Born in 1958, Guillaume Giscard d'Estaing has been chairman and CEO of

Sofema Sofema (Société française d’exportation de matériel militaire et aéronautique) is a Economy of France, French company which specializes today in the renovation, marketing and maintenance of first generation land, sea and air equipment, mainly ...

since 2007.

Career

After an initial career as a naval officer and helicopter pilot, Guillaume Giscard d'Estaing entered

Turbomeca Safran Helicopter Engines, previously known as Turbomeca, is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbin ...

(Snecma group) based in Pau in 1994 as Sales Manager and, later, marketing director. In addition to new equipment, the engine retrofit activity (successive changes of a standard model by return to factory) would later inform his thinking on the future of extending the life of equipment and the new direction of Sofema. From 2000 to 2004 in the UK, Giscard d'Estaing managed three separate companies - Turbomeca UK, and the joint ventures

Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited (RRTM) is a joint venture between British aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce plc (UK) and French helicopter engine specialist Safran Helicopter Engines (formerly known as Turbomeca). It manufactured aero-engines ...

and Rolls-Royce Snecma. With these jobs, he was confronted with Franco-British cooperation, strategic negotiations with prestigious boards, maintaining close contact with customers and users. In 2004, Guillaume Giscard d'Estaing joined Snecma headquarters in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

as deputy director of International Affairs for European countries and, when the group merged with Sagem, he became Deputy Vice President of International Development of the new entity

Safran Safran S.A. is a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures aircraft engines, rocket engines as well as various aerospace and defense-related equipment or their components. It was formed by a merger between SNECMA and ...

. In 2007 Guillaume Giscard d'Estaing succeeded General Bernard Norlain as president of

Guillaume Giscard d'Estaing, nouveau pilote de Sofema

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...

, May 29th, 2007 - then specialized in supplying export support to large French aeronautic and defense groups. He implemented a profound transformation of the company, which is today focused on the renovation and sale of military and civil equipment to countries with lower purchasing power and a reasoned development policy. This successful reorientation is based on Guillaume Giscard d'Estaing's belief that Sofema's new activity must strengthen French economic presence in these countries through balanced and sustainable partnerships.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giscard d'Estaing, Guillaume French chief executives French Navy officers Helicopter pilots Living people 1958 births