A new director for the Estaca engineering school

A new captain is taking the helm of the Estaca ship. On 6 January 2025, Denis Bertrand was appointed Director of the engineering school focused on mobility (aeronautics, automotive, space, rail and naval) by the school’s Executive Board. This appointment follows the departure of Jean-Michel Durepaire, who left his post on December 3. Denis Bertrand’s mission is to ensure the continued development of the school, which has three campuses (Paris-Saclay, Bordeaux and Laval), “guided by the values of academic excellence and technological innovation at the service of tomorrow’s major industries“.
Denis Bertrand has held a number of strategic positions within the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, most recently as chargé de mission to the Major General of the Navy. From 2022 to 2024, he was Director of the Protection of Installations, Resources and Activities at the Ministry of Defence. He also held the positions of Senior Commander of the Armed Forces of French Polynesia and Commander of the Pacific Ocean and French Polynesia Maritime Zones from 2016 to 2018.

He also boasts expertise in the training sector thanks to his experience as Director of Education on board the helicopter carrier Jeanne d’Arc, within the Ecole d’application des officiers de marine group. Engineer from the Ecole Navale (class of 1985) and General Officer of the French Navy since 2016, 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). He is an Officer of the French decoration Legion of Honour and a Commander of the National Order of Merit. ” For a hundred years, Estaca has been training top-level engineers who are passionate about their profession and highly regarded by our manufacturers. It is this dynamic that I want to carry forward as a team – I was going to say ‘as a crew’ – with all the staff of the school, its partners and, of course, its most precious asset: its students “, stated Denis Bertrand.

“I am delighted with the appointment of Denis Bertrand as head of Estaca (…). His commitment, his ability to manage ambitious projects and his knowledge of the challenges of engineering education make him the ideal leader to accelerate the development of our school. Under his leadership, Estaca will continue to cultivate its identity as a school specialising in the aeronautical, automotive, space, rail and naval sectors, training innovative engineers for more sustainable mobility,” said Arnaud Marfurt, President of Estaca.

Cover Photo: Denis Bertrand/ Estaca