholder to support the development of successful SMEs & SMIs and ensure their long-term survival by facilitating their transfer. In addition to providing companies with stable financial resources, BNP Paribas Développement's mission is to support the management team over the long term as it implements its medium-term strategic projects. Our position as a minority shareholder ensures that our partners benefit from appropriate governance without interference in day-to-day management, while benefiting from the strength of a recognized group and the experience of a partner with a portfolio of over 500 diversified holdings.
www.bnpparibasdeveloppement.com/
LinkedIn page : https://www.linkedin.com/company/bnp-paribas-développement
