MBDA has appointed Lorenzo Mariani as the new executive group director sales and business development starting from 1 April 2025.
Mariani succeeds Giovanni Soccodato and will report directly to MBDA CEO Eric Béranger and will also serve on the company’s Executive Committee.
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Additionally, he will hold the position of managing director for MBDA Italia.
In his new role, Mariani will lead an integrated multinational team tasked with securing orders that are vital for sustaining MBDA’s future success.
His responsibilities include grasping customer operational requirements and developing solutions that effectively address both present and forthcoming needs.
In 2024, the company reported revenues amounting to €4.9bn ($5.3bn). It achieved a record-breaking order intake totalling €13.8bn, which contributed to a significant backlog valued at €37bn.
As managing director for MBDA Italia, Mariani’s duties extend to acting as the group’s legal representative within Italy. He will maintain and enhance relationships with Italian customers, users, and the broader industrial sector.
Moreover, he is charged with overseeing the ongoing increase in production activities within Italy, a strategic move initiated in previous years due to evolving geopolitical circumstances.
His history with MBDA includes positions in the sales and business development and strategy departments between 2020-2023 and 2002-2005.
Mariani has previously served in various roles at Leonardo, including co-general manager and business operations director.
Eric Béranger said: “I am pleased to welcome Lorenzo Mariani to MBDA again. He already held positions in our Group in the past and hence has a strong expertise in our business and industry to bring to our team, especially to ensure future commercial successes and development.
“I warmly thank Giovanni Soccodato for his personal and very effective contribution to driving MBDA during these critical times, especially to contributing to raising our backlog at an unprecedented level. I also thank him for generously sharing unique human qualities, personifying our MBDA values, which everyone has appreciated during his time with us.”
MBDA, formed through the merger of Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo’s missile activities, provides decisive military capabilities to European nations and their allies globally. The company employs around 18,000 people.
In a speech in Paris delivered in March 2025, CEO Eric Béranger proposed European nations to collaborate on laser weapon systems development. Countries such as Britain, France, Germany, and Italy are claimed to be currently advancing their own military directed energy weapon capabilities.
Looking ahead, the company plans to invest €2.4bn during the five-year span from 2025 to 2029. Additionally, the company anticipates recruiting 2,600 new employees in the year 2025.
