Four more execs man the decks at leaky sales vessel Atos
(2025/09/02)
- Reference: 1756816361
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/09/02/atos_exec_hires/
- Source link:
A publication less kind than The Reg might couch Atos's latest leadership intake as the recruitment of more expensive execs coming armed with buckets to bail water from a sinking vessel.
Four more joined the top table this week to assist the multi-year turnaround of the listing tech tanker, which has appointed seven chief executives in just three years.
Now billing itself as the "leading provider of AI-powered digital transformation," [1]Atos said it has hand-picked "seasoned leaders" to "support the next phase of the Group's fast-moving transformation plan to restore sustainable profitable growth, improve performance, and create long-term value for all stakeholders."
[2]
Florin Rotar, formerly an exec at professional services and consulting biz Avanade – a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture – has arrived at Atos as Group Chief Technology Officer.
[3]
[4]
With confidence, Atos said of Rotar: "In his new role as Group CTO, he will capitalize on his two decades of experience scaling AI & emerging technologies, his global perspective and industry influence to support the Group's ambition to become a global AI-powered technology partner of choice delivering secure end-to-end digital journeys."
Rocking up as executive veep for strategy and operational excellence is Laurent Soulier, who started his career in the cybersecurity department of France's Ministry of Defence before switching to the Ministry of Industry "where he led the transposition into French law of European directives regulating the internet and postal sectors." He then ran "transformation programs and M&A strategies" at Adecco and Foncia.
[5]
Camille Le Provost has joined to run M&A at Atos. She previously worked at BNP Paribas, Rabobank, and oversaw M&A at health and beauty biz Anjac Group for several years. Pénélope de Fouquières has been put in charge of the communications department.
"Their arrival reflects shared confidence in our strong foundation, our transformation plan, and our talented global workforce, as well as trust in our ability to turn this into appreciable growth in revenue and profitability over the next four years," Atos Group Chairman and CEO Philippe Salle said in a statement.
[6]Troubled French outsourcer Atos finds pot of gold at the end of UK state bank Rainbow
[7]Atos's UK auditor raises 'material uncertainty' about future
[8]Home Office haunted by 25-year-old asylum system
[9]French govt finance panel mulls nationalizing Atos
Salle only took the helm in February and by May had helped to [10]write a four-year corporate get-fit plan that includes a menu of [11]more offshoring, more job cutting , and a hefty helping of AI.
For what it's worth, MIT last month found that [12]95 percent of generative AI initiatives have yielded almost no benefits for the US companies that have collectively invested $35-40 billion in the technology. Maybe Atos will have more luck, though it seems doubtful at this stage.
Atos wants to generate €9-10 billion ($10.48-11.64 billion) in revenues with an operating margin of 10 percent by 2028. For context, it expects to generate €8.5 billion in sales this year – compared to €9.6 billion in 2024 – with an expected operating margin of 4 percent.
[13]
The systems integrator had intended to split itself in two, [14]selling off the legacy portions of the portfolio – datacenter, hosting, outsourcing, and workplace tech – and retaining the cyber, big data, and cloud units under a new brand called Eviden (initially [15]Evidian ). That bid failed.
The [16]French government in June offered €410 million for Atos's slimmed-down HPC assets.
Wolves were kept from Atos's doors last year when creditors agreed a [17]rescue package worth €1.675 billion , so there is some financial security for now at least.
HPE, CSC, and IBM all struggled to come to terms with the cloud and its impact on traditional datacenter services in recent times, and [18]Atos moved later than those competitors to grasp that particular nettle.
The latest turnaround plan isn't flawless and the gamble on AI is less than certain to succeed. ®
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://atos.net/en/2025/press-release_2025_09_01/atos-group-strengthens-its-management-team-to-further-execute-and-accelerate-its-transformation-plan
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/07/troubled_french_outsourcer_atos_finds/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/27/atos_uk_going_concern/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/04/home_office_asylum_system/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/05/french_government_atos/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/16/atos_transformation_7/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/28/atos_transformation/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/18/generative_ai_zero_return_95_percent/
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/01/atos_unit_eviden_potential_sale/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/20/atos_cfo_to_follow_ceo/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/02/atos_set_to_score_410m/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/15/atos_secures_funding_for_rescue/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/10/atos_were_moving_away_from/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Four more joined the top table this week to assist the multi-year turnaround of the listing tech tanker, which has appointed seven chief executives in just three years.
