Jean-Yves Courtois

A graduate of Polytechnique, holding a PhD in quantum physics and a habilitation to supervise research, Jean-Yves COURTOIS started his career with 5 years at the Direction Générale pour l’Armement (DGA) before joining Thales where, four years later, he became CEO of Thales Microsonics.

He then led Temex, a manufacturer of electronic components for Telecom, Defense, and Space, for 4 years. In 2006, he co-founded Orolia, which became the world leader in resilient positioning, navigation, and synchronization solutions that improve the reliability, performance, and safety of critical operations for its customers.

He developed the company internationally, particularly in the United States, which represented 60% of Orolia's turnover at the time of its sale to Safran in July 2022.

In April 2023, he became CEO of Preligens and developed the company into the leader in AI from Seabed to Space. This strategy enables the company to grow and be acquired by Safran for €220 million in September 2024.