Catherine Guillouard has informed the Paris public transport operator RATP that she wishes to end her duties as President and CEO of the RATP group for personal reasons. By mutual agreement, her term of office will therefore end on 30 September. The news have been received with quite some surprises. This is why, Catherine Guillouard, for her part, has sent a message to the company’s employees:
“These five years at the head of the company have been a wonderful human and collective adventure. The RATP group has become the third largest urban public transport operator in the world. Together, we have considerably accelerated its transformation to make it a key player in France and on the international scene.
We have laid the groundwork to be ready for the opening to competition, in particular by building a balanced social framework, developing growth drivers and a robust Group organisation. In the context of a sustained social dialogue, we have signed 36 cross-functional agreements since 2017 aimed at adapting the company’s operations to its new challenges.
We can also be proud of the progress we have made in improving our quality of service on the Île-de-France network, with a customer satisfaction index that has risen from 81% in 2017 to over 86% in 2021.
We have also carried out a whole series of major projects that testify to the plurality of our know-how with an unprecedented investment plan, which rose from €1.6 billion in 2017 to €2.4 billion last year. Major successes include, of course, the renewal of the RER A’s tracks and ballast, the extension of line 14 to Mairie de Saint Ouen, line 12 to Aubervilliers, line 4 to Bagneux and its automation, as well as the significant progress made in the Bus 2025 programme to decarbonise our fleet, half of which has already been converted to clean buses.
The RATP group is now an innovative company, with an innovation programme developed over the last few years around 20 key technologies and four priority programmes (artificial intelligence, building information modelling, autonomy, connected objects). An ambitious digital transformation plan has also been launched and is already bearing fruit.
Finally, our ambition to develop the Group has been marked by major successes in recent years. RATP DEV has won and implemented major contracts (Tuscany, Cairo, Riyadh, Angers, Brest, etc.), enabling it to double its capacity. 2 billion in 14 countries, or our emergence as a player in urban services with RATP Solutions Ville, which has achieved significant commercial successes (the Grand Paris Express broadband contract, the Paris cooling networks with Engie and the renovation of the APHP headquarters with BNP Paribas Real Estate and Apsys).
Beyond these examples of achievements that bear witness to the expertise, professionalism and commitment of the Group’s employees, what I will remember from my five years at the head of the RATP Group is, above all, a team that is united by strong values and by a singular capacity for commitment to the company and the general interest. In particular, I will never forget the mobilisation you demonstrated throughout the health crisis, when we were all able to continue our public service mission in the interest of the nation.
Even if much remains to be done, the deployment of the “Challenges 2025” business plan since 2016 on all dimensions of the Group should make us both proud and confident. I am indeed convinced that this formidable group has all the assets to meet the challenges ahead.
I would like to thank the State for its constant support over the past five years in accompanying the Group’s transformation and helping it to achieve its ambitions.
I warmly thank each and every one of you for your trust and for all the intense moments we have gone through over the last few years.”
Pending the appointment of the next CEO of the RATP group, an interim appointment will be made from 30 September by Pierre-Alain Roche as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the RATP group and by Jean-Yves Leclercq as Chief Executive Officer of the company.
Guillard’s career
Catherine Guillouard began her career at the Treasury Department of the French Ministry of the Economy before joining the transport company Air France for 10 years. She held the positions of Director of Flight Operations, General Delegate for Human Resources and Director of Financial Affairs.
In 2007, Catherine Guillouard became Chief Financial Officer of Eutelsat Communications, and as such a member of the Executive Committee. In 2013, she joined Rexel as Chief Financial Officer, then Deputy CEO in 2014.
Catherine Guillouard sits on the Boards of Directors of Engie and Airbus. She was previously a member of the Board of Directors of Aéroports de Paris (ADP Group).
Born in 1965, Catherine Guillouard is a graduate of ENA and Sciences Po Paris. She also holds a postgraduate degree in Community law.
10.09.2022
