Olivier Ricouart appointed Chief Technical Officer of Arianespace

• Olivier Ricouart is appointed Chief Technical Officer of Arianespace effective May 1, 2025. He will succeed Pierre-Yves Tissier who is retiring.
• Olivier Ricouart joins the Executive Committee of Arianespace.

Arianespace announces the appointment of Olivier Ricouart as Chief Technical Officer, starting May 1, 2025. He also joins the company’s Executive Committee.

Olivier Ricouart has 21 years of experience at Arianespace, from 1997 to 2018, during which he held various technical and program positions, including as Head of Launcher-Payload Compatibility and Vice-President of Engineering and Operations. Over that time, he worked closely with the world’s leading satellite manufacturers and operators, space agencies and major Western launcher industry manufacturers.

Having participated in more than 200 Arianespace launches, his experience spans five different launch systems: Ariane 4, Ariane 5, Soyuz, Vega, and Ariane 6.

Over the last seven years at ArianeGroup, Olivier Ricouart was Chief Engineer for the Ariane 5/Ariane 6 programs, then Chief Engineer for Civil Launcher Programs, including the development and operation of Ariane and future programs.

Olivier Ricouart holds an engineering degree from ISAE-SUPAERO.

David Cavaillolès, CEO of Arianespace, commented: “I welcome Olivier Ricouart to our Executive Committee, where he succeeds Pierre-Yves Tissier as Chief Technical Officer. Olivier Ricouart’s expertise is widely recognized, and his solid experience will be a crucial asset in supporting the Ariane 6 ramp-up and bolstering our outreach and growth. Olivier Ricouart’s arrival will strengthen Arianespace’s technical excellence, ultimately benefiting our customers.”