With more than 35 years of service to the government, Olivier Pagni is taking over as director of the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille.
Accustomed to leading complex projects in demanding environments, he now intends to put his management and cooperation experience to work for a prestigious engineering school, with a clear ambition: to rebuild the community, strengthen ties with industry, and prepare tomorrow's engineers for human and technological challenges.
A former officer in the French Marine Corps, Olivier Pagni has dedicated his entire career to serving the French Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs. His career has been marked by security and humanitarian missions, the management of international cooperation projects, and the development of partnerships and training programs aimed at helping young people return to work.
He is a Knight of the Legion of Honor and the National Order of Merit.
His arrival at the helm of the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille is part of a desire to put his experience in public service—both in project management and human resources management—to good use at a prestigious higher education institution with a rich history and strong regional roots.
Attracted by the industrial project led by Arts et Métiers, Olivier Pagni wants to help prepare future engineers for the technological and human challenges facing industry.
He also intends to consolidate partnerships with regional industrial players and develop a dynamic and innovative ecosystem at the heart of the campus, linked to research in the fields of energy, industrial production, and robotics.
" Rebuilding and consolidating a strong community within the campus is one of my priorities. With the support of all communities—faculty, teachers, administrative staff, students, and associations—I want to ensure the sustainability of education and strengthen campus cohesion in a spirit of sharing, listening, and kindness, " said Olivier Pagni, director of the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille.