Appointments of the new IHES Secretary General and Director of Communication and Development

Press release – June 2, 2025

Claire Lenz is appointed Secretary General of IHES, effective June 1, 2025. She will report to Emmanuel Ullmo, Director of the Institute.

Since 2020, Claire Lenz has held the position of Director of Development and Communications at the Institute. Prior to this, she held a number of positions at École Polytechnique. As Deputy Director of Communications from 2012 to 2016, she was in charge of press relations and digital communications, before developing the school’s international communications strategy. From 2016 to 2020, she directed École polytechnique’s new Bachelor’s program, from its launch to the graduation of its first students.

A graduate of the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris and holder of a master’s degree in modern literature, she also held communications positions with Société Générale from 2006 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, she lived in Chicago, where she taught at the Lycée Français while conducting marketing support missions for the University of Chicago.

Kristina Lutsik, Deputy Director of Development and Communications, succeeds Claire Lenz in her duties, effective June 1, 2025. She will report to Emmanuel Ullmo, Director of IHES, and Claire Lenz, Secretary General.

Prior to joining IHES in 2023, Kristina Lutsik held several positions at École Polytechnique. From 2015 to 2019, she was notably in charge of international communications and the promotion of École polytechnique’s international programs. From 2019 to 2023, she was responsible for international development in Europe, and from 2021, she was in charge of the international development division.

With a degree in journalism from Russia’s Peoples’ Friendship University and a master’s in literary studies from the University of Porto, she also holds an MBA in digital communications from ESG Paris. After several academic experiences abroad, she moved to France in 2013, where she has worked in communications, notably at the Paris International agency and within the Ipsen group.