While all eyes were on Air France, where Pierre-Henri Gourgeon was pushed towards the exit at the end of the day, another flagship of the French transport industry was also reshuffling its hierarchy. The SNCF has appointed David Azema as Deputy CEO of the SNCF Group, with effect from 17 October 2011. Enarque, 50 years old, David Azema has been SNCF's Executive Vice President Strategy and Finance since 2008, after stints at the Cour des Comptes, the office of the Minister of Labour and Vinci Concession, among others.
According to the press release issued by the railway company, "he is responsible for developing and implementing the Group's strategy. SNCFHe will also "lead and coordinate SNCF's participation in the work of the Assises du Ferroviaire". The press release also places this appointment in the context of the decisive challenges facing SNCF: "a context of strong growth for the group (...) and the opening up of markets to competition". On Monday, the SNCF also announced the appointment of Alain Picard as Deputy Director General of Finance, Purchasing and Information Systems. Alain Picard joined the SNCF group in December 2008, and was previously Chief Financial Officer.
