David Cavaillolès began his career in the French public sector holding positions of responsibility in the finance, innovation and industry sectors. He was appointed ministerial advisor for French space policy in 2017, working notably on securing the Ariane programme and preparing the future of space launchers in Europe. He then joined Capgemini in 2019 where he held various management positions contributing to the company’s business development, with a specific focus on technology. He is a graduate of prestigious French higher education institutes Ecole Polytechnique and ENSAE Paris. He joined ArianeGroup in 2025 as CEO of Arianespace and member of ArianeGroup’s Executive Committee.

Caroline Arnoux began her career at Arianespace in 1996 after graduating from L'École Polytechnique. With 28 years of experience, her passion for the space industry and her professional achievements have led her to hold various strategic positions in French Guiana and mainland France. She has notably held key roles in commercial management and contract management, working directly with clients on various programs.

In 2016, Caroline Arnoux took on the responsibility of the Ariane 6 Business Line, where she was in charge of coordinating with ArianeGroup from the signing of customer contracts. Since July 1, 2024, as Head of the Ariane Business Unit, she also oversees customer relations post-signature of launch service contracts for Ariane 6.

Michel holds a Bachelor’s degree in applied foreign languages, a Master’s degree in political science, as well as a degree in international relations from the Institut d’études politiques (IEP) in Paris. He has been responsible for administrative and financial control and shareholder relations since 2015.

Michel began his professional career at CNES in 1992. After working for seven years at affiliate Starsem, he joined Arianespace in 2005 as Director of Government Affairs, before becoming Director of finance in 2012.

After obtaining a degree in management from Université Paris-Dauphine and a doctorate in human resources management from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Maëla Guyomarc’h became our Director of Human Resources in 2024.

She had 20 years of experience in HR management, including periods at EDF, Loto-Québec and IFP Energies Nouvelles, before joining Arianespace as head of HR development and then deputy director of human resources.

Julie is a graduate of Montpellier business school and joined Arianespace in 2024 as Head of Communications and Brand.

Having initially worked in consulting and industry, notably at Saint-Gobain and Dassault Aviation, she joined Safran in 2017. In 2022, she became responsible for Space communications in the Communications department of Safran Electronics & Defense.

Steven holds a Bachelor’s degree from the International School of Economics and Management, Rotterdam. He began his career in the space industry over twenty years ago, with satellite operators and distributors such as Inmarsat and Stratos, based in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Steven Rutgers joined Arianespace in January 2023 and is tasked with developing the company’s commercial activities.

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.

Maxime Verrière first spent five years at ArianeGroup as a structural engineer on Ariane 5 ME (Mid-life Evolution) and later Ariane 6. He then joined Arianespace in 2017 as part of the operational team for notably the OneWeb project. Most recently, he was Head of the Payload Environment and Upper Structure Department at Arianespace.

Maxime Verrière holds an engineering degree from l’Ecole Polytechnique (France) as well as a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University (U.S.A.).

Amer Khouri leads Arianespace’s U.S. operations as President of Arianespace, Inc., based in Washington, D.C.
In this role, Khouri oversees sales and marketing of Ariane launches to satellite operators in the U.S. and Canada while driving strategic business development and partnerships with emerging industry players. He also manages Arianespace, Inc.'s communications and government relations efforts.
Khouri brings extensive experience in the satellite industry, having held leadership roles where he successfully launched new products, expanded markets, and developed growth strategies. Before joining Arianespace, he held key executive positions at Northrop Grumman and Orbital Sciences, where he played a crucial role in global satellite sales. He also served as Vice President at Canada’s MDA Space and as Senior Vice President at leading satellite operator Intelsat. Khouri holds a Bachelor and Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering from Catholic University of America and an Executive Masters in Management from the University of Maryland.

Loïc Menager is Arianespace’s Vice President for French Guiana operations. He began his career with France’s DRIRE (regional authority for industry, research and the environment) in 1987, before joining Aerospatiale in Toulouse in 1989.

Returning to French Guiana in 1996, he joined CNES until 2002, before moving to Airbus and then ArianeGroup in 2016, as head of industrial and operational activities for Ariane 6. Today, he oversees the company’s activities on the launch pads for Ariane 5 and Vega launchers at the Spaceport launch base.

After graduating from the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science of the University of Tokyo in 1981 with a Master of Engineering degree in the structural dynamics of launch vehicles, Kiyoshi A. Takamatsu spent 11 years in the aerospace division of Fuji Heavy Industries, where he was project manager on several space programs.

He joined Arianespace in 1992 as a liaison engineer in the Tokyo office, before taking up the position of deputy representative in 1998. Ten years later, Kiyoshi A. Takamatsu was appointed as the Arianespace representative in Japan and head of the Tokyo office.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) in International Sales and Marketing from the Université du Sud Toulon-Var in France, Vivian Quenet was named Arianespace’s Managing Director and Head of Sales for the Asia-Pacific region in 2018.

His previous roles include corporate sales manager for Bouygues Telecom Entreprises and Asia-Pacific Sales Director for mobile satellite communications provider Vizada/Marlink. In March 2011, he joined KVH Industries PTE LTD as Vice President and General Manager for the Asia-Pacific region.