NOMINATION: Denis Bertrand takes over at ESTACA
ESTACA’s Board of Directors has appointed Denis Bertrand as Head of the School. This appointment takes effect on January 6th, 2025 and follows the departure of Jean-Michel Durepaire, who stepped down on December 3rd. Denis Bertrand will pursue and accelerate the development of the School, guided by the values of academic excellence and technological innovation in the service of tomorrow’s major industries.
A high-level background in training, talent management and innovation
A graduate engineer from École Navale (class of 1985) and general officer in the French Navy since 2016 (vice-admiral), Denis Bertrand is an auditor for the 61st session of the Centre des Hautes Etudes Militaires (CHEM) and the 64th national session of the Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale (IHEDN) (2011-12).
His career has been marked by high-level responsibilities in training, talent management and innovation. Notably, he was Director of Teaching at the Groupe Ecole d’application des officiers de marine, on board the prestigious helicopter carrier Jeanne d’Arc.
With a wealth of experience in strategic positions within the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, notably in the Pacific, where from 2016 to 2018 he held the positions of Senior Commander of the Armed Forces of French Polynesia and Commander of the Pacific Ocean and French Polynesia maritime zones, he more recently served his Minister as Director for the Protection of Defense Installations, Resources and Activities (2022-2024).
Denis Bertrand was, until now, chargé de mission to the Major General of the French Navy. He is also an Officer in the Order of the Legion of Honor and Commander of the National Order of Merit.
“I’m proud to be joining ESTACA, which shares my values and is at the heart of many strategic issues for our country and for our planet. Passion, commitment, innovation, pragmatism and solidarity: these fundamental Estaca values have guided me throughout my professional life. They are more than ever necessary in preparing young engineers to tackle the challenges of tomorrow’s mobility in the face of climate and energy issues. Building on this DNA and constantly anticipating future needs, for a hundred years ESTACA has been training top-level engineers, with a passion for their profession that is highly appreciated by our industrial partners. This is the dynamic I want to carry forward as a team – I almost said ‘crew’ – with all of the School’s staff, partners and, of course, its most precious asset: its students.”
Denis Bertrand
Director of ESTACA
“I am delighted that Denis Bertrand has been appointed head of ESTACA. His technical and operational expertise, his passion for passing on knowledge and his management experience give him all the qualities needed to lead a school of excellence like ESTACA. His commitment and ability to manage ambitious projects, coupled with his knowledge of the challenges of engineering education, make him the ideal leader to accelerate our School’s development. Under his leadership, ESTACA will continue to cultivate its identity as a school specializing in the aeronautics, automotive, aerospace, rail and shipping sectors, training innovative engineers for more sustainable mobility.”
Arnaud Marfurt
President of ESTACA
