Air France is to search for a new group general counsel as Guillaume Hecketsweiler will depart the airline at the end of October.
Hecketsweiler was appointed to the role in June 2014 and together with the executive vice president and corporate secretary, is responsible for implementing the company’s legal strategy and policies.
An Air France spokesperson confirmed that Hecketsweiler will be leaving the group ‘at his request’ on 31 October 2016.
The spokesperson said: ‘This decision is based on personal reasons as he will be following his family to the US. We did not wish his departure which is not related in any way to a restructuring project.’
Jérôme Nanty, Air France executive vice president and corporate secretary, will lead the legal division for the group until the appointment of Hecketsweiler’s successor by the end of the year.
The spokesperson added that ‘at this stage, the decision has not been made if the appointment will be internal or external.’
Hecketsweiler has had a long career in-house having previously served as general counsel and executive committee member of the Fonds Stratégique d’Investissement and the Banque Publique d’Investissement (Bpifrance).
Prior to this he worked at leading Belelux firm Stibbe in the mid-90s followed by a year-long stint at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in 2001, and Latham & Watkins in the City for four years from 2002.
Other high-profile in-house shuffles this week included Shell, which appointed its ‘transitional’ GC James Hine as associate general counsel for Brazil, a region with one of the most prized oil plays in the world.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
