France
I grew up in Dunkirk, Northern France, where I developed a special taste for history. My education reflects my attachment to secular schooling and republican values. I started my career at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, then Ministry of Finances where I was responsible for the aerospace and defense sector. In 1993 I joined the Minister of Finances cabinet. When I turned 33, I switched to the business side and elected the aerospace industry as it combines passion, innovation and a worldwide span. In 1995 I joined Matra and the Lagardère group, where I led various M&A consolidation operations at European level for missiles and satellites. I was then appointed personal advisor to Jean-Luc Lagardère when he drove to the creation of Airbus as a consolidated European company. I moved to Airbus in 2000, holding several executive positions, including head of long range programs. In 2005 I was promoted to the Executive Committee and led the A350 XWB project all the way through its launch. I joined Safran in 2008, as EVP Strategy then EVP Defense & Security and member of the Safran Executive Board. In 2011 I was promoted CEO of Safran Helicopter Engines where I led a strategic transformation combining product portfolio renewal, customer base enlargement leading to stronger resilience. I realized then how important it was to embark and motivate teams by providing a sense of meaning. As CEO of Safran Aircraft Engines from 2015 to 2020, my mission was to lead the company through the CFM56/LEAP transition, including the unprecedented LEAP production ramp-up and the transition to a new service business model with rate per hour contracts. I am proud of the total engagement of the teams allowing us to meet this extraordinary challenge. On January 1st, 2021, I became CEO of Safran. Working in a constantly changing industry, I have always been guided by Churchill’s famous aphorism: “The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” A graduate of Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole des Mines, I am married and have one daughter.