Stephane Richard is stepping down as CEO of Orange Group after over ten years at the helm of the French operator. Richard handed in his resignation after receiving a one-year suspended sentence for his role in the Tapie case in France. He will leave the company by 31 January 2022.
Orange's board met after the Paris court of appeal ruling and accepted Richard's resignation. The board thanked Richard for his commitment to Orange, "from restoring an appeased working environment after the social crisis to the transformation of Orange into a leading multi-service operator in Europe and Africa. Stephane will have contributed significantly to the history of the Group in sometimes tumultuous times and always working in the best interests of the company."
Richard's term was expected to end already in mid-2022, and the group had already started a process to identify a new executive. The board expects to name a new CEO by the end of January.
Separately, Richard announced that he plans to appeal the court decision. He has rejected the charges of misuse of public funds, saying the claims had "no basis in fact" and the conviction was "profoundly unjust".
