Jean Grenier, who was the director-general of Eutelsat from the late 1980s, has died at the age of 89.
Grenier was an engineer who studied at the Ecole nationale supérieure des télécommunications. He received his doctorate in 1959 and began his career at the Centre National d’études des Télécommunications in 1961.
From 1975 to 1981, he was the regional director responsible for the space and underwater telecommunications directorate. He was then appointed Director of Industry and International Affairs at the Directorate-General for Telecommunications, where he served from 1987 to 1989.
Grenier was appointed by Eutelsat in 1989 as it moved from being a telecommunications provider to a player in direct-to-home satellite television.
In a statement released to Broadband TV News, a spokesperson for Eutelsat said: “It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Jean Grenier, former Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat, who led the organization from 1989 to 1998. Widely regarded as one of the founding figures of Eutelsat, Jean Grenier played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s identity and global influence.”
After his retirement from Eutelsat, Grenier became President of AEPOC. He was a vocal advocate against satellite piracy, highlighting the growing problem of illegal smart cards and other forms of unauthorized access to satellite transmissions.
Grenier’s death comes just weeks after that of his successor, Giuliano Berretta, who died in May.
