Komb Michel (Michel Combes)

Biography

1962-2013

Michel Komb was born in 1962 in France. Graduated from Polytechnical School and the Higher National school of telecommunications in Paris, Paris Dauphin (the candidate of science on corporate strategy) and Conservatories of arts and crafts has academic degrees of the University (the candidate of science concerning forecasting).

From 1985 to 2002 took different managing positions in a number of the leading French companies.

In 2003 Mr. Komb was appointed the senior vice president and the chief financial officer of France Télécom, in this position till 2006 he carried out work on integration of the French telecom operator with Orange and Wanadoo companies and its transformations to integrated the telecom operator.

Since 2006 worked as the chief executive officer in TDF company (Télédiffusion de France).

From 2008 to 2012 held a post of the chief executive officer across Europe of Vodafone, London and the nonexecutive director of Vodafone PLC.

In different time Michel Komb was a part of Board of Directors of companies Vodafone, Weather (Orascom Wind), Atari, TDF, Eurotunnel, Atos and Procapital.

For January, 2013 Komb is the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Assystem and the nonexecutive director, the board member of ISS company. On February 22, 2013 Michel Komb is appointed the CEO of Alcatel-Lucent.

2015: Leaving Alcatel-Lucent

On September 1, 2015 the CEO of Alcatel-Lucent Michel Komb (Michel Combes) resigned. Learned media about its new work location.

The place of the head of Alcatel-Lucent will be taken by the chairman of the board of directors of the company Philippe Camus. He will execute the leading duties before the producer of telecommunication equipment is a part of Nokia. Completion of the transaction on merge is expected in the first quarter 2016.

Michel Komb left a post of the head of Alcatel-Lucent and received a bonus in 13 million euros

According to the The Wall Street Journal newspaper with reference to the sources familiar with a situation, 53-year-old Michel Komb passed into the French telecommunication holding Altice in which he held a post of the chief operating officer. Besides, Komb is appointed the chairman of the board of the mobile operator Numericable-SFR entering into Altice.

This appointment was confirmed by sources of the Le Figaro newspaper and Bloomberg news agency. After the publication of news of the stock Numericable-SFR and Altice jumped by 5.9% and 6.9% respectively.

Under the leadership of Michel Komba the share value of Alcatel-Lucent trebled, expenses were cut down, research laboratories are re-structured and debts are refinanced. At the same time number of staff decreased approximately by 10 thousand human. Komb saved the company from bankruptcy.

For leaving Alcatel-Lucent Michel Komb did not receive any compensation, but for the achieved results and the help in the organization of the transaction it is necessary to it to 13 million euros which will be paid during the period from 2015 to 2017, the representative of Alcatel-Lucent reported the Journal du Dimanche newspaper. The French finance minister Michel Sapin called this amount "violent and not giving in to common sense". The representative of the French government Stephane Le Foll urged Michel Komba to refuse so large bonuses.

It should be noted that Kombu's payments for merge of Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia appeared less, than at some other former CEOs based on similar transactions. For example, the former head of Nokia Stephen Elop received more than $25 million for sale of telephone business of Microsoft corporation.^[1]

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