Stéphane Israël

Chief Executive Officer

A graduate of the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) and the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA), he was named Chairman and CEO of Arianespace in April 2013

He began his career as a magistrate at the French Court of Auditors in 2001, before joining Airbus Group in 2007 and becoming chief of staff to the French Minister for economic regeneration and the digital economy in May 2012.

Stéphane brings a wealth of experience in the public sector and the aerospace industry. He also sits on the executive committee of ArianeGroup.

Caroline Arnoux

SVP, Head of Ariane 6 Business Unit

Caroline Arnoux began her career at Arianespace in 1996 after graduating from L'École Polytechnique. With 28 years of experience, her passion for the space industry and her professional achievements have led her to hold various strategic positions in French Guiana and mainland France. She has notably held key roles in commercial management and contract management, working directly with clients on various programs.

In 2016, Caroline Arnoux took on the responsibility of the Ariane 6 Business Line, where she was in charge of coordinating with ArianeGroup from the signing of customer contracts. Since July 1, 2024, as Head of the Ariane Business Unit, she also oversees customer relations post-signature of launch service contracts for Ariane 6.

Michel Doubovick

Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer

Michel holds a Bachelor’s degree in applied foreign languages, a Master’s degree in political science, as well as a degree in international relations from the Institut d’études politiques (IEP) in Paris. He has been responsible for administrative and financial control and shareholder relations since 2015.

Michel began his professional career at CNES in 1992. After working for seven years at affiliate Starsem, he joined Arianespace in 2005 as Director of Government Affairs, before becoming Director of finance in 2012.

Claudia Flöte

SVP, Chief Operating Office

An engineering graduate in physics from the University of Essen (Germany), she has been our Chief Operating Officer since 2021.

She draws on over 25 years of experience in European space programs with ArianeGroup. Claudia’s responsibilities have included responsibility for assembly, integration and testing (AIT) and the operations production center for Ariane launchers.

Maëla Guyomarc’h

SVP, Human Resources Director

After obtaining a degree in management from Université Paris-Dauphine and a doctorate in human resources management from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Maëla Guyomarc’h became our Director of Human Resources in 2024.

She had 20 years of experience in HR management, including periods at EDF, Loto-Québec and IFP Energies Nouvelles, before joining Arianespace as head of HR development and then deputy director of human resources.

Julie Lenoir

SVP, Chief Brand and Communications Officer

Julie is a graduate of Montpellier business school and joined Arianespace in 2024 as Head of Communications and Brand.

Having initially worked in consulting and industry, notably at Saint-Gobain and Dassault Aviation, she joined Safran in 2017. In 2022, she became responsible for Space communications in the Communications department of Safran Electronics & Defense.

Steven Rutgers

SVP, Chief Commercial Officer

Steven holds a Bachelor’s degree from the International School of Economics and Management, Rotterdam. He began his career in the space industry over twenty years ago, with satellite operators and distributors such as Inmarsat and Stratos, based in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Steven Rutgers joined Arianespace in January 2023 and is tasked with developing the company’s commercial activities.

Pierre-Yves Tissier

SVP, Chief Technical Officer

Pierre-Yves holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the UPMC (now part of Sorbonne Université). He has been the CTO of Arianespace since 2022.

He began his career at Bertin Technologies in 1985, then became head of the internal ballistics laboratory at the research center of SNPE (now ArianeGroup) in 1990. He joined Arianespace in 1996 to head up the solid propellant engine program for Ariane 5 and became head of the Solid Propulsion department four years later. In 2006, he became Head of the Propulsion Department and in 2009 he was appointed as Deputy Head of the Launchers Engineering Division. Pierre-Yves was subsequently named Deputy Chief Technical Officer in 2017.

Wiener Kernisan

President, Arianespace, Inc. Washington

Wiener Kernisan holds a Master of science degree in mechanical engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He also holds a Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree and an Engineering Diploma from the Ecole Polytechnique, Université de Montreal. He has been the President of Arianespace, Inc since 2016.

Before coming to Arianespace, Wiener was the launch systems and spacecraft systems engineering manager at SES in Luxembourg. He was also a spacecraft designer and systems engineering manager at Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems in Princeton, New Jersey. He joined Arianespace, Inc. as its Vice President, Sales and Marketing, in 2000 and was promoted to his current role of President in 2016.

Loïc Menager

Vice President, Arianespace in French Guiana

Loïc Menager is Arianespace’s Vice President for French Guiana operations. He began his career with France’s DRIRE (regional authority for industry, research and the environment) in 1987, before joining Aerospatiale in Toulouse in 1989.

Returning to French Guiana in 1996, he joined CNES until 2002, before moving to Airbus and then ArianeGroup in 2016, as head of industrial and operational activities for Ariane 6. Today, he oversees the company’s activities on the launch pads for Ariane 5 and Vega launchers at the Spaceport launch base.

Kiyoshi A. Takamatsu

Japan Representative, Tokyo Office

After graduating from the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science of the University of Tokyo in 1981 with a Master of Engineering degree in the structural dynamics of launch vehicles, Kiyoshi A. Takamatsu spent 11 years in the aerospace division of Fuji Heavy Industries, where he was project manager on several space programs.

He joined Arianespace in 1992 as a liaison engineer in the Tokyo office, before taking up the position of deputy representative in 1998. Ten years later, Kiyoshi A. Takamatsu was appointed as the Arianespace representative in Japan and head of the Tokyo office.

Vivian Quenet

Managing Director and Head of Sales, Singapore Asia-Pacific Office

With a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) in International Sales and Marketing from the Université du Sud Toulon-Var in France, Vivian Quenet was named Arianespace’s Managing Director and Head of Sales for the Asia-Pacific region in 2018.

His previous roles include corporate sales manager for Bouygues Telecom Entreprises and Asia-Pacific Sales Director for mobile satellite communications provider Vizada/Marlink. In March 2011, he joined KVH Industries PTE LTD as Vice President and General Manager for the Asia-Pacific region.