Latitude Appoints Aurélie Bressollette as CEO to Drive Growth Ahead of First Rocket Launch

French launch vehicle startup Latitude has brought on Aurélie Bressollette, an industry veteran, as its new chief executive as the company approaches its first launch. The announcement, made on Nov. 5, notes that Bressollette succeeds Stanislas Maximin, the company’s co-founder, who will transition to the role of executive chairman.

Bressollette joins Latitude from Rivada Space Networks, where she held the position of vice president of the procurement office. Her experience spans multiple prominent companies, including Redwire, OHB System, and Airbus.

Maximin shared in an interview that he brought Bressollette on board to take over the company’s day-to-day operations, given Latitude’s growth trajectory. Reflecting on his journey as founder, he explained the necessity of delegating key responsibilities, noting that he had already transitioned out of previous roles, such as chief financial officer and salesperson. He elaborated that he found himself trying to juggle the full-time demands of both chief executive duties and strategic and fundraising efforts. The board, he noted, had agreed on the need for a CEO nine months prior and ultimately saw in Bressollette a fitting choice.

For her part, Bressollette explained that she was not initially seeking a position like this. However, after discussions with Maximin, she recognized that Latitude was an ideal fit. She noted that her contributions are particularly relevant now, as Latitude moves from early development into an industrialization phase that requires efficient structuring without heavy bureaucracy.

Based in Reims, France, with a team of 140, Latitude is developing Zephyr, a small launch vehicle intended to carry up to 200 kilograms to low Earth orbit. Maximin shared that the company expects to receive flight hardware this week for the first Zephyr rocket, which is set for a series of engine hot-fire tests later this year. If all goes as planned, the first orbital launch attempt is targeted for late 2025.

Bressollette emphasized the importance of maintaining this timeline while preparing for the transition to production, stressing a need for integrated teamwork between engineers and production teams to support growth.

In his new role, Maximin will focus on securing additional funding. Having raised $30 million in a Series B round in January, he noted that Latitude aims to maintain a lean operation and avoid excessive expansion. The current funding will support the first test launch, though additional funds will be necessary for production scaling. By then, he anticipates that established contracts will make the process smoother, though not without its challenges.

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