Fontana named president of AREVA's North American division

AREVA Group announced Thursday that it has selected Bernard Fontana as the president and CEO of AREVA NP, the North American division of the multinational group.

Most recently Fontana served as the CEO of Holcim Ltd., where he oversaw the successful merger between the company and Lafarge. He previously worked with Aperam of Luxembourg and on the executive committee of ArceloMittal where he oversaw its automotive worldwide business unit. In this capacity, Fontana was partially in charge of a global alliance with Nippon Steel.

Fontana holds a degree in engineering from the Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées in Paris. His career began at Groupe SNPE, where he was appointed head of its U.S. operations from 2001-04.

"I am happy to join the group to lead AREVA NP, a major French and international company known throughout the world for its expertise and its technologies," Fontana said. "My objective is to work, with the support of employees, to write a new chapter in the company's history."

AREVA Group is a multinational company that specializes in the manufacture and research into nuclear energy, reactors and components. It is headquartered in Courbevoie, France.