SES appoints Adel Al-Saleh as CEO

SES has appointed Adel Al-Saleh to the role of chief executive, replacing interim CEO Ruy Pinto.

Al-Saleh will take up the new position from February 2024.

Adel Al Saleh: SES chief executive from February 2024

Since January 2018, he has been CEO at T-Systems International GmbH, the integrated IT services provider and subsidiary of telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG (DT), also serving as a member of the board of management at DT throughout this period.

In his time at T-Systems, Al-Saleh led the transition from an information technology and outsourcing business to an integrated IT services and digital solutions provider.

Interim SES CEO Ruy Pinto, who served as SES’s chief technology officer from 2019 to 2023, will continue to lead SES through January 2024, after which he will remain as a member of the executive team until June 2024 and then will assume the role of strategic advisor to the CEO.

Milton Torres, who succeeded Pinto as CTO on an interim basis, will continue in his role.

Chairman of the SES board of directors Frank Esser said: “We are delighted to welcome Adel Al-Saleh as our new CEO.

“Adel brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm from a range of dynamic, technology-based industries and has a track record of creating value by improving competitiveness and driving efficiency wherever he has been. This makes Adel the ideal person to lead SES into the next phase of our journey and deliver success.

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Ruy for his continuing leadership. Ruy stepped in at a critical time and has provided the kind of leadership to allow SES to perform at a high level on behalf of our customers. We look forward to SES continuing under his direction for the balance of this important year and benefitting from his experience and knowledge as we transition to Adel in 2024.”

Al-Saleh added: “I am excited and honoured to be joining SES. The business is well placed for the future with world-class customer solutions, differentiated capabilities and an industry-leading financial position. I am looking forward to working with a strong team of colleagues to drive SES forward and create value in an exciting and rapidly evolving market environment.”