A new Executive Board for ESTACA
ESTACA is a not-for-profit association administered by an Executive Board of qualified individuals appointed for their knowledge of the challenges and needs of the transport industry in terms of engineering and training. On 18 October 2021, ESTACA’s Supervisory Board made the composition of the new Executive Board official. The five-member Board is distinguished by the diversity of its profiles, characterized in particular by the diversity of initial training and the wide range of professional experience, covering all areas of the transport sector and including both the public sector and private industry, but sharing a common concern: to prepare for the future.
Arnaud Marfurt chairs the Executive Board and provides his expertise in the aeronautics and space sectors as well as his knowledge of international innovation.
Arnaud Marfurt graduated from the ESTACA aeronautics school in 1997 and obtained a master’s degree in marketing from HEC in 1998. He is also a private pilot. He started his career at Aerospatiale and then EADS, Helicopter Division, in marketing and export sales. In 2001, he joined Airbus to manage industry and customer relations for the design and development of the A400M program. He was then in charge of the merger between Airbus’ French and German research centers and was appointed Secretary General of Airbus Group Innovations, before developing the group’s research centers internationally. In 2018, he took on the responsibility of transforming the internal consulting activities in Airbus’ Defense and Space division. He is now a member of the SCAF (Système de Combat Aérien du Futur – Future aerial combat system) program. A member of ESTACA’s Supervisory Board since 2008, Arnaud Marfurt has always been very involved in the life of the school.
Yann Barbaux has had a long career in the aeronautics and space industries and is well acquainted with the world of training and research.
A graduate of Centrale Paris in 1981, Yann Barbaux also obtained a master’s degree in metallurgy from the University of Paris VI. He spent a large part of his career with Aérospatiale and then EADS and Airbus. In 2006, he created ‘EADS Innovation Works’, the first centrally integrated research organization. He became Director of Innovation at Airbus in 2017 and at the same time served as Executive Chairman of the Aerospace Valley competitiveness cluster until 2021. Yann Barbaux also chaired the Aeronautics and Space Institute (GIFAS’s international continuing education agency) in 2019 and 2020, and then integrated it into the Aerospace Valley cluster. He is a member of the Board of Directors of ENS Paris-Saclay (formerly Cachan) which he chaired from 2009 to 2011.
Albane Bonnaud has worked in the rail sector and internationally.
A graduate of ESTACA in 2008, Albane Bonnaud began her career in London with Eurostar, first as a mechanical engineer, then as a technical project manager and finally project manager. She was mainly responsible for bringing the trains into compliance with the European signaling directives and for various projects to optimize the service life of Eurostar rolling stock. After 13 years between London and Paris, she joined the Société du Grand Paris where she managed the public procurement tenders for the acquisition of maintenance equipment for the Grand Paris Express network. She works with institutions such as RATP, as Project Manager for Infrastructure Maintenance Vehicles.
Luc Marbach brings to the school his experience in the automotive and mobility sectors as well as internationally.
Luc Marbach graduated from Centrale Paris in 1984 and spent his career with the PSA Group. After 10 years in vehicle production, he turned to design, project management and program management. In particular, he was Project Director for the 207 and the DS5, and then Director of worldwide programs for top-of-the-range vehicles. He also led the negotiations for Peugeot’s return to Iran until the signing and implementation of a Joint Venture in 2016. From 2016 to 2018, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the VEDECOM Energy Transition Institute. Currently President of the Société des Ingénieurs de l’Automobile, he is involved in the work of the Plateforme Française de l’Automobile. He already knows ESTACA well as he has been a member of the Supervisory Board since March 2017.
Marie-Christine Méchet brings her expertise in the Naval sector and in particular the sector’s needs in terms of jobs and training.
A graduate in political science, law and geopolitics from the Sorbonne and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, Marie-Christine Méchet was a parliamentary attaché at the National Assembly for nearly 20 years and joined GICAN, Groupement des Industries de Construction et Activités Navales, in 2014 as head of SMEs/ETIs and leader of the “Key Skills-Professions-Human Resources” theme. She is now Delegate for Member Relations, Territorial Strategy, Employment, Training and Skills. She is a frigate captain in the French Navy’s citizen reserve, an auditor of the IHEDN and the CHEDE, and a member of the board of directors of the Institut Français de la Mer, the ATMA (Association Technique Maritime et Aéronautique), the SeaTech engineering school in Toulon, and a permanent guest at the Académie de Marine.
