Posted by Mumbai: Capgemini has selected current COO Aiman Ezzat to be the next CEO and succeed Chairman and CEO Paul Hermelin after the shareholders’ general meeting scheduled for May 20, 2020.
This move comes after Hermelin had made a decision to initiate an internal managerial transition process in 2017 for his successor.
The Board of Directors’ choice of Aiman Ezzat was unanimous following the joint proposal of Pierre Pringuet, Chairman – Ethics & Governance Committee and lead independent director; and Daniel Bernard, Vice Chairman of Board and the ad hoc committee.
The Board will also recommend Aiman Ezzat be appointed as a Board Director of Capgemini SE during the next shareholders’ general meeting.
The Board of Directors acknowledged the quality of Thierry Delaporte’s contribution to the development and transformation of the Group during this managerial transition.
As previously announced, Paul Hermelin has proposed that during the next shareholders’ general meeting, the Board adopts a governance structure that splits the office of Chairman from that of CEO.
In this new structure, Paul Hermelin will remain Chairman of the Board, while Aiman Ezzat will be responsible for the general management of the company, as the sole executive corporate officer.
The selection of 58 year old Ezzat for the top post, shouldn’t be a surprise since he serving as COO since January 1, 2018 and is a member of the Group Executive Board.
Overall, Ezzat has been with Capgemini with over decades and has developed a deep knowledge of the Group’s main businesses and has worked in many countries, notably the UK and the US, where he lived for more than 15 years.
Ezzat also has served as Chief Financial Officer of the Group from December 2012 to 2018. In November 2007, he was appointed as COO of the Financial Services Global Business Unit (GBU) and became its Global Head in December 2008 which he held up until 2012.
From 2005 to 2007, Ezzat was Capgemini’s Deputy Director of Strategy, during which time he participated notably in the acquisition and integration of Kanbay, a global IT services firm focused on the financial services industry.
Before joining Capgemini, Aiman served as Managing Director of International Operations at a global business and technology company, between 2000 and 2004, with responsibility for Asia and Europe.
This came after ten years at Gemini Consulting, the former brand of the strategic and transformation consulting arm of the Capgemini Group, now Capgemini Invent, where he held a number of roles including Global Head of the Oil and Chemicals practice.
He holds a MSc (Master of Sciences) in chemical engineering from École Supérieure de Chimie, Physique et Électronique de Lyon (France) and an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.