Henri PAILLERE
Head, Planning and Economic Studies Section
Vienna
Summary
Accomplished professional with a successful history in management across economic development, clean energy, and sustainable development sectors. Utilizing diplomatic skills, technical expertise, and extensive experience from roles in international organizations like OECD/NEA and UN/IAEA. Boasting a robust network of energy and climate experts, policymakers, industry leaders, and regulators. Demonstrated leadership as Head of Planning and Economic Studies Section at IAEA, overseeing Energy, Economic, and Environmental analysis initiatives while excelling in capacity building for energy planning and modeling. Proficient in managing R&D projects within the energy industry and nuclear R&D field with bilingual proficiency in English/French.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
8
8
years of post-secondary education
4
4
Languages
Work History
Head, Planning and Economic Studies Section
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
02.2020 - Current
- Managing a staff of about 20 professionals working on Energy, Economic and Environmental (3E) analysis, and on supporting Member States in capacity building in energy planning (focus on Global South, regional projects in Africa, Latin America, Asia), clean energy transitions, decarbonization of hard to abate sectors, climate resilience, socio-economic aspects of energy transitions.
- Scientific secretariat for the Technical Working Group on Nuclear Power in Low Carbon Energy Systems.
- Contribution to the UN High Level Dialogue on Energy, following and contributing to Technical Working Groups, organizing events at COP26, COP27, COP28, COP29, G20 Energy Transition Working Group (Brazil in 2024, South Africa in 2025), IAEA General Conference, organization of 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power etc.
- Collaboration with WMO, IEA, UN Economic Commissions – including on climate resilience of energy system.
- Mobilizing Extrabudgetary Funding from Member States (US, France, Russia, Japan, China..), Industry, IFIs (ADB, IDB).
- Supporting DDGO and DGO through briefing notes on request.
- Oversaw as Section Head the publication of Climate Change and Nuclear Power 2020, Nuclear Energy for a Net Zero World and Climate Change and Nuclear Power 2022, and the latest edition, Climate Change and Nuclear Power 2024: Financing Nuclear Energy in Low Carbon Transitions, as well as the successive editions of the Agency’s nuclear capacity projections for 2050 (2020 to 2024).
- Participated in over 25 webinars as invited speaker between 2020 and 2024.
- Provided a briefing on Small Modular Reactors to EBRD Board of Directors, 5 October 2023.
- Member of the UN Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET).
- Regular reviewer of IEA reports.
- Organized events at Clean Energy Ministerial CEM-15 in Brazil 'Financing Nuclear Projects for a Just Transition' and at COP29 on financing, including UN Side Event 'Financing the Low Carbon Energy Transition in Asia and the Pacific'.
Deputy Head for Technology Development
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
06.2018 - Current
- Coordination of NEA work on nuclear technology and economics, Head of Technical Secretariat for international projects (Generation IV Int. Forum GIF, International Framework Nuclear Energy Cooperation, IFNEC).
- Acting head / Deputy Head, liaising with member countries.
- Managing staff team, objectives & mid-term and yearly reviews.
- Supporting 14-member international R&D initiative for advanced reactor systems – GIF with its 11 R&D projects, 3 methodology working groups (including on risk and safety, proliferation resistance and physical protection and economics) - (managing secretariat team of 12 people, 1M€ budget), reporting including financial reporting (expenditures and budgets), presentations in various fora.
- Cooperation with research labs from Canada, China, Europe, France, Japan, Korea, Russia, US, UK.
- Organise large scientific events, such as the 4th GIF Symposium (Oct 2018, 300 participants).
- Supporting 65-member IFNEC fora, with work on infrastructure development, back-end fuel cycle, supplier/customer engagement, financing, SMRs.
- Managing 0.5M€ budget with contributions from USA, China, Japan, France, Poland, Argentina.
- Organisation of conferences and large international meetings.
Senior Energy Analyst
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
09.2011 - 03.2017
- Leading technical-economic projects on nuclear & climate change, cogeneration, role of nuclear energy in low carbon scenarios.
- Head of GIF Technical Secretariat (from 2014) and IFNEC Technical Secretariat (from 2015).
- Lead secretariat for the study Climate Change: Assessment of the Vulnerability of Nuclear Power Plants and Approaches for their Adaptation.
