Michel Mathieu is a graduate of Télécom ParisTech and also holds an engineering doctorate from Paris VI University.
He began his career with Thales in 1977 and held various positions in air traffic management and surface radar segments.
In 1997, Michel Mathieu was appointed CEO of Airsys ATM, a joint venture between Thales and Siemens.
In 2003, he was appointed SVP of Thales's Air Defence business group. In 2005, he was named CEO of ThalesRaytheonSystems, a joint venture between Thales and Raytheon, specialising in air defence systems.
In June 2009, he was appointed Deputy General Manager of Thales's Aerospace division, where he was responsible for the aircraft solutions segment.
Michel Mathieu has held the post of Executive Vice President Avionics and CEO of Thales's Avionics business business since February 2010.