Background
Noel Forgeard was born on December 8, 1946 in La Ferté-Gaucher, France.
Noel Forgeard was born on December 8, 1946 in La Ferté-Gaucher, France.
He attended École Polytechnique and Mines ParisTech.
From April 1998 until June 2005 Forgeard was Chief Executive Officer of the aircraft manufacturer Airbus SAS. In late 2004 he was nominated as the next French Chief Executive Officer of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. This position is shared with a German—then Thomas Enders—in a system that was established at the creation of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company in 2000. News reports in June 2006 focused on possible insider dealing at the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. Forgeard denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he was a scapegoat in the matter. Forgeard resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company on 2 July 2006 and was replaced by Christian Streiff.