AFAM - Blog / News

Details: Published: 19 March 2026

March is International Women's History Month and International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th! This month in our blog, we would like to highlight a few very inspiring and motivational journeys of A&M female students and former students. Today our interviewee is Bénédicte Maurel (Li 223).

AFAM: Hello Bénédicte, and thank you for being with us today. You are a master’s student at Columbia University, who went through the parcours US program. Could you please tell us a few words about the road that led you to Arts et Metiers and most importantly why and when you decided to become an engineer?

Bénédicte: I come from a family of engineers, which naturally influenced my path. My father works in the semiconductor industry for a French company operating in the U.S., and my sister is also an engineer. From an early age, I was exposed to this environment, which sparked my interest in engineering. I chose Arts et Métiers because of its strong traditions, its powerful alumni network, and the quality of its engineering education. It felt like the perfect place to build both technical skills and meaningful connections.

AFAM: Could you tell us a bit more about your life and studies at Columbia University? What are your favorite classes and what do you enjoy the most about your education journey?

Bénédicte: Studying at Columbia University is truly a dream for me. Being in the heart of New York City and surrounded by such a diverse and international community is incredibly enriching. The professors are excellent, and the academic environment is very stimulating. One of the things I enjoy most about my master’s program is the opportunity to take courses at the business school, which allows me to broaden my skill set beyond engineering. I am learning a wide range of subjects, and my favorite courses so far are Optimization Models and Methods and Risk Management.

AFAM: what was the most challenging for you in the US (or maybe before coming to the US)?

Bénédicte: I had already lived in the U.S. before, so I was somewhat familiar with the culture. However, the most challenging part was arriving at such a large university and adapting to life in New York City. It can feel overwhelming at first. That said, what makes New York so special is its diversity. There are people from all over the world, so accents and cultural differences are not barriers at all—they actually make the experience even richer.

AFAM: Can you share a little bit about your future plans?

Bénédicte: My goal is to find a job in the U.S. and continue my professional journey here if possible. I am also very interested in participating in a humanitarian project in the future, as I would love to combine my skills with a meaningful cause.

AFAM: You live in New York City. How do you like it? How do you spend your free time?

Bénédicte: I absolutely love New York City. I had the chance to visit as a tourist before, but living here is a completely different experience. In my free time, I enjoy running in Central Park, exploring different neighborhoods, and watching the sunset over the city. I also take advantage of student discounts through Columbia to visit places like the Empire State Building or museums. There is always something to discover, which makes life here very exciting.

Bénédicte, view from Empire State Building

Columbia University campus

All pictures: courtesy of Bénédicte

Details: Published: 19 March 2026

On March 18th, first year Arts et Metiers students interested in joining the parcours US program, offered by their school, participated in an informational session to learn more about the parcours US program - what to expect, how to prepare and to hear testimonials from former parcours US students and alumni.

Many thanks you to Pierre-Yves Rohan, parcours US program director, for organizing the session.

San Francisco-based Arts et Metiers alumnus, Nicolas Horde ( Ai 214), West Coast group president, also participated in this session sharing his journey from joining the parcours US program himself to his current position as an engineer for a Silicon Valley-based company - with young Gadz'Arts students.

AFAM looks forward to welcoming and supporting new members of US-based Gadz'Arts community next year!

Details: Published: 25 February 2026

Interschool San Francisco Alumni Happy Hour with ESSEC, Sciences Po, EDHEC, X/Polytechnique, Arts et Metiers and other schools took place on February 25th, 2026, in San Francisco.

French Alumni Happy Hour was organized at Cathay Innovation.

A few Gadz'Arts, led by Nicolas Horde (Ai 214), West Coast group president, were among the guests.

Many thanks to the Cathay Innovation team and Vincent Toesca, President of the SF Bay Area ESSEC Alumni Chapter, for bringing the alumni together.

Details: Published: 12 February 2026

AFAM: Hello Hervé and thank you for this interview. You are an Independent Director at Solutions Energy based in Houston, TX. Please tell us a few words about the company and your role in it.

Hervé: During my 35 year career, I had the chance to work for some of the largest companies in the world, focusing first on safety as an engineer, then advising them on strategy, operations and technology as a management consultant. Being based in Houston for most of my career, I was dealing primarily on the energy sector and experienced first hand the effects of the ups and down of the market. One thing that is not always recognized, is the role of innovation and technology in energy. The energy industry is on a constant treadmill to develop solutions to meet the ever increasing demand of petroleum product or power globally. Extracting hydrocarbons from an ultra deep water reservoir at 40,000 psi, enabling a brand new operating model for an oil and gas company to drill over 10 new wells per week (in the process making the US the largest oil and gas producer in the world), or deploying advanced AI tools for energy companies come at great risks (both financial and physical), but are just table stakes in this industry. Technology innovation has always fascinated me, and after my soft retirement in late 2024, I decided to jump on the new technology bandwagon. I accepted to join the Board of Directors of Solution Energy. We are a startup working on a set of unique technology we hope will unlock the potential of geothermal, not only in the US, but also globally. The phenomenal increase in new power needs due to new data centers, and the general trend of electrification in various parts of the world (obviously in the US), can't be met with the current grid. The cost to the consumer and local communities would experience in irreversible water shortages would be just too high. At Solution Energy, we hope to be part of the answer that will address these challenges.

AFAM: With your Arts et Metiers degree in your pocket, you then obtained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from UC Davis in 1990 and after that you worked for DOW in the US. Could you tell us more about your beginnings in the USA and how come you moved to Houston?

