Message from Jacques Aschenbroich

Orange has reached a critical juncture in its history

At this very challenging time—with rising inflation, intense competition, investment in new technologies, and the omnipresent French regulator pushing us to assert our rights and reiterate the commitments we have fulfilled—our technological and human resources help us deliver very solid financial results and a healthy balance sheet. These results enable us to continue making vital investments in our—fixed and mobile— infrastructure and improving the quality of the services.

In 2022, we put in place a new governance structure separating the roles of Chair and Chief Executive Officer. This change was welcomed by all Board members according to an external assessment conducted at the end of the year. As Chairman, I lead the Board in approving the Group’s strategy and overseeing its implementation. As Chief Executive Officer, Christel Heydemann has more power to steer the company— something she does very enthusiastically and energetically—and address 21^st-century challenges.

Starting in summer 2022, the Strategy and Technology Committee held four meetings to prepare a strategy seminar that took place at the beginning of 2023. Its work enabled the Board to prepare and approve the Lead the Future strategic plan put forward by the Chief Executive Officer. This plan, which was presented to Group shareholders and employees on 16 February 2023, plays to our strengths as a provider of vital connectivity services and infrastructure.

I have great faith in the ability of Christel, her teams, and all Orange employees to implement the strategic plan in a way that benefits all our stakeholders, employees, customers, and shareholders.