Atos shuffles global leadership roles following retirement of Charles Dehelly

Last month Atos unveiled that Charles Dehelly, a Senior Executive Vice President at the firm in charge of Global Operations and the TOP performance programme, will retire from his post. Dehelly, who recently turned 67, will continue to support Thierry Breton, Atos’ Chairman and CEO, in an advisory capacity.

Faced with the retirement of Dehelly, the IT consulting firm has initiated its succession plan, reshuffling two senior position holders:

Eric Grall was most recently an Executive Vice-President at Atos, and leader of the firm’s Global Infrastructure & Data Management Services division. The division employs 40,000 and has worldwide revenues of €6.6 billion. He started his career at HP in 1986, taking on marketing and R&D positions at the firm. In 1998 he moved into the firm’s Services segment, before taking on a range of management positions, including outsourcing, pre-sales and operations. In 2005 he became a Vice President at the company, leading HP’s Global Services Delivery for the EMEA region. Following the firm’s acquisition in 2008 he became leader of the company’s outsourcing business.

Grall, who studied Nuclear Energy at Grenoble INP - Ense3, will become the firm’s new Head of Global Operations and the TOP performance programme leader. He brings considerable experience to the role, under his leadership the Infrastructure and Data Management division increased its revenues from €1.8 billion to €6.6 billion, with last year the division performing with double digit growth.  

Peter Pluim was most recently the COO Global Operations for the Atos Infrastructure & Data Management Services Division at Atos, having joined the firm in 2012. Much of his earlier career was spent at IBM, where he was, in his most recent role, a Director of Services Delivery in the firm’s Global Technology Services business in the Benelux. Earlier roles for the firm include Director of Operations, Benelux; Operations Leader, Benelux; Chief Operating Officer at IBM Internet Security Systems, EMEA; Resource Management Leader, IBM SouthWest Europe; Optimization Manager, EMEA; Financial Resource Manager, IBM Global Services EMEA; Sales-, Line, Delivery Management Functions, IBM Netherlands; in 1995 he founded Internet Business Solutions, for which he was the Commercial Director.

Pluim, who holds a Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, will replace Grall as Head of the Infrastructure and Data Management division, he will also join the firm’s Executive Committee in relation to the role.

Breton comments on the transition, “It has been a great pleasure to work side by side with Charles over the last 25 years. As expressed unanimously by our Board of Directors, Charles deserves the deep recognition of all Atos stakeholders for his outstanding contribution to our company. I wish Eric and Peter, all the best in their new roles.”