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17 Sequoia grants were distributed to our Arts et Metiers parcours US and Georgia Tech Europe (GTE) students in 2025 - the biggest number of grants ever approved in a single year (with the biggest number of applications)! Congratulations to all the students who received the grants in September!
We had a chance to meet seven of the seventeen recipients in San Francisco during a first Fall Gadz'Arts event at the residence of the Consul General of France.
Meet Maxime, Marie, Jean, Loris, Matéo, Harold and Loïc studying at UC Berkeley and Stanford!
A&M students Maxime Pangrazzi (Ch 223), Marie Imad (Ch 223), Jean Duthoit (Ch 223), Loris Emanuelli (Class 223), Mateo Milenkoski (Ch 223)
Harold Gardon (Ai 223), Marie Imad (Ch 223), Loïc Poisson ( Bo 223)
As a reminder:
1) Sequoia # 2 grants offering is possible thanks to Arts et Metiers alumni's donations to AFAM;
2) Sequoia program is not only about the grants, it is a program helping Arts et Metiers students and alumni to apply to American Universities ( Sequoia Coaching).
If you want to know more about the Sequoia program, please join one of the Sequoia conferences scheduled in October:
- Oct. 20 ( Monday), 4 pm - 5 pm (French time), "Sequoia program: Studying in the US" with Nicolas Horde (Ai 214), West Coast group president (SF) and Albina Patou-Chebykina, AFAM community manager: on Paris campus ( in person) and online
- Oct. 23 ( Thursday), 4 pm - 5 pm (French time), "Sequoia program: Studying in the US" with Valentin Fehr (Cl 212), Atlanta Gadz group representative and Albina Patou-Chebykina: on Cluny campus (in person) and online
Both conferences are open to students ( especially A2 and A3) interested in studying in the US and Arts et Metiers alumni as well (all ages!)
Please
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AFAM: Hello Ethan and thank you for agreeing to answer our questions. You have been doing a 3-months internship at PSPM Plastic System in Pennsylvania. Please tell us a few words about your internship.
Ethan: I discovered this opportunity through my apprenticeship company in France, SN Caulonque, where I work as a mold designer specialized in plastic injection. PSPM is a client of my French company, which uses the molds we design to inject plastic products.
During these 3 months, I had the opportunity to see our molds operating in a real production environment. I also worked for their maintenance and the machines maintenance (injection molding machine, robotics...). This experience was really valuable for me as a future engineer specialized in plastic injection molding.
AFAM: Ethan, you hold a Bachelor degree from Arts et Metiers and since 2024 you are in an apprenticeship Arts et Metiers program. Please tell us a bit about your move from the bachelor towards an apprenticeship program. What challenges did you face?
Ethan: The level of expectations has significantly increased, making it more difficult to balance courses with my apprenticeship. Over the last few months, I improved my capacity to anticipate tasks and organize my time more efficiently.
AFAM: What surprised you the most about American culture in general and working culture in particular? Anything you would like to share?
Ethan: I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly decisions were made within the company. My colleagues were also really responsive to emails. It was pleasant to work in such an environment and to see the results on a daily basis. More generally, people were really kind and polite.
AFAM: you spent summer 2025 in the United States. How did you enjoy your free time outside of work?
Ethan: My accommodation was conveniently located so I had the possibility to see a lot of places during my stay. I visited several major cities such as New York City, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, Niagara Falls... It was interesting to see different cities and places as their atmospheres are completely different. I enjoyed attending local football and baseball games too. My colleagues also invited me to join them in various activities such as visiting a safari, dining out together...
AFAM: what can you say about the Shasta program offered by AFAM? What piece of advice would you give to an engineering student who would like to find an internship in the USA?
Ethan: The Shasta grant was really helpful for me. I received the funds directly to my Paypal account in US dollars, which made it easier to pay within the country (no change rate). Moreover, a lot of online shops in the US accept paypal as a payment method.
If I could give some advice to someone looking for an internship in the US, it would be to plan it well in advance. In particular the visa process takes a considerable amount of time. That said, going to the United States is an unforgettable experience. I significantly improved my English and I was glad to discover the American culture.
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On September 25th, the Gadz’Arts community of the San Francisco Bay Area gathered at the residence of the Consul General of France in San Francisco.
This exceptional event attracted 60 guests, including Gadz’Arts alumni, students, and family members. It was a wonderful opportunity for alumni to meet newly arrived parcours US students studying at UC Berkeley and Stanford.
