SES Appoints Elisabeth Pataki as New CFO to Strengthen Strategic Financial Vision

With over two decades of aerospace and defence expertise, Pataki brings transformative leadership to SES’s global growth ambitions

Luxembourg – Global satellite and connectivity leader SES S.A. has announced the appointment of Elisabeth (Lisa) Pataki as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective June 16, 2025. With a career spanning over 20 years across publicly listed multinational aerospace and defence companies, Pataki brings a reputation for driving transformation, optimising investment strategies, and integrating high-value acquisitions. She succeeds Sandeep Jalan, who has served as SES’s CFO since 2020 and will remain with the company until July 31 to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

“I would like to thank Sandeep for his steadfast leadership over the last five years where he has driven continuous execution improvement and transformation,” said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. “Lisa brings extensive financial leadership experience and an outstanding track record in M&A integration and operational efficiency. Her strategic insight will help SES thrive as a global satellite player.”

Pataki joins SES from Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Company, where she improved profitability by streamlining operations and prioritising capital investments. As Group CFO of Comet Group (2020–2023), she led a successful EBITDA margin expansion of over five percentage points. At Raytheon Technologies (now RTX Corporation), she held several leadership roles over a decade, including leading the financial integration of Applied Signal Technologies—Raytheon’s major acquisition in 2011.

“I look forward to stepping into this new position and working with everyone at SES to jointly deliver an exciting future for the years to come,” said Lisa Pataki, incoming CFO of SES.

Sandeep Jalan, the outgoing CFO, reflected on his journey at SES, saying, “I am proud of the strides we have made over the past years, and I will continue to cheer SES’s progress in the industry.”

The SES Board expressed appreciation for Jalan’s contributions, highlighting his role in enhancing operational execution and delivering strong shareholder returns. His tenure saw SES strengthening its balance sheet while maintaining a competitive cost of capital.

“Lisa’s appointment is a strategic move for SES as we sharpen our focus on operational excellence, sustainable investments, and innovation in global connectivity,” added Al-Saleh.

With its expanding fleet in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), SES is uniquely positioned to offer end-to-end content and connectivity solutions across land, sea, and air. Listed on the Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges, SES’s bold vision is to deliver seamless digital experiences everywhere on Earth, and Pataki’s appointment signals a commitment to stronger financial stewardship as the company scales its impact.