- Lead author Nuclear Energy Today, co-organiser NEA/IAEA COP21 side event.
- Lead author IEA/NEA Nuclear Technology Roadmap, with the organisation of three international workshops (in Paris and Hong Kong) involving experts from governments, industry (vendors and utilities), regulators.
- Responsible for the overall coordination of the extension of the Generation IV International Forum Framework Agreement (treaty) involving governments, legal experts.
- Supported the process of Australia joining the GIF.
- Coordinated publication of GIF Annual Reports.
Nuclear R&D Program Manager
Alstom Power
02.2009 - 09.2011
- Managed R&D project for Alstom’s Nuclear Business Products (Heat Exchanger, Pumps, Emergency Diesel Generators), and advanced Power Conversion System R&D.
- Managed R&D programmes and budgets (3-4 M€), including related to new build projects, reporting to Programme Director and Product Line (PL) Managers, implementation of the company’s product development quality (PDQ) programme.
- Negotiated R&D budgets with PL managers, conducted project reviews according to PDQ process.
- Represented Nuclear R&D in the Corporate R&D fora, innovation and advanced technologies.
- Set up cooperation projects with MIT and Technical Universities in Switzerland.
- Participated in the negotiation between Alstom and French Atomic Energy Commission to develop an advanced power conversion system for the sodium-cooled fast reactor ASTRID prototype (technical, financial and intellectual property aspects).
European Program Manager
French Atomic Energy Commission
01.2007 - 02.2009
- Managed bilateral relations between CEA and other European nuclear laboratories, and helped set up the European R&D Platform 'Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform'.
- Coordinated CEA proposals for funding under the EU Euratom Framework Programme (co-funding).
- Set up bilateral meetings involving CEA Director and Executives from European research laboratories (in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Poland, UK).
- Convened representatives of SNETP consisting of representatives of over 40 organisations (utilities, vendors, regulators, research organisation and academia) to discuss common R&D objectives and milestones.
- Edited SNETP’s Vision Report.
- Edited SNETP’s Strategic Research Agenda.
Research Engineer, Project Manager and Head of Research Laboratory
French Atomic Energy Commission
01.1995 - 12.2006
- Managed laboratory’s budget (funding from external sources including from French Technical Support Organisation IRSN, EU projects, and other institutions).
- Managed team of 20 people including research engineers, technicians and assistant.
- Supervised several PhDs or post-docs in the area of two-phase flow modelling, containment thermal-hydraulics.
- Work on nuclear safety, severe accidents, hydrogen mitigation (modelling, experiments, international benchmark problems) and containment leakages.
- Developed research projects in non-nuclear fields, related to safety of hydrogen as an energy carrier (vehicles transport).
- Participation in several EU projects (ex. HYSAFE).
- Work on thermal-hydraulics of advanced reactors.
- Projects with IRSN French Institute for Nuclear Safety and Radioprotection.
- Publications in conferences and international journals.
Education
Ph.D. - Computational Fluid Dynamics
Universite Libre De Bruxelles – Von Karman Institute For Fluid Dynamics
09.1991 - 07.1995
Master of Science - Aerospace Engineering
University of Michigan
09.1990 - 07.1991
Diploma of Engineer -
Ecole Nationale Superieure De Techniques Avancees (ENSTA)
09.1988 - 07.1991
Skills
Positive interpersonal skills
Collaborative teamwork
Effective team management
Clear interpersonal communication
Dependable and responsible
Personal Information
Nationality: French
Timeline
Head, Planning and Economic Studies Section
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
02.2020 - Current
Deputy Head for Technology Development
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
06.2018 - Current
Senior Energy Analyst
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
09.2011 - 03.2017
Nuclear R&D Program Manager
Alstom Power
02.2009 - 09.2011
European Program Manager
French Atomic Energy Commission
01.2007 - 02.2009
Research Engineer, Project Manager and Head of Research Laboratory
French Atomic Energy Commission
01.1995 - 12.2006
Ph.D. - Computational Fluid Dynamics
Universite Libre De Bruxelles – Von Karman Institute For Fluid Dynamics
09.1991 - 07.1995
Master of Science - Aerospace Engineering
University of Michigan
09.1990 - 07.1991
Diploma of Engineer -
Ecole Nationale Superieure De Techniques Avancees (ENSTA)
09.1988 - 07.1991
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