PARIS, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The head of France's biggest telecoms group Orange, Stephane Richard, said it was up to the company's board of directors to decide whether he should stay on after an appeals court convicted him of complicity of misuse of public funds.

In a statement, Richard said he would appeal the verdict, which he called "deeply unfair."

"I place my mandate within the hands of Orange's board of directors," Richard added.

(Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain; Writing by Silvia Aloisi)