Ghillebaert will take on the title of executive vice-president of marketing, products and technology, following the recent exit of its head of brand Richard Brennan, reported first in Marketing yesterday.
The appointment is part of a global marketing shake-up, which has seen the mobile phone operator's top UK marketer Jeremy Dale quit the company earlier this week.
Orange had earlier denied in Marketing magazine that Brennan was making an exit, but today confirmed that he was leaving to "fulfill a lifelong ambition and travel the world". Pippa Dunn, group director of sponsorship and delivery, is currently acting in Dale's stead.
Dale's departure has led to speculation that Orange could now review its UK advertising account, which Mother picked up in 2002 after a four-way pitch that included Bartle Bogle Hegarty, WCRS and M&C Saatchi.
Last year, Hans Snook, the former CEO of Orange, slammed Mother's "hard-nosed businessman" campaign saying the ads were "the worst things" he had seen. "The hard-nosed businessman commercials are absolutely the worst things I have seen. They are about as far away as you can get from the Orange ethos and values as I could possibly imagine," he said.
According to reports, the marketing shake-up is down to dissatisfaction among the most senior Orange executives over the brand's recent performance. It is understood that product development will now preside over Orange's traditional brand-building activities.
Ghillebaert will work closely with Brennan during a four-month handover period, before he makes his exit in October after 11 years with the company. Orange is currently seeking a replacement for Ghillebaert at Mobistar.
Orange Group's chief executive officer Sanjiv Ahuja praised Ghillebaert for his strong track record in "diciplined execution and commercial focus" on welcoming him to the team.
Under his leadership, Mobistar has grown to become one of the leading telecoms companies in Belgium, with a strong presence in business and consumer markets. He first joined the France Telecom Group in 1976.
Ahuja also thanked Brennan for his contribution and loyalty. Brennan said: "After more than a decade at Orange, it is obviously a difficult decision to leave the company."
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