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Pierre Barnabé replaced Paul Boudre as Soitec CEO in July 2022, after joining the company on May 1 for a three-month transition. The change drew criticism over how the board selected him, but Soitec said the appointment followed its succession process. Barnabé later announced plans to leave in 2026; a January 8, 2026 announcement named Laurent Rémont as his intended successor, subject to shareholder approval.
Who replaced Paul Boudre at Soitec?
Pierre Barnabé succeeded Paul Boudre as Soitec CEO in July 2022. The board announced the choice on January 19, 2022: Barnabé would join on May 1 as a mission leader appointed by the board, work alongside Boudre, and take over after the annual shareholder meeting in July. EE Times Europe reported on July 26 that the transition had ended and Barnabé was CEO. EE Times Europe and Soitec’s succession announcement document the transition.
Why did the CEO succession become controversial?
The board’s January announcement prompted a letter from Soitec’s executive committee questioning the appointment process. EE Times Europe reported that investors reacted to the uncertainty and Soitec shares fell 18.2% after the news. Soitec’s follow-up release described Barnabé’s selection as the result of a detailed assessment under the established succession-planning process; it said the board would address governance-process issues while protecting the transition. The public statements record both the dispute and the board’s response, but do not establish a fuller account of the internal disagreement.
What did Boudre and Barnabé bring to Soitec?
Paul Boudre: turnaround and a microelectronics focus
Boudre joined Soitec in 2007 as executive vice president for sales, marketing and business development. He became CEO in January 2015 and chairman in September 2015. EE Times Europe described his central tasks as exiting the solar business, refocusing the company on microelectronics and reversing years of losses. During his seven years as CEO, Soitec reported record fiscal-year 2022 revenue of €863 million, a 50% increase at constant exchange rates, according to EE Times Europe. Soitec’s succession release characterized his tenure as one of recovery and growth, with further expansion tied to new application segments for Smart Cut technology.
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Pierre Barnabé: digital technology experience and growth
Before Soitec, Barnabé was senior executive vice president for Big Data and Cybersecurity at Atos. From 2019, he also oversaw Public Sector & Defense and Manufacturing Industry. Earlier, he was chief operating officer at Bull. At his 2022 press conference, he described three priorities for his leadership: R&D and innovation, industry, and value creation and growth.
Their career bases differed, but the stated direction included continuity: Boudre’s work had refocused Soitec on microelectronics, while Barnabé was to lead the next stage of growth and preserve the company’s technology, people and partner relationships. Barnabé said, “I am very excited and proud to join and lead Soitec as its new CEO. I am also conscious of the responsibility: the company’s technology, management and employee talents and strong relationships with key partners such as the CEA are key assets for the future.” Boudre described the handover as a natural change, saying, “At some point, you have to be able to turn the page,” and, “This is part of the natural cycle of a company.”
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- Wafer Pattern May Vary from the Product Images. Great to be used as gift, display object, exhibition, educating demonstration, testing, decoration or your collection
- Beautiful microchip pattern structure made by the advanced copper technology
- 90~130nm minimum microchip feature Copper Characterization with TEOS or Black Diamond Low-k ILD on the single crystal silicon wafer
- The original value of un-polished wafer is above $500
- No guarantee for research and other applications
What strategy and targets framed Barnabé’s arrival?
Soitec’s succession announcement connected its growth ambitions to applications for Smart Cut, its materials technology. EE Times Europe also reported management’s 2021 targets for 2026. These were targets, not verified results:
- More than 7 million substrates.
- Approximately US$2.3 billion in revenue.
- About a 40% EBITDA margin.
- Approximately €1.1 billion in capital expenditure.
For context, Soitec’s October 2025 announcement described the company as a world leader in innovative semiconductor materials, with strategic markets in Mobile Communications, Automotive and Industrial, and Edge and Cloud AI. It reported €0.9 billion in sales for fiscal year 2024–2025, more than 2,200 employees representing 50 nationalities, and nearly 4,300 registered patents. These later figures describe the company, not outcomes attributable to either CEO alone. Soitec’s October 2025 announcement.
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Who is Soitec’s CEO in 2026?
As of the January 8, 2026 announcement, Barnabé intended to leave for personal reasons and was to remain CEO through March 31, 2026, while the board searched for a successor. Euronext reported that Laurent Rémont would join Soitec on March 16 as special adviser and succeed Barnabé at the beginning of April, subject to shareholder approval. That announcement described a planned appointment; it does not by itself confirm that the approval occurred or that the handover was completed. Euronext’s January 8, 2026 announcement.
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