Why Eiffel Tower Chief Patrick Branco Ruivo Is Leaving After Female Staff Were Excluded

Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general of the company that operates the Eiffel Tower, is due to leave at the end of 2026. The announcement followed an investigation into the exclusion of female staff during a September 5 visit by a BAPS delegation. SETE said failures in organising the visit led to an “unacceptable” situation. 168

What happened during the BAPS visit?

Female employees were reportedly instructed to leave their workstations, move elsewhere or stay out of sight while the delegation visited. Staff representatives said some women were replaced by male colleagues. 3

The episode prompted a staff protest and a temporary closure of the tower. A union representative said the women felt humiliated by the instructions. 9

What did the investigation find?

SETE said an investigation conducted by an independent firm found operational failures and shortcomings in how the visit was organised. The company described the exclusion of female employees as unacceptable. 68

That finding explains the company’s response, but it does not by itself establish who requested the specific staffing change. SETE had earlier said arrangements were requested to limit interactions with women and acknowledged that such conditions should not have been accepted.

BAPS, meanwhile, denied asking for female staff to be removed or hidden and apologised for any pain or inconvenience caused by the visit. The available accounts therefore distinguish between reported arrangements to limit interactions and BAPS’s denial that it sought the removal of women workers.

How did employees and French officials respond?

Staff protested the decision, and Paris authorities opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the women’s removal. The incident also drew criticism from French politicians.

SETE’s investigation led the company to announce that Branco Ruivo would leave at the end of 2026. The available reports describe his departure in the context of the inquiry and backlash; they do not say that he was dismissed. 168

What is clear—and what remains disputed?

SETE’s stated finding is that failures in organising the visit resulted in female staff being excluded, and the company called that unacceptable. Staff accounts describe women being moved from their posts, with male colleagues taking their places. 368

BAPS denied requesting that women be removed. The sources provided do not resolve precisely who initiated the specific staffing instructions, so the exclusion should not be presented as an established demand by the delegation.