Pascal Breton’s geoscience credentials, e.g., a globally recognised borehole seismic expert and former EAGE secretary-treasurer, belie his current role managing TotalEnergies’ rugby sponsorship programme, not to mention continuing involvement in the NGO he co-founded 27 years ago in Manila to support homeless city kids.
Small village start
I grew up in a small town in the Sarthe region of western France. My father was a truck driver, my mother worked in a spinning mill, and few young people around me pursued higher education. In the early 1980s, I became one of the town’s first engineering graduates. After a two-year DEUG in mathematics and physics in Le Mans, I left to study geosciences engineering at the Institut de Physique du Globe in Strasbourg. I had no background in geoscience at the time but I liked the idea of a profession that would allow me to explore the world.
Oil connection
It wasn’t until I was 22 that I first went on an aeroplane! I had to fly to an oil congress in Paris to represent the school. For my final-year internship I joined the Elf Aquitaine’s research group in Pau, working on emerging techniques in petroleum geophysics. My national service proved fortuitous. I found myself serving in Tahiti for 18 months working with the CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique). The job involved research on circum-Pacific seismicity and geophysical studies of the Mururoa Atoll, still an active nuclear test site at the time.
Borehole specialist
Back home I joined Elf Aquitaine as a geophysicist in Pau, specialising in borehole seismics, an area the company was eager to expand. Our small team quickly developed a reputation for innovation, both in tool development (often in collaboration with service companies) and in data acquisition and processing workflows. Within a few years, we had earned recognition as one of the world’s leading teams globally in this field.
Sabbatical volunteer abroad
Part of me still wanted to engage with the wider world. I had begun overseas volunteering during my holidays, eventually taking a 15-month sabbatical to co-found an NGO in the Philippines called ANAK-Tnk (www.anak-tnk.org). It was created to support street children and families in the slums of Manila. The experience left a profound mark on me, and 27 years later, I’m still deeply involved. Today, the NGO supports more than 2500 children daily through the work of 230 local staff members. From France, I continue to serve as president, leading fundraising and strategic development.
Back to work
When I returned to France, Elf Aquitaine had become Total. I resumed my role as a geophysicist, this time leading a team focused on integrating advanced reservoir characterisation techniques - AVO, 4D seismic and more - into dynamic reservoir models. While technically stimulating, I began to feel restless.
A communicator is born
By chance I was offered the opportunity to manage university and school partnerships around the world presenting Total’s upstream business and metiers to students, also building partnerships with academic institutions and identifying new talent. These years were among the most rewarding of my career. It inspired me to co-author a book La faim du pétrole and give frequent talks to both students and academics on energy, human development and climate challenges. It also revealed a new passion: communication. I transitioned fully into external relations for the company’s Exploration & Production division. I also became more active in professional associations, particularly EAGE, where I served as secretary-treasurer.
Gave rugby a try
My communication role eventually led to a completely different environment: managing sports sponsorship. It began with my involvement in TotalEnergies’ local partnership with Pau’s rugby club in SW France. When the 2023 Rugby World Cup was scheduled for France, I managed to procure the job of managing the company’s major sponsorship, encouraged by our CEO Patrick Pouyanné, a rugby fan. The experience brought home that a sport like rugby, rooted in values of respect, solidarity, and community, can serve as a powerful platform for public engagement. Today, approaching retirement, I manage all the company’s rugby partnerships across France, from youth and amateur clubs to professional and national teams. Though I never played the game myself, I’ve become one of its most devoted ambassadors.
Philosophy for life
Through it all, I’ve tried to stay grounded by three constants: family, the work of ANAK-Tnk, and a love of building bridges - between people, disciplines, and cultures.
