Team

Julien Pestourie
SVP EDF power solutions | Director of Innovation Lab
Julien Pestourie
SVP EDF power solutions | Director of Innovation Lab

About

Julien Pestourie has been leading the EDF Innovation Lab since August 2021 and is SVP of EDF power solutions, Director of Innovation Lab. Prior to this role, Julien has held various positions at EDF since he joined in 2001, he was notably Director of the Smart Grid Department at EDF Lab in France (network development and advanced automation, quality of electricity supply and integration of new customer trends such as electric vehicles, advanced metering infrastructure, operational security, asset reliability and optimized maintenance, cybersecurity,...). He holds a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, 2001, from the Ecole Centrale Marseille, France. He later completed HEC's School of Management Executive Program in 2013. He has published multiple articles related to energy and power systems and has taught more than 600 hours in top engineering schools in France.

Lénaïg Le-Gall
Smart Grid Program Manager
Lénaïg Le-Gall
Smart Grid Program Manager

About

Lénaïg joined the EDF Innovation Lab in January 2025 as a Smart Grid Program Manager. She brings her strong experience on electric grid activities to help the team in developing its expertise in network development and modernization, DER integration, metering and communication protocols, flexibilities and new electric uses.
Prior to this role, Lénaïg has held various positions at EDF Group in France since she joined the distribution system operator Enedis in 2014. She was notably in charge of innovative smart grid projects and partnerships.
Before joining the Lab, she led the workpackage to connect Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues to the grid with the best quality of electricity supply, helping the organizing commitee in reducing carbon emissions.
She holds a Master's Degree in Science and Executive Engineering from Mines Paris and a PMP certificate from the Program Management Institute

Sena Soysal
Senior eMobility Program Manager
Sena Soysal
Senior eMobility Program Manager

About

Sena Soysal joined the EDF Innovation Lab in 2021 as the lead of the Mobility Program. Her work focuses on various topics such as EV charging infrastructure, smart charging, AV, and micro-mobility. She also supports EDF business units to accelerate the deployment of new products and services in mobility. Before this role, Sena held various positions in Turkey and the US as a researcher and consultant, particularly in sustainable energy and mobility. She holds an M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley with a focus on smart cities and a B.S. in Civil and Industrial Engineering from Bogazici University.

David Goujon
Principal Net-zero Carbon Solutions Lead
David Goujon
Principal Net-zero Carbon Solutions Lead

About

David joined EDF Innovation Lab as Principal Net-zero Carbon Solutions Lead in October 2023 where he brings his experience in reducing EDF’s customers energy consumption.
Prior to this role, David held various positions at EDF since he joined in 2008. He was lately based at the EDF’s German research institute where he managed a European Union funded project which aimed at demonstrating innovative solutions to create energy-positive city districts. During his career David has been managing multiple projects to help EDF’s customers reduce their carbon footprint.
David holds a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Polytech Lyon in France.

Heloise Pajot
Digital Senior Program Manager
Heloise Pajot
Digital Senior Program Manager

About

Héloïse Pajot joined the EDF Innovation Lab in 2023 as the Digital Innovation Lead. Her work focuses on developing research activities and managing collaborations on various Digital topics such as Blockchain, Quantum Computing, Extended Reality and Web 3. She also contributes to the Open Innovation Team to accelerate the deployment of new digital products and services.

Prior to this position, Héloïse held various positions in Europe and in the US - first as a Consultant in Digital Transformation and then as a Diplomat for the Office for Science and Technology of the Embassy of France in the US. She holds a Masters Degree in Engineering and Innovation from Telecom SudParis.

Matthieu Bancel
Senior Energy Market Analyst
Matthieu Bancel
Senior Energy Market Analyst

About

Matthieu Bancel joined the EDF Innovation Lab team in May 2023 as an Energy Market Analyst. The core of his work focuses on leveraging in-house capacity expansion modeling capabilities to perform long-term planning studies for the power sector. Matthieu has previously worked as a strategy consultant for a global firm’s US Energy Practice, advising clients across the EV charging, battery energy storage and hydrogen spaces. He is also actively involved in the Proto Ventures project at MIT, aiming at exploring current and future commercial & research opportunities across the fusion industry sector. He holds an M.Eng. in Systems Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.Sc. in Civil Engineering from ESTP Paris.

