Louis Gallois
Louis Gallois (born January 26, 1944) is a French businessman. He served as Chief Executive Officer of EADS (now Airbus SE), the European aerospace and defense corporation, from 2007 to 2012.[1]
Biography
Gallois has held numerous leadership positions in the French government and industry throughout his career.
He was appointed Chief of Staff for the French Ministry of Defense (1988–1989). From 1989 to 1992, he served as Chairman and CEO of Snecma, a major aircraft and rocket engine manufacturer. In 1992, he became CEO of Aérospatiale, the French state-owned aerospace company, where he remained until 1996, when he became President of SNCF, France's national state-owned railway company.[2]
Gallois joined EADS on July 2, 2006, following the resignation of Noël Forgeard. Forgeard stepped down after being accused of insider trading, which he denied. Forgeard had sold EADS shares weeks before its subsidiary Airbus announced further delays to the Airbus A380 program, causing EADS stock to drop by 26%.
On October 9, 2006, Gallois replaced Christian Streiff as CEO of Airbus S.A.S. On July 16, 2007, EADS restructured its management, and Gallois was appointed CEO of EADS for a five-year term. He was succeeded by Airbus CEO Tom Enders on May 31, 2012.
Gallois serves on the board of directors of École Centrale Paris and is chairman of the Fondation Villette-Entreprises. In 2012, immediately after leaving EADS, Gallois was appointed France's Investment Commissioner, a role he held until 2014.
In June 2012, he was elected president of FNARS (Fédération nationale des Associations d'accueil et de réinsertion sociale), a federation focused on social action and solidarity initiatives.[3]
Louis Gallois is a graduate of HEC Paris and the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA).[4]