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Created page with "{{Insert top}}{{Insert quote panel | {{Olivier Andriès/random quote}}}} == Overview == {{Infobox person | name = Olivier Andriès | honorific_prefix = | honorific_suffix = | image = olivier-andriès.jpg | birth_date = 17 April 1962 | birth_place = Dunkerque, France | citizenship = French | education = École Polytechnique; École des Mines de Paris | alma_mater = École Polytechnique; École des Mines de Paris | occupation = Business executive and engineer | employer..."
 
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== Overview ==
 
{{Infobox person
| name = Olivier Andriès
Line 7:
| honorific_suffix =
| image = olivier-andriès.jpg
| birth_date = 17 April 1962
| birth_place = Dunkerque, France
| citizenship = FrenchFrance
| education = École Polytechnique; École des Mines de Paris
| alma_mater = École Polytechnique; École des Mines de Paris
| occupation = Business executive and engineer
| employer = [[Safran]]
| title = Chief Executive Officer, Safran
| term = 1 January 2021–present
| predecessor = Philippe Petitcolin
| successor =
| boards = [[Safran]]; [[Veolia]] Environnement; Mines Paris
| known_for = ChiefLeadership Executiveof OfficerSafran ofand [[Safran]] Aircraft Engines
| spouse =
| children = 1One daughter
| awards =
| awards = Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur; Officier de l'ordre national du Mérite
| signature =
| website =
| website = https://www.safran-group.com/profile/andries-olivier
}}
 
👔✈️ '''Olivier Andriès''' (born 17 April 1962) is a French engineer and business executive who has served as Chiefchief Executiveexecutive Officerofficer (CEO) of [[Safran]]the sinceaerospace 1and Januarydefence 2021.<ref name="safran-profile">{{cite web |url=https://www.safran-group.com/profile/andries-olivier |title=Olivier Andriès |publisher=Safran |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><refsince name="frwiki">{{cite1 webJanuary |url=https://fr2021.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivier_Andri%C3%A8s |title=OlivierA Andrièsgraduate |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> Trained at theof École Polytechnique and the École des Mines de Paris, he beganpreviously his careerworked in the French civil service, beforeat movingthe intoLagardère seniorgroup rolesand at [[Lagardère]]Airbus andbefore [[Airbus]].<refjoining name="dirigeants">{{citeSafran webin |url=https://dirigeants-entreprise2008.com/dirigeants/olivier-andries/ |title=OlivierWithin AndrièsSafran |publisher=Dirigeantshe &held Entreprisea |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><refseries name="veolia-board">{{citeof websenior |url=https://www.veolia.com/en/veolia-group/governance/board-directorsroles, |title=Theincluding Boardhead of Directorsthe |publisher=VeoliaDefence Environnementand |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>Security Withindivision, Safranchief heexecutive successivelyof headedTurbomeca its(now helicopter-engineSafran andHelicopter aircraft-engineEngines) subsidiariesand beforechief takingexecutive theof group’sSafran topAircraft jobEngines, where he hasoversaw focusedthe onindustrial scaling productionramp-up of the LEAP jet engine, steering the company through the post-COVID-19 recovery and directing a large share of research and development spending towards aviation decarbonisationprogramme.<ref name="safran-profile" /><ref name="cfm-leapdirigeants">{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFM_International_LEAP |title=CFM International LEAP |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |accessdate=2025dirigeants-11-20}}</ref><ref name="flightglobal-decarbonisation">{{cite web |url=https://www.flightglobalentreprise.com/enginesdirigeants/safran-waiting-for-airframers-before-any-new-engine-launch-says-chiefolivier-andries/146700.article |title=Safran waiting for airframers before any new engine launch, says chiefOlivier Andriès |publisher=FlightGlobaldirigeants-entreprise.com |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> Beyond Safran, he sits on the board of [[Veolia]] and has been elected president of the French aerospace industry association GIFAS, combining corporate leadership with influence over sector-wide strategy.<ref name="veolia-board" /><ref name="gifas-officialwikipedia">{{cite web |url=https://wwwfr.gifaswikipedia.frorg/press-summarywiki/olivier-andries-elu-president-du-gifasOlivier_Andri%C3%A8s |title=Olivier Andriès élu Président du GIFAS |publisher=GIFASWikipedia (French) |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
 
