Eutelsat Group has Chosen a New Supreme Leader

In a puff of metaphorical white smoke, Eutelsat has declared, “Habemus CEO.” Out goes Eva Berneke, who bravely guided the company through the chaotic lovechild merger with OneWeb and the bureaucratic soap opera known as IRIS², and in comes Jean-François Fallacher, a man so steeped in telecom he probably dreams in fiber optics.

The new boss didn’t descend from space, but close enough: straight out of Orange’s corner office. Because nothing says “cutting-edge satellite innovation” like a veteran of a legacy European telecom giant. If you thought merging geostationary dinosaurs with low-earth upstarts was bold, wait until you see Eutelsat try to cosplay as a Silicon Valley disruptor, with a guy who spent half his career navigating French telecom bureaucracy.

But let’s not undersell Eva Berneke’s parting gift: a Frankensteinian blend of GEO and LEO satellite fleets, tossed into the EU’s IRIS² dream of sovereign connectivity, basically Europe’s polite attempt to not be entirely at the mercy of Elon Musk. Add in the sale of their ground segment (read: stuff that doesn’t fly), and you’ve got a company that wants to orbit higher while shedding weight.

Meanwhile, Eutelsat’s financial forecast is… “stable,” which is finance-speak for “don’t expect fireworks, but also please don’t panic.” Apparently, revenues will be “around the same” as last year, and margins “slightly below.”
Translation: We did a lot of stuff, it hasn’t broken us yet, and we’re really hoping Fallacher doesn’t accidentally unplug anything important.

So yes, the smoke is white. The conclave is over. Jean-François Fallacher is here.

Let’s just hope he knows which way is up.
In space, that’s not a metaphor.