Admiral Bernard Rogel, patron of the Master’s degree in Geopolitics and Business
Five-star admiral, Chief of Naval Staff from 2011 to 2016, Admiral Bernard Rogel, an expert in defence and international strategy issues, has been appointed patron of the MSc in Geopolitics and Business at Rennes School of Business.
An exceptional career in the service of the State
Bernard Rogel is a French admiral, specialist in nuclear deterrence and submarine operations, who has commanded three nuclear submarines and whose career embodies military excellence in the service of the State. Chief of Staff of the Navy from 2011 to 2016, then strategic advisor to Presidents Hollande and Macron as Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic (2016–2020), he has been at the heart of France’s major defence decisions. Between conducting military operations and the highest echelons of power, he embodies a demanding, lucid and committed vision of our national defence. He has described his experience in his book “Un marin à l’Elysée” (A Sailor at the Elysée) (Tallandier 2023).
Strategic expertise with high academic value
Throughout his career, Admiral Rogel has led and supported key strategic responsibilities:
- At the head of 39,000 sailors, he led a profound restructuring and modernisation of the French Navy during a period of strategic upheaval.
- He has been responsible for the strategic conduct of French joint operations in several overseas theatres of operation (Afghanistan, Libya, the Indian Ocean, Ivory Coast, etc.).
- He is spearheading the rise of the armed forces’ cyber command.
- He is responsible for nuclear and maritime issues, military intelligence and proliferation, as well as monitoring external military operations.
“I encourage students to work on constantly reviewing models, to have the will to progress and to take measured risks. The only thing we cannot succeed at is what we have not attempted.’ ‘Thinking outside the box is important for challenging learned or created models. The world is changing fast, and thinking outside the box sometimes allows us to verify that these models are still valid.”
Admiral Bernard Rogel, 16 September 2025 at Rennes School of Business
A major asset for the MSc in Geopolitics and Business
The appointment of Admiral Rogel as patron of the MSc in Geopolitics and Business reflects Rennes School of Business’s desire to offer its students an education rooted in international realities and contemporary issues. His expertise, forged at the crossroads of operational command and the highest decision-making bodies, offers students a unique insight into the interactions between geopolitics, strategy and business.
In line with the programme’s ambition to prepare future decision-makers capable of navigating complex environments, his role as patron will provide concrete and inspiring insight into the strategic challenges shaping the global economy.
Present at the school on 16 September 2025 to inaugurate this exceptional sponsorship, Admiral Rogel gave a lecture to students of the MSc in Geopolitics and Business on the theme: “Geostrategic challenges: a time of disruption”.
