Airbus SE announces key changes to its Board of Directors following its meeting held yesterday, Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Following the announcement in April 2026 of his decision to step down, René Obermann will leave the Airbus Board of Directors effective October 1, 2026 to concentrate on his recent mandate as Non-Executive Director and incoming Chairman of the Supervisory Board at SAP.
To replace René Obermann as Non-Executive Director for the remainder of his term, the Board of Directors has co-opted Christophe Fouquet, CEO of ASML. He will subsequently seek a full three-year mandate at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) in April 2027.
In addition, Jean-Pierre Clamadieu has informed the Board that he will not seek a new mandate at the 2027 AGM upon the expiration of his current term. Florent Menegaux, CEO of Michelin, has been selected to succeed Jean-Pierre Clamadieu and will seek a three-year mandate as a Non-Executive Director at the 2027 AGM.
Amparo Moraleda, who assumes her role as Chair of the Airbus Board of Directors on 1 October 2026, and Oliver Zipse, former Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, whose terms expire at the next AGM, will both seek renewed mandates from shareholders at the 2027 AGM.
Additionally, the Board of Directors has designated Mark Dunkerley to serve as Chair of the Remuneration, Nomination and Governance Committee and Lead Independent Director, succeeding Amparo Moraleda in this capacity.
“On behalf of the entire Board, I want to express our deepest gratitude to René for his exemplary leadership and unwavering dedication as Chair over the past eight years,” said Amparo Moraleda, Chairman of the Airbus Board of Directors.
“As I step into this role, I look forward to working closely with my fellow Directors, drawing on their deep expertise to ensure Airbus remains agile, resilient, and well-positioned to seize future opportunities and navigate the challenges ahead.”
“I would like to warmly thank René for his commitment, trusted partnership and rigorous focus on long-term value creation throughout his tenure as Chair,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO.
“René provided steadfast guidance through many of the crises that Airbus navigated during his mandate, including the COVID pandemic. He consistently championed innovation in aerospace and defence, encouraging team Airbus to push boundaries across our businesses. I wish him the best in his future responsibilities and look forward to working closely with Amparo and the Board to continue driving Airbus’ long-term growth and strategic ambitions.”
