Agenda

Lord Peter Ricketts, Chair of the Franco-British Council in the UK.

Peter Ricketts retired from the Diplomatic Service in January 2016.

He was British Ambassador to France between February 2012 and January 2016. Peter is also non-resident Ambassador to Monaco. Before this posting, he was the British Government’s first National Security Adviser and, from 2006 until 2010, the Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of H.M. Diplomatic Service.

Peter began his career in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1974 and served as the Assistant Private Secretary to former Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe. In addition to France, he has been posted to Singapore and Washington D.C.

Peter attended Pembroke College, Oxford where he read English Literature. He is married to Suzanne, and has two grown-up children.

Mme Hélène Duchêne, French Ambassador to the United Kingdom

• Chevalier in the Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur
• Chevalier in the Ordre national du Mérite
• Former student of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), Master’s degree in Modern Literature
• Graduate of the Institute of Political Science
• Former student of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), “Liberté-Egalité-Fraternité” Year, 1989

Dame Menna Rawlings DCMG, British Ambassador to the French Republic

Menna Rawlings was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the French Republic in August 2021.

Previously Menna was the Director-General Economic and Global Issues at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) from March 2019 until August 2020. In this role, she had responsibility for Global Britain, Asia Pacific, Americas, Africa, Overseas Territories, Commonwealth and Economic Diplomacy. She was also Board-level Diversity and Inclusion champion for the FCO.

Menna joined the FCO in 1989 and has served in a wide range of Diplomatic Service roles. She was most recently British High Commissioner to Australia from April 2015 to February 2019. Overseas, she has served in Washington DC, Accra, Tel Aviv, Nairobi and Brussels. In London she has served on the FCO Management Board as HR Director, as Private Secretary to the Permanent Under Secretary, in Press Office and in Africa and EU Directorates.

Menna holds a BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and an MBA from the Open University. She was awarded the CMG in 2014.

Menna is married with 3 children.

Paul Wyatt, Director General Security Policy

DG Security Policy is responsible for the MOD’s international security policy across all regions, and for policy advice on cross cutting and thematic issues including counter state threats, counter terrorism, cyber, building stability overseas, conflict prevention and for support to the civil authorities in the UK.

Paul joined the Ministry of Defence in 1999 and has worked in a broad range of roles in Head Office, a front-line command and an operational headquarters. His early career featured roles in organisational change, policy and finance. This included a deployment to Afghanistan as a Policy and Political Advisor to General Sir David Richards, Commander International Stabilisation and Assistance Force (ISAF). On returning to the UK he took responsibility for overseeing the Urgent Operational Requirements process, leading negotiations with HM Treasury to secure over £3Bn of funding for urgently needed equipment after which he served as Deputy Head of Army Resources and Plans.

On promotion to the Senior Civil Service, Paul was appointed Deputy Director Resources in the newly formed Joint Forces Command (now Strategic Command). Here he was responsible for the day-to-day supervision of the operating budget (circa £1.5Bn pa), key elements of transition of JFC to full operating capability, and the capability planning for all things Information, Intelligence, Surveillance and Command and Control (circa £2Bn pa). In 2014 Paul returned to Head Office as Head of Defence Strategy and Priorities where he was responsible for the production of Defence Strategic Direction, and for the MOD contribution to both the National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

In November 2016 Paul became Chief of Staff (Policy & Finance) at the Permanent Joint Headquarters where he was responsible for operational policy during a period of increased military activity in Iraq and Syria, and for managing the HM Treasury Special Reserve spending for operations. After almost two years in PJHQ, he was appointed Director National Security, responsible for a range of ‘cross cutting’ policy and operational policy issues such as Special Operations, Cyber policy and developing Defence’s strategic approach to countering state threats.

He took up his current post, Director General, in June 2022.

Paul lives in Kent, is married and has one daughter.

Alexandre Escorcia, Head of the Europe, North America, multilateral engagement department at DGRIS

Career diplomat, Mr Alexandre Escorcia has been assigned in September 2023 as Assistant defence
policy director, especially in charge of Europe, North America and Multilateral Action, at the Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy of the Ministry of Armed Forces of France. Previously, he held positions as Diplomatic advisor to SACT, as Advisor on strategic affairs to
the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs and, more recently, as Deputy permanent representative at the French delegation to NATO.

Éric BÉRANGER was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MBDA on 1 June 2019.

Prior to joining MBDA, Éric was the Chief Executive Officer of OneWeb, scaling up this high technology, disruptive Unicorn aimed at offering affordable Broadband Internet access for everyone everywhere.

