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Dominique Lafont appointed as executive chairman of NHV Group

NHV Group Press Release | January 20, 2017

Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 23 seconds.

NHV Group, the Belgium-based helicopter transport services company, and Ardian the independent private investment company, its main shareholder since 2014, have announced the appointment of Dominique Lafont as executive chairman.

The appointment comes following the recommendation by former chairman of the board Pascal Colombani, with Lafont having joined the board in 2015 as an independent member.

This change of governance is intended to support NHV’s strategic ambition of becoming the major sector player in both its core markets of Europe and Africa. Lafont will work closely towards this aim with CEO Eric Van Hal.

Just over a year ago, NHV unveiled a new base in Aberdeen, U.K., giving it the platform to service the oil-and-gas sector in the North Sea and significantly strengthen its increasing market share in Europe.

Now Lafont’s appointment will allow NHV to make a big push into its different markets and notably in Africa, given his extensive experience in both the transportation industry and business development in the region. His past roles include CEO and president of Bolloré Africa Logistics from 2005 to 2014.

Since 2015, Lafont has served as senior advisor of KKR and BCG, as well as having set up his own advisory and investment company, Lafont Africa Corporation.

“This is a great opportunity to participate in the next stage of growth for a company, which has strong potential,” said Lafont. “I look forward to working alongside CEO Eric Van Hal, the management team and board with the support of Ardian in taking NHV forward.”

“I’m convinced that Dominique Lafont’s appointment will strengthen our team and help us to realize our ambitions for the future,” said Van Hal. “His extensive business experience and his intimate knowledge of Africa will be a valuable asset for us, and allow us to further bolster our presence both there and in Europe. At the same time, the board would like to express its deep gratitude towards Pascal Colombani for the significant contribution he has made to the development of the NHV Group during his tenure.”

The board of NHV Group now consists of: Lafont, Van Hal, Liesbeth Tielemans, Colombani, Yves Louis Darricarrère, Béatrice Beitmann, Alexandra Goltsova and Nicolas Darnaud.

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