Xavier Barcons appointed as next ESO Director General

The ESO Council appointed Xavier Barcons as the next Director General of ESO at its meeting in Garching on 7–8 December 2016. He takes up his position on 1 September 2017, when Tim de Zeeuw, the current Director General, completes his mandate. Xavier Barcons is Spanish and has had a distinguished career both in the academic world and also as an expert in science policy. He is also well known at ESO after his active and successful term as Council President between 2012 and 2014, a period that included the approval of the E-ELT Programme and the start of Phase 1 of the telescope’s construction.