📊 '''Strategic profile.''' As CEO of Safran, Andriès has been associated with a strategy centred on post-pandemic resilience, industrial discipline and long-term investment in low-carbon aviation technologies. His tenure has coincided with a recovery in Safran’s financial performance and stock market valuation, as well as targeted acquisitions and partnerships intended to strengthen the group’s position in aircraft engines, equipment and defence electronics.<ref name="challenges_profile">{{cite web |url=https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/aeronautique/pourquoi-olivier-andries-a-ete-choisi-pour-piloter-safran_683251 |title=Pourquoi Olivier Andriès a été choisi pour piloter Safran |publisher=Challenges |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="runwaygirl">{{cite web |url=https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/09/press-release-safran-names-olivier-andries-evp-before-succeeding-ceo/ |title=Safran names Olivier Andriès EVP before succeeding CEO |publisher=Runway Girl Network |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
 
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== Early life and education ==
 
🧒🎓 '''Early years and schooling.''' BornAndriès onwas 17born in April 1962 and grew up in the industrial port city of Dunkerque in northern France, Andriès grew up in an industrial environment farhe fromhas thecredited Parisianwith businessshaping elite.<refboth name="frwiki"his /><refinterest name="dirigeants"in />economic Biographicalhistory profilesand describehis him as strongly attachedattachment to republican values and to France’s, secular public-education system, and they note an early fascination with history and political leaders that would later inform his management stylevalues.<ref name="dirigeants" /> A high-achievingstrong student, he entered the elite École Polytechnique in 1981 andbefore thencontinuing his engineering education at École des Mines de Paris infrom 1984, acquiringjoining the dualtraditional “X-Mines” pedigreepathway that ischannels characteristicgraduates of manyinto senior figurestechnical and administrative roles in the French technocracystate and major corporations.<ref name="safran-profiledirigeants" /><ref name="frwikiwikipedia" />
 
🏛️ '''Civil service.''' After graduating, Andriès joined the French civil service, initially working at the Ministry of Industry and later at the Treasury, where he specialised in matters relating to the aerospace and defence sectors. This early experience gave him detailed knowledge of the French state’s role as shareholder, regulator and customer in strategic industries, and introduced him to many of the actors who would later feature in his industrial career.<ref name="dirigeants" />
== Government service and move to private industry ==
 
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🏛️ '''Civil service in industry and finance.''' After graduation Andriès joined the French state administration in 1990, working first at the Ministry of Industry and then at the Treasury Department, where he handled dossiers in the aeronautics and defence sectors.<ref name="safran-profile" /><ref name="frwiki" /> In 1993 he became industrial adviser in the cabinet of the Minister of Economy and Finance, gaining early experience of how public policy, state shareholdings and large industrial groups intersect in France’s strategic industries.<ref name="frwiki" />
== HonoursCareer ==▼
 
🤝🧭 '''Lagardère and strategic apprenticeship under Jean-Luc Lagardère.''' In 1995 Andriès left governmentpublic toservice joinfor the private sector, joining the [[Lagardère]] groupconglomerate as deputy director of strategy, a move that marked his transition from policymaker to corporate strategist.<ref name="veolia-board" /><ref name="dirigeants" /> Within a few years he had becomebecame a closespecial adviser to founder andchief CEOexecutive Jean-Luc Lagardère, workingeffectively onapprenticing acquisitionunder andone of France’s mergerleading projectsindustrialists and learningcombining how longhigh-termlevel strategic planswork arewith translatedexposure intoto operational andissues financialin decisionsmedia, insidedefence aand diversifiedaerospace conglomeratebusinesses.<ref name="dirigeants" /><ref name="frwikichallenges_profile" /> This period as a “conseiller spécial” is often cited as an apprenticeship that strengthened his ability to combine high-level vision with attention to operational detail.
 
✈️ '''Airbus years.''' In 2000 Andriès moved to Toulouse to join Airbus as director of product policy, where he was involved in major aircraft programmes and played a role in reshaping the A350 project into the A350 XWB after key airline customers judged the initial design insufficient. During this period he was among several executives caught up in an insider-trading investigation at EADS, Airbus’s parent company, relating to the timing of share sales ahead of programme delays; he was placed under formal investigation in 2008 but ultimately cleared when the French market regulator and courts dropped the case, fully exonerating him by 2015.<ref name="wikipedia" />
✈️ '''Airbus, the A350 programme and the EADS affair.''' In 2000 Andriès joined [[Airbus]] in Toulouse as director of product policy and later took charge of wide-body programmes; from 2005 he sat on the executive committee of [[EADS]] (now Airbus Group) as executive vice-president for strategy and cooperation.<ref name="safran-profile" /><ref name="frwiki" /> At Airbus he was closely associated with reshaping the A350 programme into the A350 XWB after launch customers demanded a more ambitious design, illustrating his willingness to revisit core assumptions when major projects are at risk.<ref name="dirigeants" /> His time at EADS also brought a serious setback: in 2008 he was one of seventeen executives placed under formal investigation in a high-profile insider-trading case relating to delays in Airbus programmes and the timing of share sales by senior managers.<ref name="lefigaro-eads">{{cite web |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/societes/2008/12/09/04015-20081209ARTFIG00462-airbus-eads-andries-mis-en-examen-.php |title=Airbus/EADS : Andriès mis en examen |publisher=Le Figaro |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="20minutes-eads">{{cite web |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/economie/361342-20091123-economie-eads-retour-affaire-majeure-delit-initie |title=EADS : retour sur une affaire majeure de délit d'initié |publisher=20 Minutes |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> Investigations by the market regulator and the courts eventually cleared him of wrongdoing, with the judicial case closed in 2015, but the episode temporarily slowed his career progression and underlined the legal and reputational risks facing top executives in listed groups.<ref name="frwiki" /><ref name="20minutes-eads" />
 
