Current ArianeGroup CEO Martin Sion has been named the new head of French train maker Alstom. He will officially take up the role in April 2026.
Martin Sion assumed the role after André-Hubert Roussel stepped down in late March 2023, just months after the inaugural flight of Ariane 6 had been pushed out by a year from late 2022 to Q4 2023, the latest in a string of delays. While the company declined to comment on the reason for Roussel’s departure, it was seen as a response to the continued failure to deliver on promised deadlines.
The appointment of Sion as the new CEO of Alstom was announced by the company on 8 October. ArianeGroup followed with its own announcements stating simply that Sion would “not seek the renewal of his mandate as CEO.”
According to Alstom, Sion will receive a €1.2 million signing bonus and an annual salary of €1.05 million. His package also includes up to €1.9 million in performance-based annual bonuses, as well as yearly long-term incentive awards. Sion’s current remuneration package is not known.
The change in ArianeGroup’s leadership comes as the company ramps up production and increases the launch cadence of its Ariane 6 rocket. Following its inaugural flight in 2024, commercial launch operator Arianespace has conducted two Ariane 6 missions in 2025, with two more expected before the end of the year.
During a panel discussion at the Paris Air Show in January, Arianespace CEO David Cavaillolès, who had only just taken over from longtime CEO Stéphane Israël, said the company expects to reach Ariane 6’s maximum launch cadence of ten missions per year by 2029. The next four years will therefore be pivotal for the company, making it a less than ideal time for a change in leadership.
The announcement also comes as ArianeGroup continues to negotiate contracts with suppliers for the rocket’s operational production phase, which covers flights 16 through 42. Over the past two weeks, the company has signed agreements with Sabca and MT Aerospace for key components of the batch of 27 Ariane 6 rockets.
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