From a support role to technical assignments
After graduating from the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne in 2004, Anne Decroix began her career as a Methods manager on the site of Le Mourillon, in a completely different field to the specialisation she took in the final year of her studies. She deployed the new Whole Warship design process on surface vessel and submarine programs for three years, acquiring a multi-site vision and discovering the wide range of roles within Naval Group.
Curious to find out more about the main activity at Le Mourillon, she moved into the software field and became a functional integrator for the FREMM program at the Shore Integration Facility in Saint-Mandrier.
In 2010, she joined the Barracuda program as a Deputy Interface Manager and moved into technical management. She gained experience and skills in this field by working alongside the Combat System Architect, which then led her to hold the position of Deputy Combat System Architect for the Barracuda program from 2012 to 2017.
Project manager
“I was then offered the position of Combat System Program Package Manager (PPM) for Suffren,” Anne continues. “The stakes were high because the role involved managing the completion of the combat system and coordinating the tests carried out both at the shore integration facility in Toulon and on board the ship at the Cherbourg shipyard. For four intense years, I managed a team spread over two sites, interfacing with multiple stakeholders while maintaining an overview of the entire program. You can’t imagine how much I learned!”
After an interlude working as a delegated PPM on the third-generation nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SNLE 3G) program in 2021, Anne took on the role of Combat System PPM for the SNLE 2G program from 2022 to 2025. She managed a team of about fifty employees responsible for developments to SNLE 2G vessels’ combat system during their maintenance periods.
“I was really well supported every time I took on new responsibilities,” she says. “You just need to dare to follow your desires and chart your own path as the group offers so many opportunities!”
A management position that’s anything but routine
On 1 February 2025, Anne became Director of Industrial and Technical Management at the SMC Department. This cross-functional position includes industrial management responsibilities, such as managing the workload schedule, investments, subcontracting and program milestones. It also involves technical aspects including R&D monitoring and technical expertise, all tied to performance and improvement measures. One of the major issues to be addressed in this new challenge is bringing digital transformation to the Mission and Combat Systems Department. “I’m still discovering the role, which is giving me a real boost, but I have a good understanding of how the company works and can rely on my network as I carry out my new responsibilities. It’s incredibly exciting to work on extremely complex products alongside people who are so often passionate about their work.”