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== Safran career ==
 
🛠️ '''Joining Safran and early responsibilities.''' Andriès enteredjoined [[Safran]] in March 2008 as executive vice-president for strategy and development, at a momenttime when the group was consolidatingexpanding its aerospace and defence activities.<ref name="safran-profile" /><ref name="frwiki" /> In September 2009 heHe was givenappointed responsibilityhead forof Safran’s Defence and Security branchdivision and joinedto the group executive board, broadeningin his exposure to military programmes2009, electronicsthen and security systems.<ref name="safran-profile" /> Inin 2011 he became chief executive of [[SafranTurbomeca, Helicopterthe Engines]]helicopter-engine and,subsidiary inlater mid-2015,renamed of [[Safran AircraftHelicopter Engines]], thewhere enginehe subsidiarygained thatdirect byoperational 2019responsibility generatedfor roughlyturbine half of Safran’s revenueprogrammes and aboutinternational two-thirds of its operating profitcustomers.<ref name="safran-profiledirigeants" /><ref name="dirigeantswikipedia" />
 
🚀 '''Aircraft engines.''' In 2015 Safran’s board selected Andriès to lead Safran Aircraft Engines (formerly Snecma), the group’s largest division and the source of a substantial share of its revenue and profits. In this role he oversaw the industrial ramp-up of the LEAP engine, developed in partnership with GE for the Airbus A320neo family, the Boeing 737 MAX and China’s COMAC C919. Safran committed to increase output from fewer than 100 engines in 2016 to around 2,000 per year by 2020, a target that required major investments in capacity and supply-chain resilience; despite disruptions such as the 737 MAX grounding, deliveries reached about 1,800 LEAP engines in 2019.<ref name="wikipedia" /><ref name="runwaygirl" />
🚀 '''Managing the LEAP engine ramp-up.''' As head of Safran Aircraft Engines, Andriès oversaw the industrialisation of the LEAP jet engine, developed with GE through their [[CFM International]] joint venture to power the Airbus A320neo family, the Boeing 737 MAX and the COMAC C919.<ref name="cfm-leap" /><ref name="safran-profile" /> The programme required an unprecedented production ramp-up: from a few dozen LEAP engines delivered in 2016 to a target of around 2,000 units per year by 2020, supported by a large order backlog for new-generation narrow-body aircraft.<ref name="cfm-leap" /> To meet this demand, Safran and GE duplicated critical supply chains, expanded assembly capacity and managed the impact of the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX in 2019, while still delivering more than 1,700 LEAP engines that year.<ref name="cfm-leap" /><ref name="safran-profile" /> This industrial feat was widely viewed as a proving ground for Andriès’s operational credentials and strengthened his position as a likely successor to Safran’s group CEO.<ref name="challenges-choisi">{{cite web |url=https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/aeronautique/pourquoi-olivier-andries-a-ete-choisi-pour-piloter-safran_683251 |title=Pourquoi Olivier Andriès a été choisi pour piloter Safran |publisher=Challenges |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
 
🧩 '''Group chief executive.''' In late 2019 Safran’s board unanimously chose Andriès to succeed Philippe Petitcolin as group chief executive officer, favouring internal continuity and his combination of technical and financial experience.<ref name="runwaygirl" /> After a transition period he took office on 1 January 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 crisis that had severely reduced airline traffic and aircraft production. His early tenure combined cost-cutting measures to adjust to lower volumes with a commitment to maintain research and development spending, especially on technologies aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of aviation, including hybrid-electric propulsion, hydrogen-compatible engines and advanced materials.<ref name="challenges_profile" /><ref name="wikipedia" />
== CEO of Safran ==
 