Hervé: I moved to Houston for personal reasons. My wife is a native of San Francisco, and we decided very early on to settle in the US. Work took me to Houston (later on to San Francisco). This was not the result of a grand master plan. I found that having a US degree was very complementary to my French engineering diploma. The focus on research and the pragmatic way to approach problems was very interesting. I must also admit, that back in the 90's, it helped me a great deal to land my first job at Dow Chemical, as Japan was viewed at the time as the beacon of technology and innovation (at least on the West Coast).

AFAM: During your career, you held senior positions at some management consulting firms. Could you tell us more about this experience?

Hervé: Very rich. My formative years were with Booz Allen Hamilton. Booz was a strategy and operations consulting firm, part of the group with McKinsey, BCG and Bain. It taught me everything I know about business strategy and operations across various industry sectors such as oil and gas, pharmaceutical, consumer products, broadcasting and aerospace (the two years I spent working for NASA were amazing). After a corporate re-structuring where part of the company was sold, I decided to move to more specialized firms, including Schlumberger Business Consulting to specialize in upstream oil and gas, A.T. Kearney to develop unique perspectives on value chain integration, Ernst and Young to work with some of the bests in Mergers and Acquisitions and finally Accenture to help lead the wave of digital transformation, and ultimately the AI revolution. I feel blessed by the opportunity to have worked for the corporate world from many dimensions and with some fascinating companies around the world, including North and South America, Asia, Middle East and Europe.

AFAM: How did being a GadzArts help in your long professional journey?

Hervé: The degree is such a solid foundation. I came to appreciate the true generalist formation, in a sense that it is not a jack of all trades, master of none education. Instead, it is a multi-faceted training that allows a GadzArts to quickly understand technical issues, even when not an expert, and apply a very structured, and pragmatic approach to problem solving. This was very powerful, especially when dealing with various types of businesses across very different cultures. Of course, being a GadzArts also brings the network. Although this was less prevalent for me in the US, every time I crossed path with an Ancient Eleve, something instantly clicked (very often to the surprise of my American colleagues). A direct, constructive and honest dialogue was established immediately. This is not something that always happens with other schools, even the Ivy Leagues ones.

AFAM: You live between Texas ( Houston) and California today. How do you enjoy your spare time?

Hervé: I am trying to enjoy retirement, but it is not easy. The startup world is exciting, but very demanding in terms of time commitment. In addition, I enjoy teaching a graduate class in Mergers and Acquisitions at the University of Tulsa. So free time is scarce. When I can, my wife Diane and our two dogs hit the road in our truck to visit the back country, mostly in the South West of the US. I try to stay as far as I can from air travel. I have done too much of that in the past....

AFAM: Thank you for sharing, Hervé!

Picture: courtesy of Hervé

Details: Published: 28 January 2026

AFAM: Hello Quentin and thank you for this interview. You are a Mechanical Design Engineer for Hello Robot Inc.

Please tell us a few words about your company and your current role in it.

Quentin: Hello Robot Inc. designs Stretch, a mobile manipulator ( a robot on wheels and with a robotic arm, a manipulator which can grab, reach, pick etc.). Stretch is a very complex product, used as a companion, and in healthcare especially for people with physical impairments, as well as with Alzheimer. The robot is designed to function effectively in real-world environments and it is already deployed in homes as we speak.

My engineering role focuses on designing the mechanical aspect of the next generation of Stretch, e.g. the structural elements and plastic enclosures.

AFAM: What in your opinion is the most awesome that a Stretch robot can do?

Quentin: That’s a good question. The robot is currently being sold mostly to Universities, research labs and roboticists. What I find the most awesome thing is the robot's dual impact: enabling groundbreaking research in physical AI through its use in universities and research labs, and helping users with physical impairments regain independence and form bonds with their families through its pilot program in homes.

AFAM: you started in Hello Robot Inc. as an intern in 2024 and now you are an engineer there. What do you think made you a successful candidate for an engineering position after you finished your internship at Hello Robot Inc.?

Quentin: Yes, I started at Hello Robot as an intern after graduating from UC Berkeley. My initial 3 months internship was extended to 6 months and then to a full time job. I think my success in securing a full-time position was in my specialized skills in CAD, which enabled me to contribute significantly to the development of the Stretch robot during the early stages of its development. My ability to quickly iterate and take ownership of various systems and understanding of the robot from head to toe within six months of my internship led me to a full-time offer.

AFAM: What is the most challenging and the most exciting part of your job today?

Quentin: A unique aspect of my job is being the sole mechanical design engineer at Hello Robot which is at the same time the most exciting and the most challenging part. Both excitement and responsibility come with full autonomy in designing the robot. Working independently (even though we obviously work together with electrical and software engineers) represents for me a learning curve where I will make every possible mistake but will find what I want at the end of the day.

AFAM: you have been living in the San Francisco bay area since 2023. What are the things you like the most? How do you like spending your free time?

Quentin: San Francisco is such a beautiful city. Here we are close to nature, next to the ocean, not far from skiing resorts. I enjoy running in local parks. Every Saturday morning I would run in a park and then grab my morning coffee in a local coffee shop. I love my Saturday morning routine.

AFAM: how did being a GadzArts help you in your professional career and life?

Quentin: As a GadzArts in the US, you have an advantage of having a supportive community to help navigate opportunities and provide guidance. I benefited a lot from connecting with other GadzArts, both older and younger cohorts, to share experiences and advice. Being a GadzArts has allowed me to give back to the community by offering support to new arrivals (note: Quentin became one of Shasta mentors in 2026)

AFAM: thank you, Quentin!