HENSOLDT has announced the appointment of Celia Pelaz to the Management Board of the company as of July 1, 2021. As Chief Strategy Officer, she will be responsible for the strategic positioning of HENSOLDT, as well as its business development.
Additionally, Celia Pelaz will continue to lead the Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions division, as well as HENSOLDT Ventures. With this step, the Management Board of HENSOLDT will be expanded from three to four members.
Management Board expansion
Johannes Huth, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of HENSOLDT, said “With the expansion and more diverse lineup of the Management Board, HENSOLDT is preparing the ground for further growth as a global brand. Celia Pelaz has been a perfect fit for HENSOLDT for years. She stands for expertise, strategic foresight and innovative strength. I look forward to working with her.”
Thomas Müller, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HENSOLDT, said “I am delighted that Celia Pelaz, a highly experienced, very tech savvy and widely respected colleague, is joining the Management Board. She has been playing a key role in shaping and driving forward many of our strategic initiatives and, above all, our internationalisation in recent years.”
Focus on cyber security, AI and data mining
She has perfectly positioned HENSOLDT in the strategically important areas of cyber, AI and data mining"
Thomas adds, “In addition, she has perfectly positioned HENSOLDT in the strategically important areas of cyber, artificial intelligence (AI) and data mining. With her as Executive for Strategy and Business Development, we are ideally equipped to further expand HENSOLDT's position as a leading European champion in the field of defence and security electronics."
Celia Pelaz has been with HENSOLDT and formerly Airbus for 19 years. Since April 2018, she has been responsible for the Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions division. Prior to that, she was Head of Strategic Business Development.
International business veteran
In addition to strategic topics, this role also included corporate communications, HENSOLDT’s international businesses and the company's M&A activities. Before that, Celia Pelaz held various management positions at Airbus and its predecessor companies.
Celia Pelaz holds a degree in engineering from the Bilbao Chamber of Commerce University (Escuela Universitaria de la Cámara de Comercio de Bilbao).