Orange announced two appointments to its executive committee, which has also seen it shifting some other management responsibilities.

From 1 September, Ramon Fernandez will become deputy CEO and chief financial officer, bringing “widely recognised expertise in the financial world”.

Reuters noted that Fernandez is a “top civil servant who now serves as [France’s] treasury chief”. The appointment of a political figure without telecoms sector experience “shows the continued influence of the state at Orange”, it reported.

Also joining is Laurent Paillassot, who will become deputy CEO and senior executive VP of customer experience and mobile banking.

Paillassot has been CEO delegate of bank and insurance firm LCL since May 2011, having joined that company as deputy CEO in 2007. He has a long history in the finance space.

His appointment has been seen as an indicator of how important mobile financial services are to Orange.

Gervais Pellissier, after eight years as head of Finance “where he was one of the key architects of the group’s financial recovery”, will take over management of the operator’s Europe zone, which includes the UK, replacing Benoit Scheen.

No mention was made of Scheen’s next role.

The appointments come in line with Orange’s annual general meeting. Stephane Richard, incumbent CEO, secured a second term at the helm earlier this year.