Since starting his career in 1988, he has held management positions in engineering, operations and finance at France Telecom, Société Générale, and Matra Marconi Space (now Airbus Defence and Space). At the inception of EADS in 2000, he was appointed Senior Vice President Marketing for all space activities and successfully led the negotiations of the Skynet 5-Paradigm secure satcoms PFI project with the UK Ministry of Defence.

He subsequently created Astrium Services in 2003. Under his leadership as the CEO, the company has grown its revenues and workforce more than 15 fold from 2003 to 2012 and achieved major successes with contracts including Skynet 5 (UK), Satcom BW (Germany),
Yahsat (UAE), Passerel (France) and the acquisition of Vizada at the end of 2011. In 2012 he became CEO of Astrium Satellites, and major milestones for earth observation satellites contracts were achieved. In 2014, as the head of Programs in the new organization
“Airbus Defence and Space”, his contribution led to the award of the first full electric propulsion commercial satellites contracts from SES and Eutelsat.

In 2006, he was awarded the prestigious Chevalier de la légion d’honneur for his accomplishments in developing space activities. Born in 1963, Colonel in the citizen reserve of the French Air Force, he is a graduate engineer from the École Polytechnique and Telecom Paris. Married with two children, his interests include flying -he holds a pilot’s licence, sports and science.

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Defence

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps was appointed Secretary of State for Defence on 31 August. Previously he was Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero from 7 February 2023 to 31 August 2023.

He was previously Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 25 October
2022, Secretary of State for the Home Department from 19 October 2022 to 25 October 2022,
Secretary of State for Transport between 24 July 2019 and 6 September 2022, and Minister of State at the Department for International Development from 11 May 2015 until 28 November 2015.

He was elected the Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield in 2005.

Sébastien Lecornu, Ministre des Armées

Son of a medical secretary and an aeronautics industry technician, Sébastien Lecornu studied law at
the University of Paris 2 Panthéon Assas.

From 2008 to 2012, he was advisor to the Secretary of State for European Affairs and then to the Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire.
In 2014, he was elected mayor of Vernon then, in 2015, president of the Eure Departmental Council.
He was re-elected in the municipal elections in March 2020, departmental councillor in June 2021 and re-appointed president of the Eure Departmental Council in July 2021.

Sébastien Lecornu was also elected senator in September 2020. He decided not to take his seat there in compliance with the law on the non-cumulation of mandates, in order to continue to
exercise his ministerial functions.
Sébastien Lecornu was appointed on 21 June 2017 as Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition in the government of Édouard Philippe.

In 2018, he was appointed Minister Delegate in charge of local authorities. He then co-hosted the Grand National Debate which was held at the initiative of the President of the Republic in early 2019 in response to the social crisis in the autumn 2018.
In July 2020, he was appointed Minister of Overseas Territories in the government of Jean Castex. In
this context, he supervised the management of the health crisis in the 12 French overseas territories, spread across three oceans. He also oversaw the outcome of the Nouméa Agreement by organising
the last two consultations for the accession of New Caledonia to full sovereignty.

Since May 20, 2022, he has been Minister of the Armed Forces in the government of Elisabeth
Borne. Sébastien Lecornu is also a reserve colonel in the national gendarmerie.

He is a Knight of Agricultural Merit, Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, is president of the Giverny Museum of Impressionisms, holder of the gold level of the medal of honour for overseas commitment in France, great-officer of the National Order of the Cedar of Lebanon, Commander of
the Order of the Star of Mohéli, holder of the National Defence Medal, national gendarmerie clasp bronze level (2015), holder of the voluntary military services medal, silver level (awarded
exceptionally in 2017) and holder of the Zayed II medal 1st class (United Arab Emirates), Commander of the Order of the Lion (Senegal) and medal of the Order of Merit 2nd class (Ukraine).

Air Vice-Marshal Allan Marshall, Royal Air Force, Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations & Commitments)

Allan Marshall was commissioned into the Royal Air Force (RAF) in September 1991. Following completion of a Service sponsored engineering degree at Cambridge University and pilot training, Marshall spent the first ten years of his career flying the Harrier. During this period, he completed several operational tours, including Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan; gained experience of embarked operations on Invincible-class aircraft carriers and undertook instructional, standardisation, and test and evaluation roles within the Harrier Force.

