Message from Stewart Cole: Appointment of Odette Tomescu-Hatto (PhD) as the Institut Pasteur Executive Vice-President, International Affairs

"Dear all,

Following the meeting of the Institut Pasteur Board of Governors on October 11, I am pleased to announce, together with Yasmine Belkaïd, the appointment of Odette Tomescu-Hatto as the Executive Vice-President, International Affairs at the Institut Pasteur, with effect from the beginning of January 2024.

Odette Tomescu-Hatto holds a PhD in Political Science / International Relations from Sciences Po Paris and a Master of Sciences MSc from the University of Montreal, as well as a degree in Public Affairs from the University of Bucharest, and is currently Deputy Director of Europe and International Affairs (DEAI) at the Institute of Advanced National Defense Studies (IHEDN), an institution under the authority of the Prime Minister.

Odette Tomescu-Hatto has been previously working for the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) as Head of International Relations where she coordinated between 2016-2018 various projects and strategies including the Global Health Strategy and pandemics response. From 2010 to 2016, she was Head of the Climate Change Unit (Division of Globalization, Cooperation and Partnerships, Department of Environment, French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs). In particular, she has been coordinating the French inter-ministerial delegation to international talks under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in the preparation of the COP21, which led to the conclusion of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Responsible for monitoring energy/climate negotiations within multilateral bodies, she has played a key role in the development of climate diplomacy and outreach tools.

Odette Tomescu-Hatto is also an associate professor at Sciences Po Paris, where she has been teaching international relations and public diplomacy for 20 years. A former visiting researcher at the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and expert for the French Ministry of Defence and the OECD, she has published in several scientific journals: Études Internationales, Études du CERI and Perspectives on European Politics and Society.

With her solid experience in representation, participation in international meetings at a high strategic level and inter-ministerial coordination, Odette will be able to contribute to the international influence of our Institute.

I have confidence in her professional and human qualities, as well as in her ability to provide support to all the teams in the International Affairs Department, responsible for developing our international partnerships, within the Pasteur Network and beyond.

Odette will report directly to the President and will be a member of the Institut Pasteur's Senior Management Committee and Executive Board.

I would like to pay tribute to the commitment and professionalism of Fernando Arenzana-Seisdedos, who has been acting as the International Affairs Vice-President since September 2022, and who will ensure the transition. I would like to extend our warmest thanks to him and to all the Pasteurians who are working to ensure the success of our missions in the service of global health.

Best regards,"

Prof. Stewart Cole
President