EADS strengthens communications in home countries
Choosing a multi-domestic approach to stay close to local and global issues
Amsterdam, 13 November 2003
EADS, the global number two in aerospace and defence, is strengthening its communications in its home countries France, Germany and Spain as well as in the US and in the UK. Christian Poppe (51), EADS Senior Vice President Communications, is putting in place a new Global Communications structure, the company announced on Thursday.
In a first step Patrice Kreis (56) has been appointed as Head of EADS Corporate Communications France. He will arrive in January 2004 and his prime task will be to further develop the awareness of EADS in France. This will include the tasks related to communications activities in France that are currently carried out by Roland Sanguinetti (61), who continues to serve EADS and to manage special events and projects, beginning next year.
“Roland Sanguinetti has been in our industry for more than 30 years”, Christian Poppe stated. He has witnessed the industrial development from Nord Aviation, then Matra and Lagardère to EADS, and played a vital role in creating an integrated EADS Corporate Communications team. Thanks to his creativity and commitment, we have been able to set new standards for event-based communications.”
“I’m pleased to welcome Patrice Kreis into our team. He is a senior corporate communicator with vast experience in our industry and beyond. Patrice, whom I have known professionally for more than a decade, is the ideal man for this job,” Christian Poppe said.
Patrice Kreis started his professional career as a journalist before entering the French administration with subsequent assignments in the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Defence between 1974 and and 1981. In 1981 he entered Aerospatiale, where he was nominated Director of Communications and External Relations. In 1998 he became Director of Communications with Electricité de France (EDF). Currently Patrice Kreis is President of EDEV CPL Technologie, an EDF affiliate in charge of Power Line Communications (PLC) trials.
Appointments for Heads of EADS Corporate Communications in Germany and Spain will be announced in the near future.
In the United States Diane Murphy was recently hired to head up communications on behalf of the new EADS North America division. There are similar plans by EADS to expand the communications capability in other key countries, including in the United Kingdom.
The new structure will be in place by January 2004, three and a half years on from the integration of EADS in July 2000. Christian Poppe commented, “We are now successfully through the challenge of integration and are communicating about EADS and its outstanding success story globally. We now must prepare for the opportunities to come. We want to stay close to our stakeholders across all the markets where we operate as well as focusing on the task of communicating our strategic messages. Each year we face new challenges as the reach of our activities increases. Diversity has always been one of the strengths of EADS and I am confident that with the new structure and people being put in place we will be well positioned to assist and promote the wide-ranging initiatives being pursued across EADS.”
About EADS:
EADS is a global aerospace and defence company and is the world’s second largest in terms of revenues with € 29.9 billion in 2002. EADS has a workforce of more than 100,000 and is a market leader in defence technology, commercial aircraft, helicopters, space, military transport and combat aircraft, as well as related services. It’s family of leading brands includes the commercial aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter and MBDA, the world’s second largest missile company. EADS is the biggest partner in the Eurofighter consortium and heads the A400M military transport aircraft programme. The company has over 70 sites in Germany, France, Great Britain and Spain. It is active in many regions worldwide, including the U.S., Russia and Asia.
Contact:
Christian Poppe
Tel. +49 89 607 34 250