Christine Wiley
Senior Energy Market Analyst
Christine Wiley
Senior Energy Market Analyst

About

Christine Wiley joined the EDF Innovation Lab team in 2023 as an Energy Markets Analyst. Her work focuses on evaluating how evolving technologies and policies are shaping energy market trends and opportunities. Christine is interested in exploring innovative pathways towards a decarbonized energy system. Prior to her current position, Christine has experience as an energy analyst working with building energy management systems, and has conducted research on state-level policy implementation and decarbonization strategies for the electric power sector. She holds an M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in Political Science with a Minor in Environmental Systems and Society from University of California, Los Angeles.

Agathe Charny
Customer solutions and Open Innovation Analyst
Agathe Charny
Customer solutions and Open Innovation Analyst

About

Agathe is an Open Innovation Analyst at the EDF Innovation Lab. The Open Innovation initiative focuses on accelerating innovation within EDF Group’s business units by collaborating with external partners (startups, corporations and academic institutions) to develop new solutions that address specific needs or challenges. Before joining EDF, Agathe spent a year working with a French unicorn, specializing in innovative storage and EV solutions. She holds a Master's Degree in Management from HEC Paris.

Ningyu Gao
Energy Market Data Analyst
Ningyu Gao
Energy Market Data Analyst

About

Ningyu Gao is an Energy Market Data Analyst at the EDF Innovation Lab, where he uses data analytics to solve challenges in capacity markets, ancillary services, and load growth. He also provides cross-functional data support, streamlining processes and delivering data-driven insights for the lab. Before joining EDF, Ningyu interned at Tesla and Intel, optimizing logistics algorithms, and developing price forecasting tools. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Economics and a B.A. in Data Science from UC Berkeley.

Gabriel Reygrobellet
Smart Grid Analyst
Gabriel Reygrobellet
Smart Grid Analyst

About

Gabriel Reygrobellet joined the EDF Innovation Lab team in 2024 as a Smart Grid Analyst. His work focuses on leveraging data and cloud technologies to facilitate Distributed Energy Resources integration and enhance the efficiency and reliability of power grid operations.

Prior to joining the lab, Gabriel interned at the California ISO where he worked on resource adequacy & planning, and more specifically on long-term load/generation forecasting. He holds an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, and an M.S in Sustainable Energy Systems from CentraleSupélec.

Colin Vignon
Smart Grid Analyst
Colin Vignon
Smart Grid Analyst

About

I joined the EDF Innovation Lab as a Smart Grid Analyst. My work ranges from DER integration into power grids to climate change resilience and managing the supply-demand balance with high penetration of renewables.
Prior to this position, I worked as a Power Grid intern for EDF SEI in a French Caribbean island. I also developed an expertise in the European battery industry, as an analyst at the French Ministry of Economy. Finally, I developed knowledge of AI thanks to a research internship at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden.
I hold a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs and Energy from Mines de Paris.

Yucheng Liu
eMobility Analyst
Yucheng Liu
eMobility Analyst

About

Yucheng joined the EDF Innovation Lab as an eMobility Analyst, where he focuses on emerging trends and technologies in the electric mobility industry. His work includes projects on smart EV charging, autonomous vehicles, and fleet electrification.
Prior to this role, Yucheng conducted industry and equity research across various stages of the electric vehicle value chain at financial institutions. His analysis supported investment decisions related to simulation software startups and publicly listed LiDAR technology companies.
Yucheng holds a M.S. in Business Analytics from the University of Southern California and a B.S. in Management Science from the University of California, San Diego.

Maxime Ruel
Smart Grid Analyst
Maxime Ruel
Smart Grid Analyst

About

Maxime Ruel joined the EDF Innovation Lab team in 2025 as a Smart Grid Analyst. His work focuses on distributed energy resources integration, with an emphasis on grid resiliency and microgrids use cases. Maxime is particularly interested in leveraging DER, including but not limited to, photovoltaic and energy storage systems, to rethink grid architecture and improve its resiliency.
Prior to joining the lab, Maxime conducted research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where he worked on optimization models related to storage participation in energy markets. He holds an M.S. in Energy, Civil Infrastructure, and Climate from UC Berkeley, as well as an M.Eng in Sustainable Energy Systems from CentraleSupélec.