Now billing itself as the "leading provider of AI-powered digital transformation," [1]Atos said it has hand-picked "seasoned leaders" to "support the next phase of the Group's fast-moving transformation plan to restore sustainable profitable growth, improve performance, and create long-term value for all stakeholders."
[2]
Florin Rotar, formerly an exec at professional services and consulting biz Avanade – a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture – has arrived at Atos as Group Chief Technology Officer.
[3]
[4]
With confidence, Atos said of Rotar: "In his new role as Group CTO, he will capitalize on his two decades of experience scaling AI & emerging technologies, his global perspective and industry influence to support the Group's ambition to become a global AI-powered technology partner of choice delivering secure end-to-end digital journeys."
Rocking up as executive veep for strategy and operational excellence is Laurent Soulier, who started his career in the cybersecurity department of France's Ministry of Defence before switching to the Ministry of Industry "where he led the transposition into French law of European directives regulating the internet and postal sectors." He then ran "transformation programs and M&A strategies" at Adecco and Foncia.
[5]
Camille Le Provost has joined to run M&A at Atos. She previously worked at BNP Paribas, Rabobank, and oversaw M&A at health and beauty biz Anjac Group for several years. Pénélope de Fouquières has been put in charge of the communications department.
"Their arrival reflects shared confidence in our strong foundation, our transformation plan, and our talented global workforce, as well as trust in our ability to turn this into appreciable growth in revenue and profitability over the next four years," Atos Group Chairman and CEO Philippe Salle said in a statement.
[6]Troubled French outsourcer Atos finds pot of gold at the end of UK state bank Rainbow
[7]Atos's UK auditor raises 'material uncertainty' about future
[8]Home Office haunted by 25-year-old asylum system
[9]French govt finance panel mulls nationalizing Atos
Salle only took the helm in February and by May had helped to [10]write a four-year corporate get-fit plan that includes a menu of [11]more offshoring, more job cutting , and a hefty helping of AI.
For what it's worth, MIT last month found that [12]95 percent of generative AI initiatives have yielded almost no benefits for the US companies that have collectively invested $35-40 billion in the technology. Maybe Atos will have more luck, though it seems doubtful at this stage.
Atos wants to generate €9-10 billion ($10.48-11.64 billion) in revenues with an operating margin of 10 percent by 2028. For context, it expects to generate €8.5 billion in sales this year – compared to €9.6 billion in 2024 – with an expected operating margin of 4 percent.
[13]
The systems integrator had intended to split itself in two, [14]selling off the legacy portions of the portfolio – datacenter, hosting, outsourcing, and workplace tech – and retaining the cyber, big data, and cloud units under a new brand called Eviden (initially [15]Evidian ). That bid failed.
The [16]French government in June offered €410 million for Atos's slimmed-down HPC assets.
Wolves were kept from Atos's doors last year when creditors agreed a [17]rescue package worth €1.675 billion , so there is some financial security for now at least.
HPE, CSC, and IBM all struggled to come to terms with the cloud and its impact on traditional datacenter services in recent times, and [18]Atos moved later than those competitors to grasp that particular nettle.
The latest turnaround plan isn't flawless and the gamble on AI is less than certain to succeed. ®
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://atos.net/en/2025/press-release_2025_09_01/atos-group-strengthens-its-management-team-to-further-execute-and-accelerate-its-transformation-plan
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/07/troubled_french_outsourcer_atos_finds/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/27/atos_uk_going_concern/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/04/home_office_asylum_system/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/05/french_government_atos/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/16/atos_transformation_7/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/28/atos_transformation/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/18/generative_ai_zero_return_95_percent/
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aLcUlprfVMhPMUteye5T9QAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/01/atos_unit_eviden_potential_sale/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/20/atos_cfo_to_follow_ceo/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/02/atos_set_to_score_410m/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/15/atos_secures_funding_for_rescue/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/10/atos_were_moving_away_from/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
As long a shelf life as a dodgy cheese sandwich
StewartWhite
"In his new role as Group CTO, he will capitalize on his two decades of experience scaling AI & emerging technologies, his global perspective and industry influence to support the Group's ambition to become a global AI-powered technology partner of choice delivering secure end-to-end digital journeys."
Yeah, yeah - I give him a couple of weeks before the revolving door turns once more and he's replaced by a blancmange (equally useless but significantly cheaper and quite tasty to boot).
Well, that's sure to work.
We're bleeding funds and don't know why.
OK, we'll hire a bunch of very expensive executives who know nothing about the business!