Subsequently, he gained procurement experience as the UK requirements manager for the Joint Strike Fighter programme, before converting to the Intelligence, Surveillance, Targeting and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) role. He served as officer commanding No. V (AC) Squadron (Army Co-operation) Squadron, operating Sentinel and Shadow aircraft on operations in Afghanistan, Libya and Mali.

Two joint roles within the Ministry of Defence followed: Assistant Head Global Commitments and Counter Terrorism within the Operations Directorate and Deputy Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff, before he took command of RAF Waddington in March 2016 at Lincolnshire, responsible for Reaper, Rivet Joint, Sentinel, Sentry E-3D, Shadow and Intelligence analysis capabilities.

After completion of the Higher Command and Staff Course, the US Capstone Programme and a short visiting research fellowship at Oxford University focusing on strategic intelligence, he returned to the Ministry of Defence in 2018 as Head of Defence Commitments and Crisis within the Security, Policy and Operations area.

In April 2020, he was appointed as Air Officer Commanding Number 1 Group, responsible for Defence’s Combat Air and Air ISTAR Forces, and the Air and Space Warfare Centre. On 22 November 2021, Marshall took up the post of Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations & Commitments).

Marshall was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 New Year Honours. He is married to Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall, and together they have two children.

Lieutenant-General Thierry Garreta, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (SCOPS), Etat-Major des Armées

Lieutenant-General GARRETA entered service at the French Air Force Academy (Ecole de l’Air) in September 1991. Upon completing his officer and fighter pilot training, he joined Fighter Squadron 2/4 LA FAYETTE in 1995 as a MIRAGE-2000N pilot.

In 2001, he was assigned to the French Air Force Academy as a class commander.

Promoted to major in 2002, he was posted deputy chief of operations in 2003 to the Fighter Squadron 1/4 DAUPHINÉ (MIRAGE 2000N). He deployed to CHAD as CJ3 deputy of the Joint operations staff in N’Djamena (Operation EPERVIER).

Ed Arnold, Research Fellow, European Security, RUSI

Ed Arnold is a Research Fellow for European Security within the International Security department at RUSI.

His experience covers defence, intelligence, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency, within the public and private sector. His primary research focus is on the transformation of European security following Russia’s war on Ukraine. Specifically, he covers the evolving Euro-Atlantic security architecture, the security of northern Europe, and the UK contribution to European security through NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force, and other fora. Ed has a particular interest in UK National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Reviews.

Ed joined RUSI from the private sector where he was a strategy Director within the defence and security sector. His clients included multiple government departments and multi-national and SME private companies. Prior to consultancy, Ed was an infantry Officer within the British Army. His military career was primarily spent overseas, including deployments to Afghanistan and East Africa and a posting at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe during the 2014 Ukraine crisis.

Ed holds a MA War Studies from King’s College London and a BA (Hons) in International Politics from the University of Stirling, Scotland.

Andy Start, CEO Defence Equipment & Support

Andy studied electrical and electronic engineering at Portsmouth and management at Bournemouth. He completed a year at the Royal College of Defence Studies and has completed a Masters in International Security and Strategy at King’s College, London.

Trained as an engineer, Andy spent the first decade of his working career in the space business, as a designer and programme manager of military satellite systems. His career progressed to leading a wide range of aerospace and defence businesses with a specialism in helping improve performance and drive strategic change.

Andy has completed government secondments into the MOD and the Department of Trade and Industry. In the latter role he had responsibility for leading the UK Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team and supported the development of Defence Industrial Policy. He has been active throughout his career in supporting others and served on the UK Electronics Council, the board of the trade body TechUK, the board of Smart Africa, and is an active coach and mentor.

Andy was appointed as CEO to DE&S in September 2022.

Thierry Carlier, Deputy Director-General of the DGA

IGA Thierry Carlier graduated as an engineer from French Engineer Highschool Ecole Centrale Paris (speciality: Aeronautical and Space) in 1990.

After a military duty year as a Navy officer, he joined the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) in 1991 as engineer of supersonic anti-ship missiles in cooperation with Germany.

In 1993, he became head of technical office for missile ramjet propulsion. In 1998, he was appointed as program manager for the new generation of advanced ramjet powered missiles for nuclear deterrence applications.

In 2000, he was assigned as head of procurement policy office of DGA. In 2003, he became program manager for surface-to-air and air-to-air missile systems.

In 2008, he was appointed as head of capability for strategic lift, intra-theater mobility,

expeditionary logistics and support of the Strategy Directorate of the DGA.

On October 2013, he was assigned as Deputy Director for bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and for European development.

He joined on May 2014 the General Secretary for Defense and Security (Prime Minister) as Deputy Director for international, strategic and technological affairs.