Louis Butruille
Smart Grid Analyst
Louis Butruille
Smart Grid Analyst

About

Louis Butruille joined the EDF Innovation Lab in June 2025 as part of the Energy Market Team. He initially worked on assessing the potential of Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) in the U.S. by conducting a techno-economic analysis, focusing on evaluating the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for these technologies. He also contributed to assessing the U.S. supply chain for high-voltage components.
He later joined the Smart Grid Team as an Analyst, where he focuses on opportunities for Distributed Energy Resources for commercial and industrial clients and on optimizing communication with them through DER gateways.
Louis holds an MEng in Nuclear Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MS in Electrical Engineering from CentraleSupélec.

Ketki Churi
Net-Zero Carbon Solutions Analyst
Ketki Churi
Net-Zero Carbon Solutions Analyst

About

Ketki Churi joined the EDF Innovation Lab in March 2025 as part of the Net-Zero Carbon Solutions Research Team. She combines her Master’s in Engineering Management from Cornell University and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering to deliver sharp analysis of markets such as carbon capture, hydrogen, and data center decarbonization, with a focus on the role of state and federal policy in the U.S. energy transition. Prior to EDF, drove digital transformation projects at Deloitte, led the product development of an EV Charging Station, and supported sustainable mobility research at Tata Motors Electric Mobility. She is passionate about accelerating clean energy solutions, and enjoys salsa dancing and painting outside of work.

Chris Colcord
Net-Zero Carbon Solutions Analyst
Chris Colcord
Net-Zero Carbon Solutions Analyst

About

Chris joined the Net-Zero Carbon Solutions team at the EDF Innovation Lab in June 2025. His work focuses on evaluating technology, policy, and market trends in the U.S. for industrial decarbonization, electrification, and demand flexibility. Prior to joining the team, he researched decarbonization of U.S. iron- and steelmaking at the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR) and designed heat pump systems for high-end residential construction projects for an engineering firm in the Greater Boston area. Chris holds an M.S. in Technology and Policy from MIT and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University.

Ivanna Khodyeyeva
Administrative Assistant
Ivanna Khodyeyeva
Administrative Assistant

About

Ivanna joined the EDF Innovation Lab in February 2024 as Executive Assistant. Ivanna has a very international career. After studying in Japan and Korea where she Majored in International Relations and Affairs from Yonsei University in Seoul. Ivanna worked in business management and export control for several years before moving to France for family reasons. After 10 years in France and several jobs in working in luxury retail, Ivanna and her family finally moved to California end of 2023. Ivanna speaks fluently Ukrainian, Russian, English and French and has advanced level in Japanese and Korean.

Quentin Morel
CEO & Co-founder Nexalis
Quentin Morel
CEO & Co-founder Nexalis

About

Quentin Morel joined the EDF Innovation Lab in 2020 as head of the Smart Grid and Technology Program. His work focused on the integration of renewable power plants into power grids and supporting EDF business units to accelerate the deployment of new products. In January 2025, he co-founded Nexalis from his previous research works and is now CEO of the new spin-off. Prior to those positions, Quentin held various positions in France as a project manager and senior software engineer, particularly in the fields of smart grids, data & communication and renewable energy. He holds a Masters Degree in Energy and Technology Engineering from ECE Paris.

Victor Reyes
Head of Edge Computing and Data Solutions Nexalis
Victor Reyes
Head of Edge Computing and Data Solutions Nexalis

About

Victor Reyes joined the EDF Innovation Lab team in July 2023 as a Smart Grid Engineer, focusing on innovative tools and algorithms that support the integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) into power grids. In 2025, he joined the Nexalis team as head of Edge Computing and Data Solutions Nexalis. Before joining the team, Victor worked on analyzing demand flexibility and its impact on distribution grids. Additionally, he has experience in developing commercial solar projects and conducting energy and financial models. He holds an M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in Integrated Engineering with a concentration in Sustainability from the University of San Diego.

Mehdi Badri
Head of Cloud computing Nexalis
Mehdi Badri
Head of Cloud computing Nexalis

About

Mehdi Badri joined the EDF Innovation Lab team in 2024 as the Cloud Technology Lead. His work focused on designing and testing scalable cloud-based data architectures to enhance the efficiency and integration of renewable energy systems within the industrial IoT landscape. In 2025, he joined the Nexalis team as head of Cloud computing.

Mehdi holds a Master of Engineering in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from CentraleSupélec.