Philippe ERRERA

About Philippe ERRERA

Philippe Errera is currently Group Executive Vice-President, International Development and Government Relations at Safran, a role also described by Safran as Director Group, International Development and Institutional Relations. He joined the company in 2023 and serves on the Executive Committee, where he contributes to the group’s international outreach, public affairs strategy and institutional relations. In a global aerospace and defence leader, this position is central to managing sovereign issues, strategic partnerships and relations with public authorities across key markets. Before joining Safran, Errera built an extensive career as a senior French civil servant and diplomat. He began in 1996 at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working in the area of common foreign and security policy. From 1998 to 2003, he served at the French Embassy in Washington as counsellor in charge of politico-military affairs, gaining early exposure to transatlantic strategic issues. He then served as deputy director of the Policy Planning Center from 2003 to 2006, followed by a position as deputy director for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament in 2006-2007. These assignments gave him deep expertise in international security, defence policy and arms control. He later moved into top-level diplomatic leadership roles. From 2007 to 2010, he served as adviser and then chief of staff to the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was Ambassador and Permanent Representative to NATO from 2011 to 2013, before joining the Ministry of Defence as Director of Strategic Affairs in 2013. In 2015, he became the first Director General for International Relations and Strategy at the Ministry of Defence, a role he held until 2018. In 2019, he was appointed Director General for Political and Security Affairs at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. This sequence of roles reflects substantial experience in geopolitics, negotiation, and the coordination of sensitive state-level priorities. A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and the École Nationale d’Administration, Errera brings to Safran a rare combination of diplomatic credibility, strategic judgment and public-sector leadership. For a company operating in highly regulated, international and defence-adjacent environments, his background supports the group’s ability to engage stakeholders, advance international development and manage complex institutional relationships with credibility and precision.