Nicolas Maes is appointed as CEO of the Orano Group

On the proposal of the Board of Directors, Nicolas Maes is appointed Chief Executive Officer of Orano, by decree of the President of the French Republic issued today.

Claude Imauven, Chairman of the Group's Board of Directors, welcomed this appointment. "Nicolas' experience and human qualities make him particularly well-suited in the eyes of the board to carry through on the ambitious roadmap charted by Orano. The choice of this senior executive, recognized for his contribution to the development of the Group's activities and his role in the management of operations, is especially important in the current context of strong growth in nuclear energy worldwide. Nicolas is ideally equipped to spearhead Orano's contribution to the fight against global warming, and to drive our commitments in terms of efficient use of vital resources."

Nicolas Maes commented: "I am both honored and invested by this appointment. The implementation of the Group's strategy, both in the nuclear field and in the new business areas such as health and battery materials, will be my priority. This will be underpinned by our continued industrial development and by our attractiveness in a sector that is undergoing profound renewal. I salute the commitment of all Orano employees, who work hard every day to ensure that our industry is recognized for its high level of safety and performance. I know that I can count on the commitment of each and every one of you to rise to the challenges that lie ahead".

Bio summary

Nicolas Maes, 47, is a graduate of the École Polytechnique (class of 1995) and the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées.
He began his career in 1999 with the Lafarge group. In 2006, he was appointed Director of the Cauldon cement plant in the UK. In 2009, he became Marketing Director Central Europe & CIS. In April 2011, Nicolas Maes joined the Areva group as Director of Operations for the Mining Business Unit. On June 1, 2014, he was appointed Director of Areva's Installed Base Business Unit (now part of Framatome). From February to October 2018, he headed Framatome's Operational Excellence and digital transformation program. In these roles, he was also a member of the Executive Committee.
He joined Orano in November 2018 as Senior Executive Vice President of the Mining Business Unit and member of the Executive Committee. He has held the position of Group COO since May 2023.