About the Speaker

Rear Admiral Jean-Mathieu Rey, who is currently serving in the French Naval Headquarters in Paris, is the Head of International Affairs of the French Navy. He began his illustrious naval career as an engineer, having graduated from the prestigious French Naval Academy. He went on to graduate from the Higher Command and Staff Course in the United Kingdom, incorporating a Master’s degree from King’s College, London. and underwent equivalent courses in France — Le Centre des Hautes Études Militaires (CHEM) and was a member of the 68th course of the globally renowned Institute of Higher Studies of National Defence — L’Institut des Hautes Etudes de Défense Nationale (IHEDN).

The admiral has served the French Navy with great distinction for the past 30 years-plus, and over this period, has led operational teams, including those of the French Special Forces, and has enjoyed seagoing command of French warships on as many three occasions. In the process, he has garnered a formidable degree of experience of matters maritime and nuances naval within the Indo-Pacific. Indeed, prior to his present assignment, he was the French Joint commander of the Asia-Pacific Zone, and was responsible for French security interests in the Indo-Pacific — an area of the world that is rapidly growing in both, importance and complexity, largely (but not solely) as a result of the US-China strategic competition and the ensuing militarisation of the Indo-Pacific region. He has been the Director of Operations for the French Carrier Battle Group centred upon the aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle and has led the multinational development of the Horizon Class anti-air destroyer, the Forbin. He is no stranger to the world of diplomacy, having been deputed to the French Foreign Ministry as the adviser for security and defence cooperation in Asia and South America.