Eurostar Picks Former SNCF Voyageurs Chief as Its Next CEO
Eurostar is changing its top executive just as other operators eye its routes. Christophe Fanichet becomes CEO on 1 December, replacing Gwendoline Cazenave, who is stepping down after four years.
Four years of Cazenave
Under her leadership Eurostar and Thalys became a single brand, and traffic recovered to 20 million passengers a year in 2025.
Cazenave described the change in her own words. Revenue is up by more than 30% since 2022, she said, with an EBITDA margin of 18%. The company has also committed a historic €2bn to Eurostar Celestia, its new fleet of double-decker high-speed trains. Her term also included preparation for strategic investments in the fleet and customer experience.
Rivals on the same tracks
Eurostar says its focus now is "to open the next chapter". The reason it gives is that competitors want to run services on its routes.
Who takes over, and when
Eurostar made the announcement on 2 November. Until Fanichet starts, Matthieu Quyollet will act as CEO. He is the company's Chief Financial, Strategy & Transformation Officer and deputy CEO.
Fanichet comes from the SNCF Group, where he has held senior roles for nearly 20 years. He ran SNCF Voyageurs, the French national railway's passenger business, as chairman and CEO from January 2020 to July 2026. He has also sat on the Eurostar Group board since 2022.
Eurostar says he brings "a wealth of vision and experience" in high-speed rail, in international business, and in opening rail markets to competition in France and elsewhere in Europe.
Our View
The pick joins a leader who knows competition-opening from the French side with a company that now expects rivals on its own routes. The announcement gives no detail on how Fanichet's priorities will differ from Cazenave's. Clues could come from how the Celestia fleet investment progresses and from how Eurostar responds if the competitors it mentions arrive.
Source: Railway Gazette International