Stéphane Richard
| Stéphane Richard | |
|---|---|
Stéphane Richard at the 37th G8 summit in Deauville, France (2011)
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| Born |
24 August 1961 Caudéran, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Education |
HEC Paris ÉNA |
| Occupation | CEO Orange |
| Term | 2011 - present |
| Predecessor | Didier Lombard |
Stéphane Richard (born 24 August 1961) is a French businessman and the Chief Executive and Chairman of the worldwide mobile phone network Orange.
Stéphane Richard was born in Caudéran in the Gironde department in Aquitaine (South-West France), on 24 August 1961.
He is the son of an engineer.
He studied at École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC Paris) and École nationale d'administration in Strasbourg.
From 2007 until 2009 he was Chief of Staff to the French Minister for the Economy, Industry, and Employment, now the Minister of the Economy, Finances and Industry.
He joined Orange in September 2009, becoming deputy Chief Executive.
He became Chief Executive of Orange S.A. on 1 March 2011.
He was awarded the Legion of Honour (Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur) in 2006. In 2007 there were rumors of an imminent arrest warrant for tax fraud.
In June 2015, Stéphane Richard said in Egypt, that he would like to withdraw the Orange brand from Israel as soon as possible, but that the move would take time. “Our intention is to withdraw from Israel. It will take time” but “for sure we will do it,” he said. “I am ready to do this tomorrow morning… but without exposing Orange to huge risks.”
In response, a wide range of Israeli politicians condemned his statements and called on the French government to oppose antisemitism. Miri Regev said: "On the backdrop of the recent serious events in France, the French government must show zero tolerance for anti-Semitism," said Regev, in reference to the growing wave of anti-Semitic violence in the France that was highlighted in January by a Muslim holding a kosher supermarket hostage in Paris and murdering four Jews. "I call on Jews of France and the world to disconnect from Orange unless Stephane Richard takes back his words. The time has come for them to understand that Jews in the world and sane voices that oppose anti-Semitism and racism also have power."Yair Lapid said of Richard, ““This is hypocrisy of the highest order... Israel is an island of sanity in the world's toughest neighborhood, and we are not prepared to be lectured on morality from Europeans who live a quiet, untroubled life.”
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Wikipedia