At the Assises de l'économie de la mer, held in La Rochelle on November 4 and 5, Sandrine Gourlet was unanimously elected president of the Union des ports de France (UPF).Sandrine Gourlet was unanimously elected president of the Union des ports de France (UPF), marking a turning point for the trade association, the voice of French port operators.

Sandrine Gourlet succeeds Jean-Pierre Chalus, taking over the reins of a key institution for the development of port infrastructures in France. A qualified engineer with 25 years' experience in transport and development for the French government and local authorities, she embodies recognized expertise and a strategic vision for the sector.

Since May 2024, she has headed the Grand Port Maritime de La Rochelle, a major asset in her new role. Her election as head of the UPF confirms the confidence placed in her ability to federate the sector's players and take up the challenges of the ecological and economic transition of French ports.

Sandrine Gourlet will not be alone at the helm. She can count on the support of two vice-presidents: Benoît Rochet, Chairman of Haropa Port, and Christine Rosso, Director of Toulon Ports and Concessions. Together, they will form a complementary trio, combining experience, innovation and territorial roots.

This appointment comes at a particularly dynamic time for the maritime sector. The Assises de l'économie de la mer, organized in La Rochelle, are an opportunity to reflect on future challenges: decarbonization of transport, modernization of infrastructures, attractiveness of French ports internationally. Sandrine Gourlet and her team will have a central role to play in all these areas.