photographist

“As a teenager I debated a lot between choosing to study literature or science. In 1972, I was in the “classes préparatoires” * when a very important event for women of my generation occurred: the “Ecole Polytechnique” and the “Ecoles des Mines” opened their doors to women for the first time. Anne Chopinet entered as the top student at the “Ecole Polytechnique” and I realized that not only could girls become engineers, but they could be among the best! This example reinforced in me the possibility of entering an engineering school. Throughout my career I have kept the idea that role models were something very important. I spent my whole career in industry and when I have held positions of responsibility, I have always tried to be an example and show women researchers that they could enjoy science, have careers similar to those of men while having children and a happy personal life.

After graduating from the “Ecole des Mines”, because I was very attracted by everything that had to do with energy and related materials, I went to California to work in the field of solar energy. The sector was not yet developed enough and I eventually went back to France and joined a large industrial group that offered me the opportunity to work on the improvement of the energy performances of buildings. I enjoyed the applied side of industrial research where I could work on products that would be useful to people. Innovation increasingly requires the need to be multidisciplinary: it is the diversity of gender and culture that often gives birth to new ideas. For a long time, I have been the director of a large research center where I worked with very multidisciplinary teams. To be a good manager you must, of course, have scientific expertise but, in addition, you must also have good listening abilities, creativity and you must pay attention to people and to customer needs.”

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