The evening began with Paul Salvaire, Deputy Consul General, welcoming the guests and presenting some of the activities offered by the consulate to French engineers living in the Bay Area. The audience then heard from Xavier Wartelle (Li 82), AFAM CEO, who spoke about the history of AFAM and its importance for the Arts et Métiers community. Next, Nicolas Horde (Ai 214) shared information about the programs and events organized by AFAM.
Marc Amblard (Cl 84), mobility expert, delivered a presentation on key innovation trends in mobility. Afterward, guests enjoyed a networking session.
We warmly thank Consul General Florian Cardinaux for hosting us, as well as the French Consulate team present at the event: Paul Salvaire, Deputy Consul General; Délphine Sève, Consul and Deputy Consul General’s assistant as well as Mounia Elnatour, Press Attachée; Rouksana Simjee, Villa Albertine Director; Marceau Juin, Flore, Loïse, and Thaddée.
Finally, many thanks to the AFAM volunteers who made this evening possible:
Nicolas Horde (Ai 214); Jean Pommier (An 183), AFAM CFO, and Agnès Pommier; Vincent Schmitt (Ch 182); Aurore Prévot (Li 198) and Jean Prévot (Ch 198)
and many others.
Looking forward to enjoying other community gatherings in the SF region.
Marc Amblard (Cl 1184), Xavier Wartelle (Li 182), Nicolas Horde (Ai 214) and Vincent Schmitt (Ch 182) before the event
at the event
Paul Salvaire, delivering the speech to the Gadz'Arts community
Vincent Schmitt offering to Paul Salvaire a commemorative gift from the Gadz'Arts community
Eric Benhamou (Ai 172), Atlal Boudir and Julien Rineau (An 220)
A&M students Maxime Pangrazzi (Ch 223), Marie Imad (Ch 223), Jean Duthoit (Ch 223), Loris Emanuelli, Mateo Milenkoski (Ch 223)
Niema El Bouri (Li 216), Olivier Delerm (Li 187), Maureen and Marc Amblard, Mattia Pelissou (Li 216)
Aude Phay and Yarith Phay (Bo 191), François Thery (Li 196), Jean-Marc Ludwig (Ai 189) and Vincent Schmitt
Yarith Phay, Mattia Pelissou, Soazig Kaam (Bo 209), Olivier Causse (Li 207), Jean Pommier (An 183)
Claude Leglise (An 174) and Xavier Wartelle ( Li 82)
Olivier Brzozowski (An 195), Marc and Maureen Amblard
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On September 4th Arts et Metiers as well as other French schools alumni gathered at Alliance Française de Houston. Houston-based French alumni were invited to enjoy apéro, pétanque as well as a drink or two.
Here are some pictures from the event:
On the picture: Patrice Brossard (Bo 195), left, with other alumni participating in the event
On the picture: Gadz'Arts Benjamin Miserere (Me 210), Jean Christophe Allais (Ai 192), Guillaume Plessis (An 188) and Emmanuel Ricolfi (CentraleSupelec)
On the picture: Gauthier Aubert (Paris Dauphine), Gadz'Arts Nathanael Dieu (Ch 215), Marie Bollen (CentraleSupelec) and Gadz'Arts Benjamin Miserere (Me 210)
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AFAM: Hello, Sébastien, and thank you for participating in this interview series. Please tell us a few words about yourself. What are you doing today at DRW, the company you work for, and what is this company about?
Sébastien: At DRW, my role is to step in when there’s complexity to coordinate — whether it’s a large-scale enterprise application or a project spanning multiple teams with tricky technical and business challenges. In short: I bring structure and help deliver results. The variety is what I enjoy most. One week I might be rolling out a procurement system, the next working on onboarding tools to meet crypto regulations, or supporting the deployment of ultra‑low‑latency technology in a market exchange. Most recently, I’ve been coordinating our AI transformation program.
As for DRW itself: it’s a privately held trading firm headquartered in Chicago, with offices worldwide, including New York. Known for its leadership in quantitative trading and crypto, DRW is also active in venture capital and real estate. What makes DRW unique is how it combines deep market expertise with cutting‑edge technology. For me, the best part is being surrounded by such bright minds that I often feel like the happy idiot in the room — which keeps me humble and constantly learning.
AFAM: prior to your position in DRW, you worked for a quantitative trading firm and earlier for two banks: BNP Paribas and Societé Generale.You started working for BNP Paribas in Paris and then in NYC where you are residing now. Please tell us, how come that just a couple of years after you graduated from Arts et Metiers, you joined the bank? Was it your career plan to work in the banking sector?
