The SOLEIL Council has appointed Jean Susini as Director General of the Synchrotron SOLEIL with effect from 1 September 2024.
Jean Susini joined the Synchrotron SOLEIL in April 2021 as Scientific Director for Life Sciences and to participate in the development of the SOLEIL II project.
"The Council members are very pleased to welcome Jean Susini to his new role as Director General of SOLEIL. He joins us at the start of the upgrade of the storage ring, a challenge to be addressed all the teams to transform the infrastructure into a 4th generation Synchrotron, more efficient and more sustainable, at the service of the French, European and international scientific community", said Thierry Dauxois, Chairman of the SOLEIL Council.
Jean Daillant added "I have had the pleasure of working with Jean Susini since he joined SOLEIL almost three years ago as Scientific Director in 2021. The experience he has gained at ESRF has been invaluable, particularly in organising the SOLEIL II beamlines and laboratories programme. I am delighted that he will be taking over from me next September and I am fully convinced that he will be able to guide SOLEIL II towards success”.
Jean Susini believes that "the SOLEIL II project is a technological, scientific and human adventure in which everyone's involvement will be essential. SOLEIL II is a unique opportunity not only to consolidate SOLEIL's position of excellence, but also to perpetuate the French tradition of synchrotron radiation for future generations". He added: "I would like to thank the members of the Council for their trust. The mission in the specific context of the SOLEIL II programme is not only a great honour but also a great responsibility, and I am fully aware of the commitment it entails.”
In 1989, after obtaining a PhD in chemical-physics from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, Jean Susini joined ESRF to work in the field of X-ray optics. In 1994, he managed the design and construction, then the operation, of the ID21 X-ray microscopy beamline. In 2000, the scope of his activities was extended to include the development of a hard X-ray microprobe and an infrared microscopy facility. From 2009 to 2021, he was successively Head of the Instrumentation Division and then Research Director for Life Sciences.
Jean Susini is a recognised expert in synchrotron radiation, with experience gained in particular at the ESRF from its construction through to the ESRF-EBS programme. He also sits on a number of advisory boards and scientific committees at national and international level. His main areas of interest are X-ray optics and applications of X-ray imaging and X-ray microspectroscopy techniques, with a particular interest in biomedical, environmental, and cultural heritage applications.