Frédérique Chabbert, who graduated from ENSGSI in 2001, was recently appointed President of the School Council, after an impressive career path that included the creation of a company and a digital companion.

First of all, congratulations on your appointment as President of the School Council! How do you feel about this appointment?

I'm honored and proud to take over the presidency of our School Council from Dominique Lupinski, who has done a remarkable job.

In 2020, AAGSI published a REX on Frédérique Chabbert, then in the midst of developing her business. Obviously, many things have changed since then, and she has developed a digital companion integrated into Microsoft Teams with an expert in IT systems architecture. In this interview, she explained that people play a central role in her life: "What I like best about what I do is the exchanges. It's the human element that gives meaning to projects. I also like interfacing between different environments, different professions and different people". Even today, she applies these principles to her new role on the School Council, with the aim of "understanding everyone's expectations and objectives, with a view to co-constructing together, crossing our visions and perspectives, in the service of GSI's projects and influence".

How does your background as an entrepreneur and your experience in different sectors, such as innovation and mobility, influence your vision for the School Council?

I've had a lot of experience in setting up and managing innovation projects in small and large private, public and non-profit organizations (BPIfrance, NextMove, Mairie de Paris, EFFENCY). In the course of my career, I've had to coordinate working groups, encourage the active participation of all concerned, facilitate decision-making and the construction of multi-partner projects: this is what I'd like to bring to the School Council.

What are your priorities for the new school year?

My priority is for the members of the School Council to get to know each other better, so that together we can meet the challenges facing GSI, by being a driving force behind its management.

As President, Frédérique Chabbert would like to strengthen partnerships with companies through the alumni community, and improve communication between members of the school board, representatives of governing bodies, professors, students and alumni. She would also like to promote actions that engage dialogue at the school, "in the service of the influence of its values, its projects, the women and men who put them in place, and its students and graduates." Frédérique Chabbert is convinced that, with the School Council, she will be able to develop co-construction between all the players present at the school, putting people at the heart of the actions leading to the school's influence.

How do you see the role of the school council in developing new educational or pedagogical initiatives?

As with all the issues that fall within the remit of the School Council, I am a firm believer in dialogue and co-construction between all the stakeholders that the School Council represents. I see us as a source of ideas and support for management in finding ways to keep us at the forefront of innovative pedagogy, from which our diploma draws its strength and our school its recognition.

What values or principles would you like to reinforce within the school through this role?

Putting people first!

Frédérique Chabbert concludes with a message to those who would like to get more involved in the life of the school: "Whether you have a few minutes a year to devote, for example by directing your company's business tax to GSI, or a few hours for AAGSI (completing your online profile to forge links between students and alumni, mentoring a student, proposing a student project or a research project for ERPI...) or even contributing to reflections on the school's orientations, come along, you have a role to play!"