Speaker

Michel COMBES

CEO - Alcatel-Lucent

Michel Combes (51) became Chief Executive Officer of Alcatel-Lucent on April 1, 2013, joining the company with more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications sector, as well as a strong international background.

His appointment to Alcatel-Lucent follows four years at the global mobile communications operator Vodafone plc, where he was appointed CEO, Europe Region in October 2008, subsequently being appointed to the Vodafone board in June 2009.

Michel’s career began in 1985 at France Telecom in the US, first in the External Networks Division and then in the Industrial and International Affairs Division. After serving as a technical advisor to the French Minister of Transportation between 1991 and 1995, Michel became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the France Telecom subsidiary GlobeCast, from 1996 to 1999.

In December 1999, Michel joined the French tour operator Nouvelles Frontières Group as Executive Vice President, before moving to the industrial engineering concern Assystem-Brime as Chief Executive Officer.

Michel returned to the France Telecom Group in January 2003 as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the company’s Group Strategic Committee. In 2006, Michel was appointed Chairman and CEO of the French national broadcasting operator, TDF Group.

Born in Boulogne-Billancourt, in the western outskirts of Paris, Michel studied at the prestigious École Polytechnique in Paris and at the Parisian telecommunications institute École Nationale Supérieure des Telecommunications. In addition to his position as CEO of Alcatel-Lucent, Michel is also non-executive board member of MTS, Altice and HDL Developpement.