Sébastien: Honestly, it wasn’t planned. When I graduated from Arts et Métiers in 2001, it was the peak of the dot‑com bubble. Everyone wanted to do web development, and I was no different. I started as a consultant on web applications and had multiple offers before I even officially graduated. I thought I’d be heading straight into tech.
But my first real assignment ended up being with BNP Paribas. At first, I was skeptical — I thought banks would be less interesting from a technology perspective. My manager convinced me to give it six months, and if I didn’t like it, I could switch. I ended up loving it. I discovered a whole world I hadn’t imagined, and it taught me to stay open to unexpected opportunities. Sometimes you just have to let the wind take you somewhere new.
AFAM: What do you think is the best way or one of the ways to start in finance, especially for our students at Arts et Metiers with a major focus on mechanical and industrial engineering?
Sébastien: The traditional route is to add a master’s degree in finance on top of your engineering diploma. That typically leads to roles like quantitative analyst, risk management, or business analyst.
My path was different, less conventional. I came in from the technology side and picked up finance on the job. As generalist engineers, we’re well suited to adapt and bridge the gap between business and development. Good entry points include project management, analysis roles, application support, or change management. It’s really about applying the same skills we use in industrial contexts — understanding workflows and organizational politics, and mastering business concepts and technology. It’s also about translating needs between groups and coordinating them — just in a finance environment.
And let's not underestimate networking. Nurture connections with people working in finance and stay open to opportunities. I wouldn’t be where I am without friends who connected me to the right people at the right time, and I’m very grateful to them.
AFAM: AI poses a challenge and thread to financial engineering and trading. What are your thoughts on this? How do you adjust to the new reality and what would you like to advise to young engineers, in particular Arts et Metiers students, willing to enter the financial industry today?
Sébastien: I’m closely involved in this, as I was recently put in charge of coordinating the AI transformation program at DRW. I don’t see AI as a threat but certainly as a beast we need to tame. There’s a lot of hype, and we’ve all seen headlines about companies replacing entire teams with AI. On the ground, though, the reality is more nuanced. The technology has huge potential, but it’s not reliable - at least not yet. Recent studies suggest over 90% of AI initiatives are failing to deliver real value. Common pitfalls include the non‑deterministic nature of AI, inadequate data, poor prompting, and weak context. On top of that, many initiatives are launched out of pure hype or FOMO rather than real business needs.
That said, I’m very bullish on AI. It will become a real competitive edge for companies, and careers will follow the same trend. Those who are comfortable with the technology will be better prepared for future opportunities.
For young engineers: get familiar with AI. Learn the basics, practice prompt engineering, build agents, experiment with automation and retrieval‑augmented generation, even try fine‑tuning. But don’t lose sight of your broader role. As Arts et Métiers engineers, we are natural connectors — linking users, business, technology, and AI specialists around use cases where AI *could* bring value. And I say *could* because the risks of failure are high — which is why pragmatic, generalist engineers like us are so valuable.
AFAM: how did being a Gadz help you in your international career in finance?
Sébastien: For me, it started in Paris, where I spent seven years learning the job before being offered the chance to lead and coordinate the North America platform on the same technology. My international career wasn’t planned; it grew naturally from being ready to take the opportunity when it came.
For others aiming to go international, a few things can help. Additional credentials abroad — like a master’s or a semester at a foreign university — can open doors. A key differentiator is your network. Knowing people abroad makes it far easier. Companies rarely hand out visas without good reason; it’s costly and complicated. Associations like AFAM are also a great resource — thanks to Albina for making it work!
(AFAM’s note: obviously big thanks go not only to Albina (AFAM community manager) but to all the Gadz’Arts volunteers who serve on AFAM board, AFAM committees, as well as to our Gadz groups representatives, Shasta mentors and donors.)
AFAM: you live in New York City. What do you enjoy most about it outside of your work?
Sébastien: I love New York’s energy. It’s never boring, and so many people are here by choice, chasing their dreams — that gives the city a real kick. Cultural diversity is just as important. My family is multiracial with roots on three continents, and the city feels like the perfect synthesis of that richness. Between museums, concerts, and hidden restaurants, there’s always something new to explore. It’s also a wonderful place to meet people and raise curious minds. It truly is a land of opportunities.
AFAM: Thank you for your time, Sébastien!
Photo: courtesy of Sébastien
Other interviews in "Financial Engineering" series:
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