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🌍 '''Appointment amid the aviation crisis.''' In October 2019 Safran’s board selected Andriès to succeed Philippe Petitcolin as group chief executive, culminating a long internal succession process during which he had already emerged as the leading candidate.<ref name="frwiki" /><ref name="challenges-choisi" /> After a transition as adviser to the CEO in 2020, he formally took office as Chief Executive Officer and director on 1 January 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 shock to global civil aviation.<ref name="safran-profile" /><ref name="runway-safran">{{cite web |url=https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/09/press-release-safran-names-olivier-andries-evp-before-succeeding-ceo/ |title=Safran names Olivier Andriès EVP before succeeding CEO |publisher=Runway Girl Network |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> The abrupt collapse of air traffic had depressed demand for engines and aircraft equipment, forcing Safran to cut output and adapt to a drastically changed market.
== Strategy and performance at Safran ==
 
📈 '''Market performance.''' Under Andriès, Safran’s financial results recovered strongly from the pandemic trough as air traffic resumed and aftermarket activity for engines and equipment rebounded. Between 2021 and late 2025 the group’s market capitalisation is estimated to have risen from about €46 billion to roughly €120 billion, placing Safran among the most valuable aerospace companies globally and signalling investor confidence in its prospects.<ref name="companiesmarketcap">{{cite web |url=https://companiesmarketcap.com/fr/safran/capitalisation-boursiere/ |title=Safran (SAF.PA) – Capitalisation boursière |publisher=CompaniesMarketCap.com |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
♻️ '''Resilience and decarbonisation strategy.''' As CEO, Andriès sought to balance short-term crisis management with long-term technological investment. Safran implemented cost-saving measures, reduced capacity and used furlough schemes where necessary, but he insisted that research into cleaner propulsion should not be sacrificed to immediate pressures.<ref name="safran-profile" /><ref name="safran-esg">{{cite web |url=https://www.safran-group.com/sites/default/files/2022-11/PPT_Instit_Safran_EN_BD_nov2022_2.pdf |title=Safran, a world leader in aerospace |publisher=Safran |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> He announced that roughly three-quarters of Safran’s research and technology budget for 2021–2025 would be devoted to decarbonisation projects, including more efficient engines, open-rotor concepts, hybrid-electric architectures and compatibility with sustainable aviation fuels.<ref name="flightglobal-decarbonisation" /><ref name="safran-esg" /> In interviews and public speeches he has repeatedly described decarbonisation as a “priority issue” for the sector and has encouraged young engineers to see aerospace as a field where they can make a meaningful contribution to climate objectives.<ref name="flightglobal-decarbonisation" /><ref name="campolargo">{{cite web |url=https://jdcampolargo.medium.com/safran-ceo-olivier-andri%C3%A8s-on-jet-engines-decarbonization-and-advice-for-young-people-63b7305108d7 |title=Safran CEO Olivier Andriès on jet engines, decarbonization and advice for young people |publisher=Medium |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
 
🧪 '''Technology and acquisitions.''' In parallel with the recovery, Andriès has emphasised a strategic focus on decarbonisation and advanced technologies, directing a large majority of Safran’s research and development budget towards lower-emission propulsion systems and sustainable aviation fuels. The group has also pursued targeted acquisitions to reinforce its position in defence electronics and flight-control systems, including the purchase of AI-surveillance specialist Preligens and an agreement to acquire the flight-controls business of Collins Aerospace.<ref name="companiesmarketcap" /><ref name="dirigeants" /><ref name="challenges_profile" />
📈 '''Recovery, growth and market valuation.''' Under Andriès’s leadership Safran recovered from its pandemic-era slump and, by the mid-2020s, ranked among the world’s most valuable aerospace companies. According to market-capitalisation data, the group’s value rose from about €46&nbsp;billion at the end of 2021 to more than €120&nbsp;billion by late 2025, a gain that significantly outpaced the broader [[CAC 40]] index.<ref name="companiesmarketcap">{{cite web |url=https://companiesmarketcap.com/fr/safran/capitalisation-boursiere/ |title=Safran (SAF.PA) – Capitalisation boursière |publisher=CompaniesMarketCap.com |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> The rebound reflected the return of commercial air traffic, higher LEAP engine deliveries and aftermarket activity, and internal efficiency measures that improved margins and cash generation.<ref name="safran-profile" /><ref name="safran-esg" /> Financial-press commentary has tended to characterise his approach as cautious but ambitious, combining long-term industrial investment with tight cost control rather than high-profile restructuring or deal-making.<ref name="challenges-choisi" /><ref name="17news25">{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/frances-safran-raises-2025-outlook-after-higher-mid-year-profit-2025-07-31/ |title=France's Safran raises 2025 outlook after higher mid-year profit |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
 