On January 1st 2018, he became Director of the International Directorate of the DGA.

IGA Thierry Carlier was nominated Deputy Director-general of the DGA.

Maried and father of two children, IGA Carlier has been awarded the ranks of officier of the Légion d’Honneur and Officier of the Ordre National du Mérite, and received the aeronautics medal. He was awarded Commander of the Legion of Merit (USA) and received the naval merit medal of Tamandare (Brazil).

Honorary Senator Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam, former Chair of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam holds post-graduate degrees in International Law and in Anglo-American Studies from the University of Montpellier, France. She also studied and taught at the universities of Antioch and Yale (USA) with a fellowship from the Rotary Foundation and in Prague with a fellowhip of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also attended the IHEDN (Institute of advanced studies in national defence) and the CHEE (Center for advanced European studies at the ENA) 

After having settled in London, further to her 1985 marriage to a British national, Tony F. Maylam, she worked mostly as a consultant to various organisations and companies including the London Business School, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

She was elected in 1988 as a representative to the French citizens living in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, to the CSFE Conseil Supérieur des Français de l’étranger, presided over by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, of whom she became first Vice-President prior to her election at the Senate in 2004.

She entered the French Citizen Reserve in 1999, becoming Colonel in 2009. 

She joined NATO Parliamentary Assembly in 2008, where she held a number of senior posts, including Chair of one of its Committees, General Rapporteur and Vice-President of the Assembly since 2020 prior to her election as President in 2022.

In 2002, President Jacques Chirac awarded her the Legion d’Honneur at the Elysée Palace. 

In September 2023 she decided not to run for a 4th mandate at the French Senate. Her responsabilities were then as follows : 

At the French Senate :

– Secretary of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces 

– Member of the Senate’s European Affairs Committee 

– Vice-Chair of the Senate’s Delegation on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities 

– Deputy Chair of Senatorial Friendship groups : West-Africa (Chair for Senegal), South-

 East Asia (Chair for Myanmar), Gulf States (Chair for the United Arab Emirates)

– Vice-chair of the UK Friendship group 

At the NATO Parliamentary Assembly : 

President of the Assembly  

Chair of the NATO-PA Conservative, PPE and Affiliates political group

At the Parliamentary Assembly for Francophonie : 

General Secretary of the French section

Other Responsabilities :

– Member of the Board of the Franco-British Council

– Member of the Board of IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de Defense nationale)

– Member of the Board of Campus France

– Co-President of « Association internationale des Réservistes Citoyens » 

– Presidente d’honneur of the « Association du Rayonnement français »

Rear Admiral Hervé Hamelin, French Defence Attaché to the United-Kingdom.

He became a fighter pilot after completing the US Navy course in 1995.

Totalling more than 3000 flight hours and about 500 Carrier landings, he has been involved in several major operations including in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya.

He has been commanding officer of a Super-Etendard squadron, executive officer of the anti-air warfare frigate Jean Bart and commanding officer of the frigate Courbet.
Planning expert at the French Joint Strategic Headquarter from 2006 to 2008, he was also the French member of the Multinational Interoperability Council (MIC) Operations Working Group.

From September 2010 until July 2012, he was Commander of the Carrier Air Group and the Naval Strike Warfare Center. During his commitment, he led the operations of the Air Wing over Afghanistan and Libya.

From 2012 to 2015, he was Commanding Officer of Landivisiau Naval Air Station. In 2016, he graduated from the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. From 2016 to 2019, he was the Head of Strategy and Policy at the French Naval Staff, Paris.

Until 2021, he was deputy director, International Security Affairs, at the DGRIS (Directorate general – International relations and Strategy) and Maritime Security Coordinator for the French Ministry for the Armed Forces.

He is currently Defence Attaché in the United Kingdom.

“Officier de la légion d’honneur”, he received one “War Cross” and three “Value Cross”. Graduated from the War College, he holds an Executive MBA from HEC Business School.

He is married and has 4 daughters.

Hervé Mariton, former minister and President of the Conseil franco-britannique en France.

Former Minister, former member of the French Parliament, Mayor of Crest since 1995 and chairman of the Franco-British Council. Associate member of the General Council for the Economy, he was the whip of opposition in the finance committee, special rapporteur for the budget on ecology, energy, transport and agriculture, president of the friendship group with Russia and vice-president with the United Kingdom. He was Overseas secretary in 2007. He is a Corps des Mines General Engineer. He graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques of Paris.