Chairmen Emeriti

Mr. Giuliano Berretta was CEO of Eutelsat Communications, one of the world’s three leading satellite operators until November 2009. The Group reported consolidated revenues of €829.1 million in 2007 from the operation of its 24 communications satellites in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Mr Berretta was also a Board member of the Spanish satellite operator, Hispasat S.A., another ESOA member.

Mr Berretta joined the Eutelsat international organisation in 1990 as its first Commercial Director. Prior to joining Eutelsat Mr Berretta worked at the European Space Agency's headquarters in Paris and its technical centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands where he was instrumental in the design of Europe's pioneering communications satellite programmes. Before ESA, Mr. Berretta spent seven years with Italian industry (Telettra, Selenia) in the field of military and civilian radio links and television broadcasting.

Mr Berretta was elected 'Satellite Executive of the Year 2000' by Via Satellite, a leading publication in the satellite sector. In June 2002 he was one of 50 European businessmen recognised as a “Leader at the Forefront of Change" by Business Week Europe. Mr Berretta holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Padua (Italy) an Honorary Doctorate in Management Engineering from the University of Bologna (Italy) and an honorary Professorship from the University Ricardo Palma of Lima (Peru). He is a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur of the French Republic and a Cavaliere del Lavoro by the Italian Republic.

Romain Bausch was President and Chief Executive Officer of SES from 1995 until March 2014 and during his tenure, he served as ESOA's Chairman twice, once at its inception in 2002 and then again from 2009-2010.

Before joining SES as its chief executive, Mr. Bausch occupied key positions in the banking, media and telecommunications sectors and spent a five-year term as a Director and Vice Chairman of SES. He served also as Chairman of the Board of Directors of SES ASTRA, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of O3b Networks and member of the Board of Solaris Mobile Ltd. Mr Bausch also served as a Director of Fedil – Business Federation Luxembourg and is a member of the Boards of Directors of Aperam, BIP Investment Partners and Compagnie Financière La Luxembourgeoise. He graduated with a degree in economics (specialisation in business administration) from the University of Nancy. He holds an honorary doctorate from the Sacred Heart University in Luxembourg.