🧱 '''Organisation and governance.''' Early in his mandate as CEO, Andriès reshaped Safran’s executive committee to reflect his strategic priorities, adjusting roles and responsibilities while retaining continuity in key engineering and programme positions.<ref name="wikipedia" /> He has also broadened his external responsibilities, joining the board of directors of Veolia Environnement as an independent director in April 2023 and later becoming chair of the board of Mines Paris, his alma mater.<ref name="veolia_board">{{cite web |url=https://www.veolia.com/en/veolia-group/governance/board-directors |title=Board of Directors |publisher=Veolia Environnement |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="wikipedia" />
🧭 '''Portfolio moves and acquisitions.''' In parallel with organic growth, Andriès has pursued targeted acquisitions to reinforce Safran’s positions in electronics and flight-control systems. In 2024 Safran moved to acquire Preligens, a French artificial-intelligence specialist whose surveillance and image-analysis tools are being integrated into Safran Electronics & Defense, while in 2025 it completed the purchase of Collins Aerospace’s flight-control and actuation activities, significantly expanding its role in mission-critical aircraft systems.<ref name="safran-preligens">{{cite web |url=https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/ai-leader-preligens-joins-safran-2024-09-02 |title=AI leader Preligens joins Safran |publisher=Safran |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="safran-collins">{{cite web |url=https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/safran-announces-acquisition-flight-control-and-actuation-activities-collins-aerospace-2025-07-21 |title=Safran announces the acquisition of flight control and actuation activities from Collins Aerospace |publisher=Safran |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> Analysts see these moves as consistent with his strategy of complementing Safran’s engine leadership with a broader portfolio in high-technology systems for civil and defence aviation, even as antitrust authorities in Europe and the United Kingdom scrutinised and ultimately cleared the Collins transaction.<ref name="17news21">{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/safran-wins-eu-antitrust-approval-18-billion-collins-deal-2025-04-04/ |title=Safran wins EU antitrust approval for $1.8 billion Collins deal |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="17news24">{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uk-antitrust-regulator-says-safrans-remedies-may-resolve-concerns-collins-deal-2025-04-04/ |title=UK antitrust regulator says Safran's remedies may resolve concerns on Collins deal |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
 
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== Other mandates and positions ==
== Remuneration and wealth ==
 
💶 '''Executive compensationCompensation.''' As thechief headexecutive of a major [[CAC 40]] company, Andriès receives remunerationa thatmulti-component isremuneration substantialpackage butthat comparativelycombines moderatefixed withinsalary, theannual universevariable ofpay Frenchand bluelong-chipterm CEOsincentives. AccordingFor to reports by France’s Agence des participations de l’État,2023 his total compensation forhas 2022been andreported 2023at was on the order ofaround €2.7–2.9&nbsp;85 million per year, combiningincluding a fixed salary of aroundapproximately €0.8–0.84&nbsp;million€840,000, withan short-termannual variablebonus payclose of roughlyto €1&nbsp;.0 million and long-term incentive shares valued at about €1.0 million, placing him in the lower half of aCAC similar40 CEOs by pay magnitudelevel.<ref name="econ-2022ape2023">{{cite web |url=https://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/files/directions_services/agence-participations-etat/REA23_pagesREA2024_R%20remuC3%A9mun%C3%A9rations.pdf?v=1730126444 |title=RémunérationsRapport 2022sur desles dirigeantsrémunérations des entreprisesdirigeants cotées2023 |publisher=Agence des participations de l'État |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="econ-2023wikipedia" /> For 2022 his package was of a similar order, with a fixed component of about €800,000 and a bonus slightly above €1.0 million.<ref name="ape2022">{{cite web |url=https://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/files/directions_services/agence-participations-etat/REA2024_RREA23_pages%C3%A9mun%C3%A9rations20remu.pdf?v=1698312392 |title=RémunérationsRapport 2023sur desles dirigeantsrémunérations des entreprisesdirigeants cotées2022 |publisher=Agence des participations de l'État |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> TheseHe levelswas placed himranked in the lower halftier of [[CAC 40]] chief executives of French state-influenced listed companies in 2021–20232021, consistentas withauthorities Safran’sencouraged cautiousmoderation approach toin executive pay following the pandemic downturn.<ref name="econ-2022" /><ref name="econ-2023ape2022" />▼
🌐 '''Board roles at Veolia and Mines Paris.''' Alongside his responsibilities at [[Safran]], Andriès holds several external mandates. Since April 2023 he has served as an independent director of [[Veolia]] Environnement, where he chairs the compensation committee and is a member of the accounts and audit and purpose committees, bringing aerospace-industry experience to a large utilities group.<ref name="veolia-board" /><ref name="11search3">{{cite web |url=https://www.veolia.com/en/our-media/press-releases/combined-shareholders-general-meeting-april-24-2025 |title=Combined Shareholders' General Meeting, April 24, 2025 |publisher=Veolia Environnement |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> In September 2024 he became chairman of the board of the École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris, reconnecting with his alma mater and taking on a formal role in steering one of France’s leading engineering schools.<ref name="frwiki" />
 
