The North Atlantic Council has appointed Mr. Sébastien Lepers as Chair of the NATO International Board of Auditors (IBAN) for a two-year mandate, effective 1 August 2025. Born in 1973 in Nouméa, New Caledonia (France), Mr. Lepers brings to this role a distinguished career in public administration, defence operations, and international auditing.
After completing academic studies in public administration and in economic and social sciences, Mr. Lepers served from 1999 to 2016 in the French Ministry of Defence, assuming responsibilities of increasing scope and complexity. His assignments covered audit, internal control, general administration, public procurement, finance and logistics, complemented by secondments abroad in support of external operations. From 2016 to 2023, he continued his professional path at the French Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), la Cour des comptes, where he conducted control, peer review and international cooperation activities. Throughout these roles, he managed the entire process of service delivery - from the design of work programmes to their operational implementation and follow-up - ensuring both rigor and efficiency.
Mr. Lepers began his career as Deputy Head of Infrastructure at Ventiseri-Solenzara Air Base 126, an advanced base in Corsica dedicated to tactical training and NATO aircraft deployments. He then served for four years as Head of administrative, financial and logistical support at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin Air Base 943. These responsibilities enabled him to develop strong leadership skills and contribute to strategic initiatives for pooling support services, while also taking part in major national operations such as the Maritime Pollution Plan (POLMAR), forest fire control under the Adapted Monitoring Module (MAS), disaster relief following the Lothar and Martin storms, and the VIGIPIRATE enhanced security system at Nice International Airport. He also participated in large-scale exercises, including OPÉRA at Creil Air Base 110 and EOLO in Portugal and Spain, and obtained specialist qualifications in explosive ordnance reconnaissance (Reco NEDEX) and in the command of measures against nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical threats (NRBC).
He subsequently served at the Central Directorate of the Air Commissariat in Paris, where he combined staff officer functions with operational deployments to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Lebanon and India. In these complex multinational environments, he successfully led administrative, financial and logistical teams, demonstrating both adaptability and authority.
In 2016, Mr. Lepers was appointed financial magistrate at the Cour des comptes, where he carried out performance, financial and jurisdictional audits in critical sectors including environment, agriculture, energy and transport. From 2018 to 2023, he held the position of Deputy Director - and twice acted as Director - of the Directorate of International Relations, External Audit and Francophonie. In this capacity, he coordinated multilateral and bilateral cooperation initiatives with prominent international organisations such as the Forum of SAIs with jurisdiction, AISCCUF, INTOSAI, EUROSAI and the EU SAI Contact Committee. His responsibilities also encompassed supporting the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, overseeing projects financed by multiple donors, and contributing to the development of international audit standards.
Mr. Lepers holds several internationally recognised professional certifications, including Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP), Certified Risk Management Assurance (CRMA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS). His extensive experience in both internal and external audit, combined with his operational expertise and managerial acumen, ensures that the IBAN will continue to operate in full alignment with the highest standards of professionalism, transparency and good governan
