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Jean Pierson Leadership Award 2025
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At the Foundation’s 2026 Awards Evening, we announced the winners of the Jean Pierson Leadership Award, without revealing the details. Today’s article echoes thenews published in April 2025 on the occasion of the launch of the 4ᵉ edition of the prize: today we devote an article dedicated to those who embody, through their career paths and vision, the spirit of leadership conveyed by Jean Pierson, former Airbus executive.
A living legacy: Jean Pierson’s vision
Created in 2022 as a tribute to him, the Jean Pierson Leadership Award recognizes ISAE-SUPAERO students at the end of their studies for their leadership skills and ability to bring people together. From 2025 onwards, it will be divided into 3 prizes. Graduates in 2025 and present on February 19, the 3 winners of this edition were able to express themselves and thank donors and juries.
The awards were presented by two personalities committed to the Foundation: Michael Murphy, Head of Heritage at Airbus, and Nordine Ouabdesselam, one of the Prize’s initiators and a member of the jury.
In his introduction, Michael Murphy recalled the scope of Jean Pierson’s legacy:
“Jean Pierson is important when talking about leadership, because without the period during which he was head of the Airbus GIE, the company would not be what it is today. His vision, his tenacity, his strength and his personality: that’s what’s interesting about him. It’s not just technical ability that makes a good leader, it’s his ability to get people on board. The awards presented tonight honor him through you, the next generations: the next leaders of our industry.”
A powerful message, underlining that leadership is about more than individual performance : it’s about training, inspiring and transforming collectively. Taking his turn to speak, Nordine Ouabdesselam praised the quality of the candidates:
“ Thank you for taking us on a journey with your projects. This is the 4thᵉ edition of this prize, and each time it’s exciting discoveries we make. I would also like to add a word from the American donors, headed by John Leahy: they send you their encouragement to continue, explore and federate around your convictions.”
1st Prize: Noelia Bascones González,
the courage to invent the future
Winner of the 1st Prize, Noelia Bascones González embodies scientific, human and visionary leadership. She stands out for her ability to overcome obstacles with a positive attitude and a deep sense of listening. Her experiences, notably her internship on the Speak Out project at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and her research project at ISAE-SUPAERO, have reinforced her ambition to develop Brain -Computer Interfaces for medical and aerospace engineering.
Noelia’s values are empathy, perseverance and honesty. A talented violinist often called upon to play the role of orchestral principal soloist, she has learned to coordinate, listen and create harmony within a collective; a metaphor she also applies to scientific research. Moved, she confided at the ceremony:
“This year, I finished my master’s degree, and when I started, I never imagined I’d end up here with my fellow students. Receiving this award is the realization of a dream, because it shows that we represent the mindset that Jean Pierson had. You have to have the courage to fight for your ideas, be disciplined to achieve your goals.
As for this prize, it will enable me to set up my own company. Because after my research project at ISAE-SUPAERO and my internship at the Institut Pasteur, I realized that I wanted to develop a project on Brain-Computer Interfaces, to apply it to medicine but also to aerospace engineering. I want to be part of this future, THE future. Thank you for helping me along the way.”
The prize will help him acquire equipment for his research and launch his entrepreneurial project in the field of brain-machine interfaces.
2nd prize: Jules Cœuillet,
linking worlds and commitment
Nominated by his peers for his recognized leadership qualities, Jules Cœuillet has distinguished himself through his commitment to institutions, associations and the environment. Class delegate, event organizer, active member of clubs, president of SUPAERO 4 Earth, communicator for the Ouverture Sociale Étudiante program: Jules has always sought to create links between student communities, the administration and external partners. He has also spearheaded ambitious inter-institutional projects, such as the creation of a course on the geopolitics of space, in collaboration with Sciences Po, involving high-level speakers.
His leadership is based less on innate traits than on values: the connection between people, a sense of responsibility and a willingness to return the trust received. He also claims a strong sensitivity to ecological issues, which he sees as structuring his generation. In his speech, he spontaneously and sincerely shared:
“I’d like to thank the Foundation, the jury, the school and its students, because I’ve spent the best years of my life at ISAE-SUPAERO. To the first-year students: make the most of every moment spent on these benches, you won’t regret it. Get involved. It’s hard to feel deserving of a leadership award at 24, but if it’s a testament to your commitment and what you’ve been able to bring to others, then I receive it with humility and a great deal of gratitude. Finally, you are, and we are, a generation that has a duty to make the ecological imperative its own. The challenge is great in aviation, as elsewhere. But there are many things to do; and I wish you as much meaning and joy in your career as you will find in this fine school.”
Jules is now working in the energy sector. He plans to use the prize to support other students and finance his participation in academic programs of excellence, as a continuation of his commitment.
3rd prize: Jean Porcher,
federating to transform
A graduate of the Aerospace Engineering Master’s program, Jean Porcher was nominated by his peers and teachers for his ability to turn ambition into collective success. Founder of the TLS’e Racing (Toulouse Racing) team at ISAE-SUPAERO, he rallied over 60 students around an ambitious goal: to design and race a Formula Student car. Under his impetus, the club was structured around rigorous project management methodologies, a sustained work rhythm and a genuine team spirit. As a result, for its first participation in Formula Student UK (FSUK) 2024, the team finished first among the new teams and won first prize in the “Concept Class”.
Jean bases his leadership on three key values: respect, trust and communication. Inspired by figures of innovation and his grandfather’s entrepreneurial journey, he makes a point of creating an inclusive, motivating and demanding environment. In his speech, he recalled the personal impact of the Prize:
“As the founder of TLS’e Racing, it’s a pleasure to see that the next generation, the 2026 team, has won a scholarship this year. Last year, I was in the audience when the Leadership Award was presented, and it was a great inspiration to me. I pushed to help the club achieve more. Thank you to the Foundation and the jury. These awards are a real recognition of what we do and push us to go beyond our limits. If I can pass on one message: dare and push your limits; explore and come up with innovative ideas.”
He plans to use the prize to finance the creation of his first company, focused on innovation in artificial intelligence applied to fluid mechanics, particularly in turbine design.
Encouraging those who dare
Through Noelia Bascones González, Jules Cœuillet and Jean Porcher, the Jean Pierson Leadership Award highlightsthree complementary forms of leadership: entrepreneurial, institutional and scientific. Three different paths, one common thread: the ability to lead others, to transform challenges into opportunities, and to frame one’s actions within a long-term vision.
In keeping with the spirit of Jean Pierson, the award not only recognizes achievements, but also encourages personalities capable ofblazing new trails , courageously and responsibly shaping thefuture of our industry and our society. More than just an award, this prize is a reminder that leadership is above all a mindset to dare, to unite and to act for the collective.