Alexandre Robardey named Chairman; Philippe Brel appointed CEO of Sogeclair

Sogeclair's Board of Directors has decided to make the following changes, effective January 6, 2025. Alexandre ROBARDEY has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Philippe BREL has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Group. He succeeds Olivier Pedron.

Alexandre ROBARDEY, a lawyer and asset manager, graduated from the IFA and joined the Board of Directors in 2020. His appointment makes him the third generation of the Robardey family (65 per cent shareholder in the Group) to hold the position of Chairman of the Board.

Philippe BREL, a training engineer, has extensive experience in the aerospace and defence sectors, both in France and the United States. His career as Industrial Director, Director of Business Units for major groups and Chairman of the Management Board of a listed ETI will enable the Group to support our customers and teams in achieving operational excellence. 

His background in a family-run business and the good financial results to his credit are all assets that will enable Sogeclair to achieve the objectives set out in the Sogeclair 2030 plan (turnover: 250M€, EBITDA: 12 per cent, Free-cash Flow: 5 per cent). 

The Board of Directors welcomes this new duo and appreciates their complementary skills.

Philippe ROBARDEY was Managing Director of Sogeclair for 9 years before taking over as Chairman in 2003. He will remain on the Board, having been appointed Vice-Chairman. He will bring his experience to bear on the Chairman and CEO's ongoing transformation and will also remain Chairman of the Audit Committee. 

With the appointment of Alexandre ROBARDEY, the family group has reaffirmed its determination to maintain its commitment to the Group, whose origins date back to the first company founded in 1962 by Huguette ROBARDEY, the new Chairman's grandmother.

Drawing on his expertise and experience, Philippe Brel's objective will be to lead the company's development by building on its technological capital, reinforcing innovation, particularly at the industrial level, and meeting environmental expectations and operational challenges. Thanks to his in-depth experience in the aerospace and defence sectors and his ability to establish excellent relations with customers and federate teams and ensure rigorous control of performance, the Group will be in a position to take the necessary steps for its growth.

According to Alain RIBET, Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, “Philippe BREL, who has a perfect understanding of our business issues and the industrial constraints of our transnational company, will be an invaluable asset for SOGECLAIR. He will enable us to reinforce our current strengths and implement the necessary improvements to optimize our productivity, and can count on the dedication and multi-sector professionalism of the Board of Directors to facilitate his integration”.

Philippe ROBARDEY said, “Alexandre's almost 5 years of involvement on the Board of Directors and the Appointments and Remuneration Committee, together with his 2 years of in-depth knowledge of Sogeclair's activities and teams, and his long-term vision of the company's assets, will enable the company, with renewed impetus, to make the investments needed to meet customer expectations, and to develop its full potential for innovation in safer and less-consuming mobility. Philippe BREL's background is rich in engineering training, operational management of design offices and production units, and general management of subsidiaries of major groups, SMEs and a family-owned ETI. Sogeclair's founding values are shared by the new tandem, which is a guarantee of cohesion and success for the company's future”.

Alexandre ROBARDEY stated, “I'm proud of the trust the directors have placed in me by appointing me Chairman of the Board of Sogeclair, just as my father and grandparents were. Family tradition is part of Sogeclair's DNA. I'm looking forward to embodying the values of innovation, performance, benevolence, support and collective commitment that have shaped the company's history. I am well aware of the responsibility that comes with this appointment, and I reiterate my determination to make the most of the expertise already present within the Group to meet the challenges of tomorrow, particularly the ecological transition.

Philippe BREL said, "I'm delighted to be joining Sogeclair. I would like to thank Philippe and Alexandre Robardey and the entire Sogeclair Board for their confidence in me. I look forward to working with the Group's teams to serve our customers and develop our talents while pursuing the company's ambitions: strengthening our industrial performance, stimulating innovation, maintaining the family tradition and meeting the challenges of the ecological transition. The Group's values and focus on human capital particularly resonate with my own convictions and my desire to contribute to the growth of the Group's business, our customers and the professional fulfillment of our talents."

SOGECLAIR Supplier of innovative high-added-value solutions for safer and more efficient mobility. SOGECLAIR brings its high-quality engineering and production skills to a broad range of cutting-edge sectors, notably aeronautics, space, vehicle, rail and defence. Its collaborators provide high-quality proximity service to all its customers and partners from the design and simulation stages to the end of the product's lifecycle, all along the supply chain through to entry into service.

Note: This press release, issued by SOGECLAIR, is published by AL CIrcler with some minor grammatical edits and adding a headline.