Why a career in tech?

Since I was a child, I have always wanted to understand how things and machines work. I loved reading books from the "Méga" collection with my cousin, watching "It is not rocket science," and doing scientific experiments. This attraction to technology has only grown over the years, with a constant desire to learn and innovate. I have always been fascinated by the industrial world and its ability to transform our daily lives. For me, tech should be used to serve the public interest. I deeply believe that it is essential to have a job that is useful to society. At the age of 20, I made a conscious and determined decision to specialise in the nuclear field. This sector fascinates me because it offers dispatchable, low-carbon energy, which is essential to reach the energy and environmental challenges of our time.

Your professional experience?

My passion for the nuclear field was sparked at the age of 20, and since then, I have dedicated myself to it. I completed all my academic projects and internships in this sector. I worked in the United States on uranium mines in Colorado, in Belgium on the decommissioning of a nuclear reactor, and in France on radioactive waste management units. I graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, and I furthered my education with an additional year at the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, to obtan a Master's degree in Nuclear Energy. My career began in 2010 at EDF in Marseille, at the Centre d’Ingénierie du Parc Nucléaire en Exploitation (CIPN). In 2015, I joined Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Western Europe, where I held management positions. Since 2020, I have been a project manager for EDF UK in the United Kingdom, working on the construction of two EPR nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point C. I am extremely proud to have contributed to all these nuclear projects.

Your first experience with technology?

My first professional experience in tech began in 2010 when I joined EDF in Marseille as a Nuclear Safety Engineer within the Division of Nuclear Power Plant Engineering and the Environment (DIPDE, formerly CIPN). I developed skills in neutronics and thermohydraulics of light water reactors under incident and accident conditions. This initial position was pivotal in steering my career towards nuclear safety. Nuclear safety encompasses all technical, human, and organisational measures implemented to protect the public and the environment from the potential dispersion of radioactive materials. These measures are:

• Considered during the design of the facility: This was my primary role at DIPDE in Marseille from 2010 to 2015.
• Integrated during its construction: This is the core of my current work on the Hinkley Point C power station in the UK since 2020 for EDF UK.
• Enhanced and continuously improved during its operation: This was the focus of my role at the Gravelines nuclear power plant from 2015 to 2019.

What do you do today, and why?

Since January 2020, I have been expatriated to the United Kingdom for EDF UK, where I am involved in the construction of the two EPR reactors at Hinkley Point C. This project, one of the largest in Europe, up to 11,000 workers on site at its peak and provide low-carbon electricity to 6 million British homes for at least 60 years. As a Project Manager for nuclear safety, performance, and licensing of the nuclear steam supply system, my role is to ensure that the EPR design meets British requirements. This project is crucial for the UK, as its current nuclear power stations are due to be decommissioned between 2026 and 2028. The country relies on nuclear power to achieve net zero by 2050, with a target of 24 GW of nuclear capacity to cover a quarter of its electricity needs. To achieve this, the UK aims for regular investments every five years between 2030 and 2044, focusing on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and large-scale reactors.

Your strengths in this role?

1. Diverse experiences in the Nuclear Field:I have held technical, managerial, and project management roles. My nuclear safety skills have been developed through engineering, operation and maintenance in France, as well as in construction in the United Kingdom.
2. Team Spirit: I believe the best achievements are collective!
3. Agility and Dynamism: These qualities enable me to quickly adapt to new situations and tackle challenges with enthusiasm.

Past challenges, failures and disappointments?

In 2023, during the Franco-British summit, I was invited to the Élysée Palace as a Franco-British Young Leader. Imagine being surrounded by diplomatic delegations, ambassadors, and ministers from France and the UK, standing before French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Delivering a speech on climate, energy, nuclear power, and the importance of women in science in front of these two heads of state was a colossal challenge. At the end of my speech, I saw them applauding, right there, just a metre away from me. It was simply incredible. This unique moment will remain etched in my memory forever. Significant failures were those I experienced at the Gravelines nuclear power plant. I was responsible for the safety of over 500 workers at the peak of activity during the ten-yearly inspections and the implementation of post-Fukushima measures. Each injured person was a failure. No one comes to work to get hurt, and everyone must return home healthy. On-site, safety is our priority. My team did an extraordinary job of reducing the number of accidents, learning from every incident, and strengthening our resolve to always do better. Moments of solitude can occur on Friday or Saturday evenings when I am working on interventions, conferences, or projects instead of going outside and enjoying my free time. I don’t have a magic wand; all the extracurricular activities I undertake require a tremendous amount of work and sacrifices. No pain, no gain! These sacrifices have taught me that perseverance, hard work, and dedication are the keys to going beyond one’s dreams.

Best moments, successes you’re proud of?

For the best moments of my career, I can highlight the collective successes achieved at Gravelines nuclear power plant with my amazing team when I was Team Leader. We implemented innovative and effective working methods. Behind all these working methods, what is there? Employee engagement and thus team performance. Knowing that only 7% of employees are engaged at work in France, according to the latest figures from the Gallup 2023 survey, it is crucial to revise working methods to mobilise and engage teams. In a few months, we created a team from scratch with extremely diverse profiles (gender, social background, religion, education level), ranging from vocational qualifications to master's degrees. Everyone had an equal voice in collective decision-making, which required me to clearly explain the overall strategy, objectives, and their operational implementation. I firmly believe that if you treat people as mere followers, they will only perform as followers. I wanted the opposite: to rely on all these complementary skills to generate new ideas and innovative solutions. Our approach included visual management, celebrating successes, problem-solving, co-development, co-recruitment, operational excellence methods, the importance of soft skills, humour, the right to make mistakes, risk-taking, and the ability to start over differently. We continuously challenged our actions and processes to improve them, and we used benchmarking to adopt best practices. Knowledge sharing was crucial for the entire team to improve and for natural backup to occur in the face of unforeseen events. Every morning, I took five minutes to explain a technical or human subject. As a manager, my role was to coach and develop the skills of all team members. Even in my absence, everything functioned very well. After each collective success, the team was ready to take on new challenges and would ask me, "What's next?" These experiences showed me the power of the virtuous circle of daily successes and long-term major victories. On a personal level, I have had the honour of receiving several awards and distinctions. The two most significant are the Woman Engineer of France award in 2023, presented at the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, and the Fem’Energia award for "Woman in Nuclear in Europe, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom" in 2020. The latter was a real springboard for my career.