🏦 '''Shareholding and other interests.''' As a long-serving executive, Andriès holds a personal stake in Safran’s equity estimated at around 0.0085% of the share capital, corresponding to a portfolio valued in the tens of millions of euros at recent market prices, in addition to his annual remuneration.<ref name="dirigeants" /><ref name="companiesmarketcap" /> He also receives fees for his role as an independent director of Veolia Environnement and for his governance responsibilities at Mines Paris, although there are no widely published estimates of his overall net worth, and he is generally described as maintaining a low public profile with limited overt displays of wealth.<ref name="veolia_board" /><ref name="challenges_profile" />
🎓 '''Sector representation and GIFAS presidency.''' At industry level, Andriès represents the French aerospace sector as president of the Groupement des industries françaises aéronautiques et spatiales (GIFAS), to which he was elected in July 2025.<ref name="gifas-official" /><ref name="jec-gifas">{{cite web |url=https://www.jeccomposites.com/news/by-jec/le-directeur-general-de-safran-prend-la-tete-du-gifas/ |title=Le directeur général de Safran prend la tête du Gifas |publisher=JEC Composites |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> In this role he has highlighted the challenges of increasing production in both civil and defence markets, maintaining competitiveness and attracting young talent, while also stressing the industry’s efforts to reduce its environmental footprint and its importance for national and European sovereignty.<ref name="jec-gifas" />
 
== Compensation and shareholdings ==
 
▲💶 '''Executive compensation.''' As the head of a major [[CAC 40]] company, Andriès receives remuneration that is substantial but comparatively moderate within the universe of French blue-chip CEOs. According to reports by France’s Agence des participations de l’État, his total compensation for 2022 and 2023 was on the order of €2.7–2.9&nbsp;million per year, combining a fixed salary of around €0.8–0.84&nbsp;million with short-term variable pay of roughly €1&nbsp;million and long-term incentive shares of a similar magnitude.<ref name="econ-2022">{{cite web |url=https://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/files/directions_services/agence-participations-etat/REA23_pages%20remu.pdf |title=Rémunérations 2022 des dirigeants des entreprises cotées |publisher=Agence des participations de l'État |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="econ-2023">{{cite web |url=https://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/files/directions_services/agence-participations-etat/REA2024_R%C3%A9mun%C3%A9rations.pdf |title=Rémunérations 2023 des dirigeants des entreprises cotées |publisher=Agence des participations de l'État |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> These levels placed him in the lower half of [[CAC 40]] chief executives in 2021–2023, consistent with Safran’s cautious approach to executive pay following the pandemic downturn.<ref name="econ-2022" /><ref name="econ-2023" />
 
📊 '''Equity holdings and wealth.''' In addition to his salary and bonuses, Andriès holds personal shares in Safran accumulated over the course of his career, though public documents indicate that his stake represents only a small fraction of the company’s capital.<ref name="safran-profile" /><ref name="simplywall">{{cite web |url=https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/capital-goods/otc-safr.y/safran/management |title=Safran SA – Management |publisher=Simply Wall St |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> Based on Safran’s market valuation in the mid-2020s, that holding is worth several million euros, but there are no widely cited estimates of his overall net worth, and commentators generally describe his lifestyle as comfortable yet discreet rather than ostentatious.<ref name="dirigeants" /><ref name="simplywall" />
 
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== Personal life and leadership style ==
 
🏡👨‍👩‍👧 '''Family and privacy.''' ProfilesAccounts ofin Andrièsthe consistentlybusiness stresspress hisdescribe reservedAndriès natureas a discreet and reluctancesoft-spoken toexecutive putwho rarely discusses his private life in the spotlight. He is married and has one daughter, but rarelyseldom speaks aboutmentions his family in public and rarely gives interviews that stray beyond corporate matters, preferring to letfocus Safran’spublic performancecommunications andon projectsSafran’s speakoperations on hisand behalfstrategy.<ref name="dirigeants" /><ref name="challenges-choisichallenges_profile" /> ColleaguesRaised describein himDunkerque asrather courteousthan andin measured,the withParisian thebusiness understatedmilieu, demeanourhe is often associatedportrayed withas France’sunpretentious engineerand hard-managersworking, ratherqualities thanseen theas moreconsistent flamboyantwith stylehis ofengineering someand earliercivil-service aerospace leadersbackground.<ref name="dirigeantswikipedia" /><ref name="la-lettre">{{cite web |url=https://www.lalettre.fr/fr/entreprises_defense-et-aeronautique/2020/07/17/safran--olivier-andries-peine-a-s-imposer-en-dauphin,109244969-art |title=Safran : Olivier Andriès peine à s'imposer en dauphin |publisher=La Lettre A |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
 
📚 '''Interest in history and management philosophy.''' A keen reader of history, Andriès has said he draws lessons from past crises and political leaders, and on his LinkedIn profile he highlights Winston Churchill’s maxim that looking far back helps one see farther forward.<ref name="dirigeants" /> This interest in historical perspective feeds into what insiders describe as a methodical, preparation-heavy approach to decision-making: he is known to arrive at meetings with detailed briefing notes, to ask precise questions and to use historical analogies when framing long-term industrial choices.<ref name="challenges-choisi" /><ref name="la-lettre" />
 
🤫 '''Low-key public profile.''' In the run-up to his promotion as CEO, some business-press articles portrayed Andriès as “peu visible” (“hardly seen”) and questioned whether a discreet executive would be able to embody Safran’s leadership externally.<ref name="la-lettre" /> Even after taking the helm he has tended to keep a relatively low public profile compared with some peers, with much of his communication focused on technical subjects such as engine durability, supply-chain bottlenecks and energy-price pressures rather than broad corporate storytelling.<ref name="safran-profile" /><ref name="16search9">{{cite web |url=https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/manufacturing-supply-chain/safran-concerned-about-major-increase-energy-prices |title=Safran concerned about major increase in energy prices |publisher=Aviation Week |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> Supporters within the company argue that this style is coherent with his engineering background and emphasis on operational execution.<ref name="la-lettre" />
 
📚 '''Historical interests and mentoring.''' Andriès is known as an avid reader of history and biographies and has cited Winston Churchill’s aphorism that “the farther back you look, the farther forward you are likely to see” as an influence on his approach to long-term planning.<ref name="challenges_profile" /> Colleagues describe a management style that combines meticulous preparation with a calm demeanour: in internal meetings he is reported to ask detailed questions and to insist firmly on objectives without raising his voice. Outside Safran he has expressed support for education and meritocracy, serving as chair of Mines Paris and engaging in outreach to young people; after his election as president of GIFAS, the French aerospace industries association, in 2023 he highlighted the need to attract both girls and boys into aerospace careers and to present the sector as meaningful and innovative.<ref name="jec">{{cite web |url=https://www.jeccomposites.com/news/by-jec/le-directeur-general-de-safran-prend-la-tete-du-gifas/?news_type=announcement,business&end_use_application=aerospace |title=Le directeur général de Safran prend la tête du GIFAS |publisher=JEC Composites |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
👩‍🔬 '''Commitment to education and talent pipelines.''' Through his roles at Mines Paris and GIFAS, Andriès has been vocal about the need to attract young people—including women—to careers in aerospace and defence, arguing that the sector offers meaningful and innovative work on issues such as climate, sovereignty and high technology.<ref name="gifas-official" /><ref name="jec-gifas" /> He has supported initiatives to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and to highlight aerospace’s contribution to employment and exports, presenting this outreach as essential to sustaining France’s industrial base and the social legitimacy of its aerospace industry.<ref name="gifas-official" /><ref name="jec-gifas" />
 
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== Controversies and criticism ==
 
⚖️ '''Airbus insider-trading case.''' The principal controversy in Andriès’s early career arose from an insider-trading investigation linked to Airbus parent company EADS in the mid-2000s. As delays affected major aircraft programmes, a group of senior executives, including Andriès, sold shares, prompting allegations that they had acted on non-public information. He was placed under formal judicial investigation in 2008, a development that stalled his career progression for several years, but France’s financial regulator later cleared him of wrongdoing and the criminal case was eventually dropped in 2015, fully exonerating him.<ref name="wikipedia" />
⚖️ '''EADS insider-trading investigation.''' The most serious controversy in Andriès’s career stems from his time at [[EADS]]. In 2008 he was placed under formal investigation, along with sixteen other executives, over allegations of insider trading linked to delays in Airbus programmes and the timing of share sales by senior managers.<ref name="lefigaro-eads" /><ref name="20minutes-eads" /> The case attracted significant media attention and hung over the executives for several years; however, the French market regulator did not sanction him, and in 2015 the judicial investigation was closed without conviction, effectively clearing him of wrongdoing.<ref name="frwiki" /><ref name="20minutes-eads" /> By that time he had already re-established his reputation within Safran, but the episode is often cited as a reminder of the legal and reputational risks associated with information-sensitive decisions at large listed companies.
 
