Ousted ENGIE CEO departs as search for successor continues

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
As she stepped down as CEO, Kocher said she had always seen herself as “one of the links of a long chain” at ENGIE. Image credit: Engie

The controversial departure of ENGIE’s CEO Isabelle Kocher has materialised this week, with the executive stepping down less than three weeks after the utility's board of directors forced her out.

In a prepared statement alongside board members, Kocher spoke of “immense emotion” as she resigned in line with a succession plan outlined in early February, following rumours of open conflict between Kocher and the board over the firm’s direction.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The ousted CEO wished “good luck” to the managers that will take over temporarily, while ENGIE looks for a full-time replacement. The transition team will be headed up by interim CEO Claire Waysand, together with COO Paulo Almirante and CFO Judith Hartmann.

Information released by ENGIE showed Kocher is to be compensated with €3.3 million (US$3.57 million) all in all, split between around €1.4 million (US$1.51 million) over the termination itself and a further €1.9 million (US$2.05 million) under a non-compete agreement.

In her statement, Kocher said she had always seen herself as “one of the links of a long chain” for the close to two decades she spent at ENGIE. “I know its future is bright, without a doubt,” she remarked. “I therefore leave ENGIE absolutely serene, and with an immense emotion.”

Group’s direction ‘uncertain’ as Waysand holds interim reins

Kocher’s farewell sees ENGIE turn the page after reports of internal squabbles between the evicted CEO and the board. Sources approached by French media have linked the rift to Kocher’s sale “on the cheap” of fossil fuel assets the group was divesting in line with its green transition.

Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, chair of ENGIE’s board since May 2018, has been described in media reports as one of Kocher’s critics. In the statement this week, he struck a conciliatory tone as he thanked Kocher for setting the energy giant on a “path of far-reaching transformation”.

Exactly where ENGIE’s path will lead the business to is a question analysts have raised recently, with S&P arguing the strategic direction now looks “uncertain”. Pressed by rival politicians, the French state – ENGIE’s top individual shareholder – has ruled out the dissolution of the business.

According to sources briefing French outlets, the choice of 24 February as the date for Kocher's stepdown stemmed from a will to ensure she would be gone by the time ENGIE publishes its 2019 financial results. As the group confirmed today, the release is slated to go ahead on 27 February.

The appointment of Claire Waysand as ENGIE’s interim CEO comes four months after she joined the group’s board of directors. Prior to ENGIE, Waysand’s career took her to the French Treasury Department, the European Investment Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The prospects and challenges of solar's new era in France and the rest of Europe will take centre stage at Large Scale Solar Europe 2020 (Lisbon, on 31 March-1 April 2020).

3 June 2025
Messe Stuttgart Stuttgart, Germany
Meet battery manufacturers, suppliers, engineers, thought leaders and decision-makers for a conference and battery tech expo focused on the latest developments in the advanced battery and automotive industries. Stay plugged in for all the latest information on The Battery Show Europe 2024 including: Keynote Speakers & Conference Overview Show Features Floor Plan & Exhibitor News Travel & Transport information
2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

May 23, 2025
TotalEnergies has commissioned its largest solar portfolio in Europe, a collection of five assets in Spain with a combined capacity of 263MW.
Premium
May 23, 2025
The PPA is a 'cornerstone' of the European renewables space, according to speakers at Solar Media's Renewables Procurement & Revenue Summit.
May 22, 2025
SMA Solar will begin local assembly of power systems for large-scale solar and energy storage systems in the US.
May 21, 2025
There is potential for cPPAs to deliver the energy transition, according to speakers at the Renewables Procurement and Revenue Summit.
May 21, 2025
Installation of the anchoring system for what has been badged the world’s first floating offshore solar-wind project has been completed.
May 21, 2025
The Chilean subsidiary of French utility Engie has started construction on a 151MW solar-plus-storage project in the Metropolitan Region of Chile.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
June 17, 2025
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 8, 2025
Asia
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece