ParisTech Review

BIO

Born in 1950, Jean-Paul Herteman holds degrees from the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique (1970) and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de L’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (1975). He started his career with French defence procurement agency DGA, first as test engineer, then as head of the Materials department in the aeronautical test center in Toulouse.

He joined Snecma in 1984 as head of Materials and Processes research programs. He was named Deputy Director of Quality in 1987, then Vice President for Quality two years later.

Head of the Snecma Design department in 1993, Jean-Paul Herteman was named deputy director of engineering the following year. In 1995 and 1996 he was director of CFM56 programs, then Vice President of CFM International. In mid-1996 he was named Vice President for Engineering at Snecma, before taking responsibility for the Rocket Engine division (previously Société Européenne de Propulsion) in 1999. He was named Chairman and CEO of Snecma Moteurs (now Snecma) in 2002.

In 2004 Jean-Paul Herteman was named Executive Vice President of the Snecma group, in charge of the Aerospace Propulsion branch. He took over responsibility for the Defence Security branch at Safran in December 2006.

In July 2007, he was named Chief Executive Officer of the Safran group. On April 21, 2011, the Safran Board of Directors named Jean-Paul Herteman Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Group.

He has also been the Chairman of GIFAS, the French aerospace industry association, since July 2009, and a member of the Board of Directors of French scientific research agency CNRS since November 2009.

Ingénieur en chef de l’Armement (chief scientist, defence, reserves) and a former pilot in the engineering corps, Jean-Paul Herteman is Vice Chairman of the French Conseil Général de l’Armement (General Defence Council).

(Picture from R. Frankenberg)