04.12.2024
2 minutes of reading
IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) is pleased to announce the appointment of Cécile Barrère-Tricca as Executive Vice-President, in charge of innovation and economic development, and Benjamin Herzhaft as Executive Vice-President, in charge of research and training. They took up their new positions at the beginning of December, for a renewable 5-year term, following the departure of Eric Lafargue and Catherine Rivière, who retired.
Cécile Barrère-Tricca has been appointed Executive Vice-President, in charge of innovation and economic development.
Cécile Barrère-Tricca, 54, is a chemical engineer from the École nationale supérieure des ingénieurs en arts chimiques et technologiques (Ensiacet), holds a DEA in materials science from the Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse and a PhD in polymer chemistry and physical chemistry from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie. She is an auditor for the cycle des hautes études pour le développement économique (CHEDE 2019) and the cycle supérieur du développement durable (CSDD 2022).
She joined IFPEN in 1998 as a research engineer in the Catalysis, Biocatalysis and Separation Division. In 2001, she became project manager in the field of gas and smoke treatment before taking on a similar role in the field of advanced biofuels, in 2006, within the Process Design and Modeling Division.
In 2008, Cécile Barrère-Tricca was appointed head of the Process Design Department and then, in 2010, head of the Chemical Engineering and Technology Department. In 2014, she was appointed Director of the Physics and Analysis Division. In 2017, Cécile Barrère-Tricca became IFPEN-Lyon site director since 2017. She chaired the AXELERA “Chemistry-Environment” competitiveness cluster from 2019 to 2021.
Since January 2023, she has been Director of the Chemistry for Industry Results Center.
Benjamin Herzhaft has been appointed Executive Vice-President, Research and Training.
Benjamin Herzhaft, 56, is a graduate of the ESPCI (École Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielle de Paris) Engineering School in Paris, has a PhD in physics from Pierre et Marie Curie University and holds a national accreditation to direct research obtained from the University of Western Brittany. He is an IHEST auditor, class of Elinor Ostrom (2018-2019).
He joined IFPEN’s Chemistry and Applied Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Division in 1997 where he managed a range of project portfolios. In 2007, he took over at the helm of the Physical Chemistry of Complex Fluids Department, followed, in 2010, by the Physical Chemistry of Complex Materials and Fluids Department.
In 2015, he was appointed special assistant to the Vice-President for Research and Innovation, responsible for overseeing changes to the organization of IFPEN’s fundamental research, and in 2016, he was made manager of the Scientific Division’s fundamental research program. In 2020, Benjamin Herzhaft was appointed Director of the Earth Sciences and Environmental Technologies Division.
He has been Director of the Energy Systems Results Center since January 2023.
About IFPEN
IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN) is a major research and training player in the fields of energy, mobility and the environment. From scientific concepts in fundamental research to technological solutions in applied research, its activities revolve around innovation, based on four key priorities: climate, the environment and the circular economy; renewable energies; sustainable mobility; responsible oil and gas.
