Etienne Lanoes, Class of 2019

Can you describe your academic and professional background?

I came from a secondary school in Haute Normandie and entered Sciences Po after my baccalauréat in economics and social studies, via the Convention d'Éducation Prioritaire (CEP). After two years on the Paris campus and a year as an exchange student in Chile, I joined the School of Public Affairs in 2019 to study for the Master in Public Policy, in the Security and Defence policy stream. I seized the opportunity to do my second year as a work-study student at MBDA, a leading European group in the development and manufacture of missile systems. The apprenticeship contract offered me a number of advantages: integration into the professional world, a source of money to finish my studies, and above all the chance to discover the world of the private sector and the defence industry ecosystem. After three years working in MBDA's International Trade Compliance department, I joined Airbus' Ethics and Compliance department in 2022, within the legal department. 

What are the main features of your current position as Export Control Manager at Airbus Helicopters?

As part of Airbus Helicopters' Ethics and Compliance legal division, I'm responsible for ensuring that commercial activities comply with national and international regulations. States have put in place a vast body of law to govern international trade and ensure, among other things, that weapons of mass destruction are not used, conventional weapons are not disseminated, corruption is prevented and sensitive technological know-how is kept confidential. Defence companies must therefore comply with international law (Arms Trade Treaty, Chemical Weapons Convention, Missile Technology Control Regime, etc.) and national regulations (war material export controls, customs regulations, anti-corruption regulations, etc.). Within the company, I ensure that laws and regulations are properly applied, provide legal advice to the various departments (sales, engineers, logistics, etc.), and report to the various government control bodies on behalf of the company. 

What do you see as your next challenges?

After improving my expertise in this very specific regulatory field, my next challenge would be to create my own training and consultancy company in this area. At the same time, I'm keeping in mind the idea of trying my hand at other responsibilities in the civil service, via administrative competitions or other career paths.

How has your training at the School of Public Affairs, and more specifically the Security and Defence stream, contributed to the position you hold today?

The School of Public Affairs has been a great help in my entry into the professional world, thanks to the opportunity offered by the apprenticeship. In addition to a tailored timetable, Sciences Po offers specific, professionalising courses for students in apprenticeship, such as courses in using the Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and accounting management. The common ground of the School of Public Affairs is also a considerable asset for understanding the administrative and regulatory environment in which private players in the sector operate, as well as for my role as liaison between manufacturers and public control bodies (Direction Générale de l'Armement, Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects, Etat-Major des Armées, US Department of State, etc.). It's also an academic background that I hope will enable me to develop professionally in both the public and private sectors. 

Would you have any advice for a student or future graduate?

Sciences Po does not prepare you for a specific professional career, so don't necessarily compare yourself to the success stories of others and take advantage of the multidisciplinary nature of the School to follow a path that suits you and build a project that is unique to you.  

Learn more

• The Master in Public Policy at the School of Public Affairs
• The Security and Defence stream at the School of Public Affairs
• Apprenticeships at the School of Public Affairs