People who helped, influenced -or made your life difficult?

The list of people who have helped or influenced me is very long, whether during my studies, in the professional sphere, within my family, or through the Franco-British Young Leaders network and the Women in Nuclear association, in which I am actively involved. Being well-supported, seeking advice, and being challenged are extremely important. Each of these people has contributed, in their own way, to my personal and professional development. Thanks to all these wonderful encounters, I have been able to overcome challenges and achieve accomplishments that I would never have imagined on my own. And for my two pillars, the two people who help me the most on a daily basis are definitely:

• My mother: I admire her journey and her involvement in numerous social associations aimed at helping women and children. Every time we see each other, we ask the same question: "What project are you working on at the moment?" I dream of having her energy; I always feel she can move mountains as soon as she stands up. Her example has taught me resilience, generosity, and the importance of fighting for one's convictions.

 

• My husband, Jean-François Cantel: We share the same passion for nuclear energy since we were 20 years old and have followed exactly the same educational and professional path. He pushes me to surpass myself and believes in me more than I do. He is also the first man to sit on the board of Women in Nuclear France to promote more diversity in science. His actions towards young people, women, and children are numerous and inspiring. He is an extraordinary example for our children, showing them the importance of commitment, equality, and mutual support. Family is a team!

Your hopes and future challenges?

I would like to work on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). These reactors, which complement large power reactors, are ideal for replacing coal plants, providing energy in remote areas, and meeting the needs of energy-intensive industries. In recent years, there has been a strong global momentum around SMRs. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) lists numerous innovative concepts. Some of these reactors are Generation IV and offer many advantages: better utilisation of uranium resources, reduction of waste radiotoxicity, and high temperatures useful for decarbonising the heat sector. These innovations represent an exciting challenge for the future of energy. My second challenge is to promote more diversity in science and nuclear fields. In France, the nuclear sector plans to hire 100,000 people in the next 10 years, and this cannot happen without women. I am determined to attract more people from diverse backgrounds to this crucial field. I would like to educate the public about nuclear energy to better inform and dismiss misconceptions. Working on innovative nuclear projects, raising public awareness about the benefits of nuclear energy, and promoting diversity are my priorities for a more inclusive future while contributing to achieve net zero.

What do you do when you don’t work?

Outside of my work, I am dedicated to causes that I am passionate about. I am a networker and a good connector, creating projects between organisations that, at first glance, do not have obvious connections. Here are some of my main activities:

• Women in Nuclear France: As a board member, I mentor, organise and participate in webinars, and develop projects with embassies. I also speak to high school, infant school, and university students in France.
• Franco-British Young Leaders:I am a member of the 2022 cohort of this prestigious leadership programme. I implement projects and initiatives to promote good Franco-British collaborations. It’s like my second family.
• ExpatFamilyUK : I founded this association to support expatriate partners in their integration into the United Kingdom. With a horizontal organisation and rotation of key positions every six months, partners have a role within the association, which prevents a “blank CV” when they arrive in a new country. In 2021, the association won the first prize at the HPC Excellence Awards by EDF UK among 470 nominations.

I also deliver lectures on nuclear energy and climate in engineering schools in France. Recently, I have spoken at the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris and the University of Cambridge in the UK, to associations, in front of political figures, and even to children in infant school. Outside of these commitments, I love to laugh and spend time with my family, my husband, and my three children aged 9, 7, and 5, as well as with my friends. I also engage in sports, which helps me structure my thinking.

Your heroes -from History or fiction?

The incredible Marie Curie! In the book "Madame Curie," written by her second daughter, Ève Curie, she describes how Marie Curie would take her children to her lectures. I was very inspired by this example, and whenever possible, I take my children with me. Now, they actively participate in my lectures: they present a slide or help me advance the presentation. Marie Curie is, for me, a model of perseverance, intelligence, dedication to science, and the transmission of knowledge.

A saying or proverb you like in particular?

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars" by Oscar Wilde. This motto reflects my approach to life and work. Having ambitious goals allows one to surpass oneself and achieve remarkable results, even if the initial goal seems distant.

A book to take with you on a desert island?

"The World Without End" by Jean-Marc Jancovici, published by Dargaud, and the book "Energies" from the Fake or Not collection by Maxence Cordiez, published by Tana Editions. These books, related to the fields of energy and climate, are extremely informative with many illustrations and are especially accessible to a wide audience.

A message to young female professionals?

Energy is precious and enables you to move forward and achieve great things. Every morning, you wake up with a reserve of energy that reduces throughout the day. How can you manage it well to accomplish your activities, start new projects, and enjoy time with your loved ones?

• Surround yourself well:choose positive people who support you and avoid those who drain your energy in minutes.
• See things positively: focus on what you do well.
• Dare and persevere: try new things, take risks, fail, and try again. For example, if an idea doesn’t work, adjust it and try again..
• Recharge your energy: find what boosts your energy levels – friends, conferences, exciting projects, sports, etc. – and integrate them into your daily life.
• Pace yourself to avoid exhaustion.

In summary, it’s all about Energy. Final words: Be audacious, be tenacious, but always with kindness!