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Jean-Paul Alary to be appointed as CEO of Franco-German Defense Group KNDS

Amsterdam, 3rd December 2024

The KNDS Board of Directors has appointed Jean-Paul Alary, 58, as the new group CEO of KNDS, the Franco-German manufacturer of military land systems. He will join KNDS from Safran Aircraft Engines, a division of French high-technology group Safran, where he has been CEO. Throughout his career, he has held various roles across different divisions within Safran. Jean-Paul Alary will assume his appointment at KNDS by April 1st, 2025.

Philippe Petitcolin, Chairman of the Board of Directors at KNDS, states: "With Jean-Paul Alary, KNDS could win an outstanding expert in technology and management. He will further drive KNDS's innovational power and economic growth. We are pleased to welcome him to the KNDS leadership team."

Jean-Paul Alary says of his new role: "The defense industry is facing challenging yet opportunity-rich times. I look forward to actively shaping these developments as the CEO of KNDS. As a leading company in European land defense, KNDS plays a central role in security policy considerations and efforts.”

Frank Haun, 65, CEO of KNDS, will step down on December 15th, 2024, having reached the end of his term. "We thank Frank Haun for many successful years of service. He has significantly advanced strategy and business development of KNDS since its founding in 2015. Under his leadership, the Franco-German group has established itself at the very top of defense providers in Europe," says Philippe Petitcolin. Haun was appointed CEO of KNDS in 2020, having previously served as Co-CEO since the founding of the group in 2015. Frank Haun joined KMW, one of the joint-venture partners of KNDS, in 2003 and had been KMW’s CEO from 2006 until 2020.

Until Jean-Paul Alary takes over the CEO position at KNDS, Philippe Balducchi, Group Chief Financial Officer of KNDS, will assume the CEO responsibilities in addition to his current role.

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Press contact

Dr. Kurt Braatz
Chief Communications Officer
Phone: +31 20 218 4710
E-Mail: kurt.braatz (at) knds.nl

KNDS is the result of the association of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter, two of the leading European manufacturers of military land systems based in Germany and France. KNDS forms a Group of around 9,500 employees, with a 2023 turnover of 3.3 billion euro, an order backlog of around 16 billion euro and incoming orders of 7.8 billion euro. The range of its products includes main battle tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, weapons systems, ammunition, military bridges, customer services, battle management systems, training solutions, protection solutions and a wide range of equipment. The formation of KNDS represents the beginning of consolidation in land defense systems industry in Europe. The alliance of KMW and Nexter enhances both groups’ competitiveness and international positions, as well as their ability to meet the needs of their respective national army. In addition, KNDS offers to its European and NATO customers the opportunity of increased standardization and interoperability for their defense equipment, with a dependable industrial base. KNDS headquarters are based in Amsterdam.