EDF EN hires CEO from Engie

EDF Energies Nouvelles, the renewables arm of French electric utility EDF (EPA:EDF) has headhunted a replacement for its current CEO from rival Engie SA (EPA:ENGI).

Bruno Bensasson, currently chief executive at Engie Africa, will take over from Antoine Cahuzac, who decided to retire, on April 16. However, Cahuzac will stay with EDF EN by the end of the year as an advisor to the new CEO.

Bensasson began his professional career in 1998 at the French Nuclear Safety Authority. Between 2004 and 2006 he held the position of technical advisor responsible for the environment, new energies and nuclear energy at the Ministry of Industry, and then advisor to the President of France responsible for industry, the environment and transport. Then, he joined SUEZ (later to merge into Engie) in 2007 as Director of economic studies in the Development and Strategy Department. In 2011, he became part of the Executive Committee of GDF SUEZ as Director of strategy and sustainable development. He was appointed CEO of GDF SUEZ Energie France at the beginning of 2013 before becoming Executive Vice President in charge of the development and production of renewable energy at GDF SUEZ Energie Europe in July 2014. Since 2016, he has been CEO of Engie Africa.

Most recently, Bensasson announced Engie's acquisition of Fenix International, an off-grid energy provider in Africa.

At EDF Energies Nouvelle, he will be reponsible for the achievement of targets for 10 GW of electricity storage globally by 2035 and 30 GW of solar power capacity between 2020 and 2035.

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