Summary

  • Virginie Guyot, fighter pilot and Birgitte Stalder-Olsen, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies join Board of Directors
The Airbus Corporate Foundation has appointed two new external members to its Board of Directors: Virginie Guyot, former leader of the Patrouille de France and fighter pilot and Birgitte Stalder-Olsen, Head of logistics of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) join athlete Kriss Akabusi, scientist Manuel Toharia Cortes and politician Dr. Henning Voscherau in bringing their perspectives and expertise to the organisation and its activities.
As Airbus representatives, Fabrice Brégier, COO of Airbus (and CEO as from 1st June), Andrea Debbané, Executive Director of the Foundation, and Barry Eccleston, President and CEO of Airbus Americas, also join the Board of Directors.
 “I am very pleased to welcome Virginie Guyot and Birgitte Stalder-Olsen, two exceptional women, to the Board of the Airbus Corporate Foundation. Their expertise will truly enrich the organisation’s competence,” said Tom Enders, Chairman of the Airbus Corporate Foundation and Airbus President and CEO. “As our business expands rapidly, I truly believe Airbus has to leave its mark not only as a global player but also as a good corporate citizen. Airbus is fully committed to take its responsibility in making this world a better place, and I am very happy to advance with such a diverse and inspiring Board team.”
Created in 2008, the Airbus Corporate Foundation aims at facilitating charitable activities worldwide within an international network of employees and partners. The Foundation focuses its support on three themes: Humanitarian and community support, Youth development and the Environment.
Social responsibility coupled with a greater will to take care of the environment has been at the heart of the Airbus business activities for a long time. From its beginning, the Board of Directors of the Airbus Corporate Foundation has secured the support of international external members bringing in their specific experience and know-how in the different fields on which the Foundation focuses its activities.
In the field of Environment, the Foundation focuses on protecting, improving and increasing awareness of the environment, and supporting projects with a particular focus on biodiversity. In 2010, the Foundation launched a Biodiversity Program enabling selected Airbus employees to make a significant difference in the environment and the lives of a local Indian community and upon their return, closer to home, to share their unique experience with their managers and colleagues as well as with local youth. In 2011, the Foundation also launched local projects to increase biodiversity awareness among youth in France, Spain, the UK and Germany in local communities.
The Foundation also helps young people to develop the skills they will need later in life – in particular fostering cross cultural and global citizenship. The “Flying Challenge”, (Inspiring youth through aviation), launched in 2011, mobilises volunteer Airbus employees and students from higher education establishments for supporting and motivating disengaged school pupils tutorial sessions.
The third theme of the Foundation is to provide aid and relief in cases of natural disaster and reaching out to develop local communities where Airbus is present. Airbus has built up a global network of airlines and relief organizations to support international humanitarian help and delivery flights of new to be delivered aircraft are being used regularly to transport goods to destinations in need all over the world.  Since its launch, the Airbus Corporate Foundation has facilitated 26 relief flights to numerous destinations all over the globe.
 
More information on the Airbus Corporate Foundation can be found at http://www.airbus.com/company/corporate-social-responsibility/corporate-foundation/

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