BERNARD CHARLES

About BERNARD CHARLES

Bernard Charlès is one of the most influential French corporate leaders in software, engineering, and industrial innovation. According to Dassault Systèmes’ official biography, he served as Chief Executive Officer from 1995 to 2022, then as Chairman & CEO in 2023, and became Executive Chairman in January 2024. On February 21, 2026, the company announced that he had stepped down from his Executive Chairman and board member roles for personal reasons, while Pascal Daloz was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Charlès has an engineering and scientific background that strongly shaped his leadership style. He graduated from École Normale Supérieure de Cachan and holds a PhD in mechanical engineering, with a focus on automation engineering and information science. Dassault Systèmes also notes that he earned the agrégation, France’s highest teaching qualification in his discipline. This academic foundation helped him develop a long-term industrial vision built around simulation, digital continuity, and the idea that virtual technologies can transform real-world production. At Dassault Systèmes, Charlès was a driving force behind some of the company’s most important strategic and technological milestones. He helped shape the development of digital mock-up, product lifecycle management, and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, turning the group into a global leader in virtual universes for industry. Under his leadership, Dassault Systèmes broadened its reach far beyond aerospace and defense into life sciences, healthcare, construction, consumer goods, and other industrial sectors. His leadership is widely associated with continuous innovation, disciplined transformation, and the ability to combine research, software, and industrial execution. He promoted a multidisciplinary model that connected scientific excellence with business growth, while supporting international expansion and long-term strategic partnerships. In recent years, his vision has increasingly centered on industrial AI and the generative economy, reinforcing his reputation as a forward-looking executive who helped redefine how major companies design, simulate, and manufacture products. With more than 43 years of industry experience, Bernard Charlès remains a reference point in French corporate governance and technology leadership.