France Telecom (FTE) said Thursday the French finance ministry's chief of staff, Stephane Richard, will join the group's top management in the second half of 2009.

A company spokesman told Dow Jones Newswires that Chief Executive Didier Lombard confirmed plans to have Richard join the group's senior management committee in the second half of 2009.

A senior government official told Dow Jones Newswires late Wednesday that Richard would leave the government to join the French telecommunications giant and would eventually replace Lombard as CEO in 2011.

Company Web site: www.francetelecom.com

-By Ruth Bender, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 40 17 17 40; ruth.bender@dowjones.com

(Geraldine Amiel in Paris contributed to this report.)