Strong EPF Presence at the Paris Air Show (Le Bourget)

As every time, EPF has been particularly active at the International Paris Air Show hold in Le Bourget, the event dedicated to the aerospace industry, from 15 to 21 June 2015.

During the professional days, a conference was organized to bring together industrialists, alumni and EPF students in 4th year (from mechanics major) on the occasion of the anniversary of the school. On our stand, our students were able to share with a lot of visitors their passion for this sector full of opportunities for a generalist engineer.

The EUROAVIA Association and EPF Junior Enterprises were invited on June 19 to meet with partners like Airbus Group, Dassault Aviation or Alten.

Unprecedented meeting for the 90th anniversary of EPF

Historically linked to aeronautics by its founder, Marie-Louise Paris, EPF organized a conference Tuesday, June 16 "The generalist engineer in aeronautics and space sector, 90 years of expertise". It gathered around a round-table Julien HENRY, Manager of cooperation with education of Dassault Aviation, and EPF alumni with remarkable careers in these sectors:

• Nathalie DUCOMBEAU, Quality Manager at Airbus GROUP (EPF 1983)
• Astrid GUYART, Lean Improvement Coach & Change Agent - AIRBUS Defence & Space (EPF 2006) - Fencing Champion
• Marc LASTRA, Customer Support Manager - SAFRAN Messier Bugatti Dowty (EPF 2005)
• Arnaud LOULIER, Offers & Contracts Manager - AIRBUS Helicopters (EPF 2002)
• Eléonore MOREAUX, Airline pilot - Air France (EPF 2007)

Thanks to discussions, students in mechanics major, industry partners and alumni have discovered the privileged relations between the EPF and the aerospace industry through the opening speech of Didier Lançon, Deputy Director and Director of Studies of EPF, before hearing testimonies from the speakers on the contributions of EPF generalist engineer studies for their careers.

Nathalie DUCOMBEAU, head of a team of 4,800 people at Airbus Group, stressed the adaptability acquired in her career, which she began in electronics and mechanics before going in aeronautics. "When we have to manage a transverse activity, we can’t be expert in every area but we must have the ability to understand everything."

For Marc LASTRA, Customer Support Manager at Messier Bugatti Dowty (SAFRAN), "the EPF training is very rich. It helps develop skills and human values. It provides a toolkit for understanding all situations in which we can be, and exchange effectively with our various interlocutors."

It also offers the possibility of “opening his mind”, according to Eléonore MOREAUX who passed the Air France entry exam just after her last internship. Currently an "Airline First Officer" (co-pilot) on Airbus A320 (since 2011), she is part of the 8% of female pilots at Air France.

Astrid GUYART shared her dual experience of engineer at Airbus Defense & Space, working on the design of the Ariane 6 rocket, and high-level sports: the fencing champion, multiple world medalist, is currently en route to a 2nd participation in the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, after being 4th at the London Olympics. "The EPF training has given me a strong versatility with which I have good reflexes. This facilitates exchanges and transverse management of complex products."

All stressed the importance of the international dimension in their operations with employees, customers, suppliers and partners around the world. Fluency in English is of course essential, combined with German for some as Arnaud LOULIER, graduated from the Franco-German training who has spent his entire career with AIRBUS Helicopters.

After the signing of the renewed partnership agreement for 5 years with Dassault Aviation, the exchanges continued with a cocktail before enjoying the air show.