🌱 '''Rennes factory dispute and comments on Green-run cities.''' In 2025 Andriès becamedrew embroiledcriticism in France after a political controversydispute surroundingover a proposed Safran foundry project in the city of Rennes. Frustrated by opposition from local officials belonging to Green-led municipalparty governmentslists, he told a parliamentary commission that he had been “welcomed with tomatoes” and declared that heSafran would no longer invest in citiesmunicipalities governed by Green majorities, remarks that were widely reported as a boycott threat toagainst boycottenvironmentally suchminded municipalitiescities.<ref name="lemonde-rennes">{{cite web |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2025/04/17/projet-de-fonderie-safran-a-rennes-le-patron-du-motoriste-s-est-emporte-contre-les-elus-ecologistes-il-n-a-pas-apprecie-les-critiques_6596940_3234.html |title=Projet de fonderie Safran à Rennes : « Lele patron du motoriste s’est emporté contre les élus écologistes, il n’a pas apprécié les critiques » |publisher=Le Monde |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="lexpress-boycott">{{cite web |url=https://www.lexpress.fr/economie/boycott-des-mairies-ecologistes-par-safran-aux-origines-de-laffrontement_2232899.html |title=Boycott des mairies écologistes par Safran : aux origines de l’affrontement |publisher=L'Express |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> Environmental groups and some political figures criticisedaccused hishim statementsof asoverreacting disproportionateand jeopardising the company’s image, and atsubsequent oddsreports withnoted Safran’sthat publiche emphasissought onto decarbonisation.soften Andrièsthe latertone nuancedof his positioncomments, sayingstressing thatthe Safranimportance soughtof constructive dialogue with all local authorities but expected its industrial projects to be assessed without what he viewed as ideological hostility.<ref name="lexpress-boycottlemonde" />
 
📰 '''Public image.''' Early in his succession process at Safran, some commentators questioned whether Andriès’s reserved style would be sufficiently visible for the top job, with one specialist newsletter describing him in 2020 as “peu visible” (“hardly seen”) in comparison with more outspoken contemporaries.<ref name="lalettre">{{cite web |url=https://www.lalettre.fr/fr/entreprises_defense-et-aeronautique/2020/07/17/safran--olivier-andries-peine-a-s-imposer-en-dauphin,109244969-art |title=Safran : Olivier Andriès peine à s'imposer en dauphin |publisher=La Lettre A |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> Since becoming CEO he has generally been perceived as a steady, low-profile leader who supports initiatives on diversity and environmental responsibility but rarely takes prominent public positions on politically sensitive social issues, leaving most messaging to the company’s institutional channels.<ref name="challenges_profile" /><ref name="wikipedia" />
📰 '''Reception of his leadership.''' Within Safran, explicit criticism of Andriès has been limited, partly because the company’s operating performance and share price have been strong during his tenure.<ref name="companiesmarketcap" /><ref name="17news25" /> Some commentators nonetheless question whether his reserved style is an asset or a handicap in an era when CEOs are expected to act as prominent public communicators on environmental and social issues as well as financial ones.<ref name="la-lettre" /><ref name="challenges-choisi" /> Supporters counter that his emphasis on long-term industrial programmes, steady execution and measured communication has provided stability in a volatile aerospace environment, notably during the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent supply-chain disruptions.<ref name="challenges-choisi" /><ref name="safran-esg" />
 
▲== Honours ==
 
* Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (2018).<ref name="frwiki" />
* Officier de l'ordre national du Mérite (2025).<ref name="frwiki" />
 
== Related content & more ==
 
=== YouTube videos ===
{{Youtube thumbnail | O5iDAuQn3bI | caption=Keynote by Safran CEO Olivier Andriès at Paris Air Lab during the 2023 Paris Air Show}}
{{Youtube thumbnail | DDnrBOFA9-0 | caption=Safran CEO Olivier Andriès on aircraft demand and jet engine durability in a Bloomberg Television interview}}
 
=== biz/articles ===
* [[Safran]]
* [[Veolia]]
* [[Airbus]]
 
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== References ==
 
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[[Category:biz/people]]
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