ISAE-SUPAERO's famous alumni

Priyanka Das Rajkakati, India, S2017 D2021

Aerospace engineer & Artist, awarded Forbes India 30 under 30 | She has chosen the double-diploma option with ISAE-SUPAERO within her 4th year in the Polytechnic Engineering Cycle. Priyanka obtained her second Master's degree, in aerospace engineering, in 2017 before pursuing a PhD there.

Anthea Comellini, Italy, S2017

Flight dynamic engineer for deep-space navigation at the European Space Operation Centre | Anthea arrived in Toulouse in 2015, for a Double Degree program between ISAE-SUPAERO and Politecnico di Milano (Italy) in Aerospace Engineering. After her graduation, she started an industrial PhD with ISAE-SUPAERO and Thales-Alenia-Space on “Vision-Based Navigation for autonomous space rendezvous”.

Vincent Lecrubier, France, S2011

Co-founder & CTO of Sterblue and LabelFlow, kayaker | After his doctorate at ISAE SUPAERO and PhD in computer science and mathematics from Paul Sabatier University, which he prepared at the National Office for Aerospace Studies and Research, he trained at the federal pole of Toulouse and became a member of the French canoe kayak racing team in 2003.

Luca Parmitano, Italy, MS2009

Italian spationaut | He graduated from ISAE-SUPAERO with a master's degree in experimental flight test engineering, as part of the test pilot formation at EPNER, the French test pilot school in Istres.

Elodie VIAU, France, M2007

Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at the European Space Agency | Elodie is graduated in a master degree in satellite telecommunications. She has worked for 12 years at SES, one of the world’s leading satellite owners and operators in Luxembourg, and at SES Technology as Deputy Programme Manager. Today, Elodie is the Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications, and Head of ECSAT, Harwell, UK.

Juan Cantillo M2004

Senior Exploration Advisor at TotalEnergies, Manager of LNG exports to Japan | Graduated from the MSc in Aerospace Engineering, he is an energy specialist with 15 years of international experience in the application of quantitative methods for EP and the aerospace industry.

Sophie Adenot, France, S2004

First female test helicopter pilot in the Air Force | After obtaining an engineering degree from ISAE SUPAERO, she continued her studies at the MIT, where she obtained her skydiving certificate, her private pilot's license and her glider license. She was then admitted to the French Air Force Academy as an air cadet. In 2018, she became the first female helicopter experimental test pilot in France.

Thomas Pesquet, France, S2001

French Ingénieur, black belt Judoka, Pilot, Astronaut, first french Commander of the ISS | After he graduated from ISAE-SUPAERO, Thomas Pesquet held various positions in the aerospace industry and at the French Space Agency before becoming an airline pilot in 2005. In 2009, he was one of six candidates selected to form the third group of European astronauts selected by the European Space Agency.

Guillaume Faury, France, S1992

CEO of AIRBUS | Prior to being CEO, Guillaume was President of Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft business and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Helicopters (2013-2018). His achievements included restructuring manufacturing systems and introducing new technologies.

Aude Vignelles, France, S1991

Chief Technology Officer at the newly created Australian Space Agency | Studying at and graduating from ENSICA (now ISAE-SUPAERO) has provided me with a system engineering mindset that has allowed me to follow an international career across a breath of disciplines with flying colours.

Nicolas Sekkaki, Morocco, S1990

French engineer and businessman | Former President of IBM France, Nicolas Sekkaki was born in Morocco and spent the first 18 years of his life there. After a preparatory class at Henri IV from 1984 to 1987, he joined ISAE SUPAERO from which he graduated in 1990 as an aerospace, aeronautics and astronautics engineer.

Jean-François Clervoy, France, S1983

French engineer and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut | After Polytechnique, Jean-François joined ISAE SUPAERO in 1981, from which he graduated in 1983 and became a teacher of signal processing and general mechanics. He was selected as an astronaut by France in 1985 and trained in Russia before joining the European Space Agency astronaut group in 1992.

Oussama Khatib, Syria, D1980

Full Professor at Stanford University, Director of the Robotics Laboratory | He received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Sup’Aero, Toulouse, France, in 1980. He then joined the Computer Science Department at Stanford University. He is presently the director of the Stanford Robotics Laboratory, and a member of the Stanford University Bio-X Initiative.

Jean-Paul Herteman, France, S1975

French aeronautical engineer | From Ecole Polytechnique and graduate of ISAE SUPAERO, he began his career at the ministerial delegation for armaments in Toulouse. At the end of his career, he was Chairman and CEO of the Safran Group for 4 years.

Bernard Ramanantsoa, France, S1971

French teacher and former director general of the HEC Paris group | Nephew of General Gabriel Ramanantsoa, President of the Malagasy Republic between 1972 and 1975, Bernard Ramanantsoa studied in France: scientific preparatory classes at the private Lycée Sainte-Geneviève and then valedictorian at the ISAE SUPAERO.

Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, France, S1970

Former CEO of the Air France-KLM group | Pierre-Henri Gourgeon is a former student of the École Polytechnique, and then chose to join the military corps, studying at ISAE SUPAERO. He also holds a Master of Science from CalTech in Pasadena.

Jean-François Bigay, France, S1967

French aeronautical engineer | A Graduate of ISAE-SUPAERO, Jean-François Bigay created Eurocopter, of which he became CEO in 2000. He was also president of the Marseille-Provence Airport for 6 years and allowed the development of international flights.

Jean Laurent, France, S1967

Former CEO of Crédit Agricole and Chairman and CEO of Crédit Lyonnais | Engineer graduate of ISAE SUPAERO and MSc graduate of Wichita State University, he has worked his entire career with the Crédit Agricole Group.

Francis Bernard, France, S1963

French aeronautical engineer designer of the CATIA software | Born in Hanoi in 1940, he returned to France with his family 12 years later. He then joined the Janson de Sailly high school where he stayed until the preparatory classes before entering Supaero, class of 1965.

Jean Pinet, France, S1952

Doctor-engineer, fighter pilot, test pilot, airline pilot instructor and French administrator | Jean Pinet graduated as valedictorian from Supaero in 1952 and has accumulated 6,000 flight hours. He was the first pilot to break the sound barrier with Concorde on October 1, 1969.

Serge Dassault, France, S1951

Son of Marcel Dassault and former president of Dassault Aviation | After completing his preparatory classes at the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly, he was not admitted to the Polytechnique and decided to do another year at the Lycée Saint-Louis. He then chose to enter the arms engineering corps and joined Sup'aéro, from which he graduated in 1951.

Jean Boulet, France, S1944

Former test pilot for airplanes and helicopters, known for having broken many records | A Graduate of Polytechnique and Supaéro, he is the author of several books on aviation. He is famous for breaking 17 records, including the world helicopter altitude record (on Lama in 1972), which still stands in 2020.

François Hussenot S1935

Inventor of the black box | A graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique, he then graduated from Supaéro in aeronautical engineering. He began his career in 1935 at the Air Material Test Centre in Villacoublay, and a year later was sent to the Flight Test Centre in Marignane, where he carried out his first flight recorder tests.

Pierre Satre, France, S1934

Aeronautical engineer, creator of the Caravelle, the first French commercial jet plane | Pierre Satre was one of the most brilliant aircraft designers in the aviation industry. His name will remain linked, in particular, to the twin-engine Caravelle, for which he directed the design of the prototype and the successive production versions

Henri Ziegler, France, S1931

French Resistance member, chief of staff of the FFI, air force officer and test pilot, former director of Breguet Aviation and Aérospatiale | Graduate of the École Polytechnique and Supaéro, Henri Ziegler was a leading figure in the French aeronautics industry, he was responsible for the Concorde project and was one of the founders of Airbus.

René Couzinet, France, S1927

Airplane designer | René Couzinet is a French aeronautics engineer. The flight of swallows sparked his passion for aviation. Before joining SUPAERO, René had already multiple patents linked to aeronautics.

Alexander Kartveli, Georgia, S1922

Engineer and designer of Seversky P-35, P-47 Thunderbolt, F-84 Thunderjet et Thunderflash and F-105 Thunderchief | He graduated from ISAE-SUPAERO in 1922 and worked as a test pilot. After a serious injury, he retired and worked as an engineer in Société des Avions Bernard and one of his aircraft broke the speed record in 1924.

Maurice Hurel, France, S1921

French naval officer and aeronautical engineer | He joined the maritime aviation where he obtained his pilot's license for airplanes and seaplanes. As former student of Sup'Aéro, he went on to design and pilot numerous seaplane prototypes.

Marcel Dassault, France, S1913

Aviation constructor and founder of Dassault Aviation | Marcel Dassault was amazed by the pilot masterstroke of his time. After seeing the Wright fly around the Eiffel Tower, he decided to embrace the aviation field. Thereby, he decided to join SUPAERO and graduated in 1913.

Henry Potez, France, S1911

Constructor of airplanes | After his ISAE-SUPAERO graduation, Henry Potez already had 2 patents : one for combustion engines and another one to improve the construction of airplanes. During his military service, he met Marcel Dassault, also an alumni of SUPAERO, this meeting is the beginning of their strong collaboration.

Henri Coanda, Romania, S1910

Creator of the first jet airplane | After graduating from military school in Roumania where he studied Naval Engineering, Henri Coanda decided to join the first SUPAERO’s promotion. He graduated at the head of his class in aeronautical engineering. In 1910, he designed and built his first aircraft known as the Coandă-1910.

Raoul Badin, France, S1910

Inventor of the airspeed indicator (the “badin”) and in the first SUPAERO’s promotion | Raoul Badin was in the first SUPAERO’s promotion in 1910. He dedicated his life to aviation and created the famous and mandatory since 1923 airspeed indicator : the badin. This tool helps to measure the speed of an airplane and to pilot it without any visibility.