Gary Donnan takes over as innovation director at Eutelsat

Donnan will have the mission of establishing Eutelsat's strategic route in terms of innovation and will report directly to Rodolphe Belmer, general director of the group.

Gary Donnan has been appointed chief innovation officer of Eutelsat Communications. He will take office on October 29 and will report directly to Rodolphe Belmer, general director of the group.

Gary Donnan will have as mission to establish Eutelsat's strategic route in terms of innovation. He will be in charge of identifying and promoting innovation initiatives within the group in a transversal way, as well as strengthening the ties between Eutelsat and the external innovation environment in order to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies within the Group.

A profile with experience in innovation and transformation

Prior to joining Eutelsat, Gary Donnan gained solid experience in cross-functional and collaborative management positions and successfully carried out wide-ranging transformation projects, particularly in Technicolor, where he worked for eleven years. He held various key positions in the fields of technology, research and innovation, through which he specialized in the video sector. As a member of Technicolor's executive committee, he served as Executive Vice President (EVP) of Research and Innovation, and later as EVP in charge of technology and standards standards.

Prior to joining Technicolor in 2005, Donnan held similar positions in research and innovation at Alcatel, where he was responsible for research and development for fiber, cable, radio and satellite network deployment projects in various parts of the world. He thus has excellent knowledge of telecommunications technologies.

An Irish national, Gary Donnan has a degree in computer science and data analysis and has postgraduate studies from the University of Ulster (United Kingdom).

Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat, commented that "Gary Donnan's arrival at Eutelsat represents a great opportunity for all of us. His extensive experience in international companies, both in telecommunications and in the audiovisual sector, will allow us to align our strategy according to the evolution of our clients' needs. This appointment is part of our strategy to accelerate our transformation, to be more open to the outside world and more agile in a rapidly evolving environment."