Paris (France), 2 April 2020 – Guillaume Laurin has been chosen to succeed to Marc Lavorata as CEO of Zodiac Milpro. Guillaume will arrive on 6 April 2020, and his appointment will take effect as of 4 May 2020, with the continuing support of Marc Lavorata, who will become COO.
Guillaume Laurin was the Chairman of the Executive Board of NSE, a listed French group with international operations in aerospace and defence, specialized in design, integration and electronic equipment services, which he successfully developed while opening new subsidiaries in Canada and India. Skilled in transformation and development, Guillaume is an executive with global vision and in-depth experience in managing large industrial, technical and technological companies.
Trained as a civil and military engineer, Guillaume will join Zodiac Milpro with sound experience as a seasoned international executive. He spent nearly 20 years in the French Navy in various staff and operational naval aerospace positions. In particular, he was the technical director of the Franco-American surveillance aircraft programme, then director of the “Aircraft Support” bureau in charge of maintaining operational readiness. He was director of development, then CEO of ECT Industries (190 employees, €24m in sales), acquired by NSE in 2011. He then became General Director of NSE (700 employees, €76m in sales), before becoming Executive Vice President-Deputy CEO and finally Chairman of the Executive Board, a position he has held since 2017.
Louis Godron, Managing Partner at Argos Wityu, said, “I am very pleased that the succession plan organised with Marc Lavorata has resulted in the appointment of Guillaume Laurin. Guillaume’s international experience and his in-depth understanding of Zodiac Milpro’s business will stand him in good stead in pursuing the growth of this world leader in an expanding sector. I would like to thank Marc for his engagement and for the remarkable way he has prepared his succession.”
Guillaume Laurin added, “I am honoured to accept this appointment, and I am looking forward to joining Zodiac Milpro’s marvellous team and its 400 employees, who have made the company the leader in semi-rigid and inflatable boats for military and professional markets. Zodiac Milpro’s positioning is competitive and is a very good base for launching and executing an ambitious strategic plan.”
Marc Lavorata declared, “I would like to sincerely thank the company’s entire staff for the work they have accomplished since I have been CEO. It is their efforts that have built Zodiac Milpro into what it is today, and I am extremely proud of what we have done together. I am happy that Guillaume Laurin has agreed to follow in my footsteps. I have full confidence in his ability to guide the group to a successful future.”
Argos Wityu team: Louis Godron, Simon Guichard and Yasmine Karger
Argos Wityu
Coralie Cornet
Head of Communications
ccc@argos.fund
+33 6 14 38 33 37
About Argos Wityu / www.argos.wityu.fund
Argos Wityu is an independent European investment fund that supports companies in the transfer of business ownership. It has assisted more than 80 entrepreneurs, focusing its investment strategy on complex transactions with emphasis on transformation, growth, and close collaboration with management teams. Argos Wityu seeks to acquire majority interests and invest between €10m and €100m with each transaction. With more than €1bn under management and 30 years of experience, Argos Wityu operates from offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Luxembourg, Milan and Paris.
About Zodiac Milpro / www.zodiacmilpro.com
World leader in high-performance boats, Zodiac Milpro has been designing innovative products for “those who work on the water”. Zodiac Milpro has originated most of the major concepts that have driven the development of the modern inflatable boat since the 1930s. As a French stand-alone group headquartered in Paris, Zodiac Milpro has more than 100 years of technical heritage and sets the standard for the most advanced inflatable and semi-rigid craft.
