Two new members elected to the Senior Staff Consultative Committee (“The Nine”) in 2026
Jean-Paul Burnet (Beams Department) and Benjamin Couturier (Experimental Physics Department) are the two new elected members of the Senior Staff Consultative Committee, also known as The Nine. The electronic voting process closed at midnight on Sunday, 23 August 2026. Their terms of office will run from September 2026 to August 2029, replacing the outgoing members […]
In 2026, CERN added two new members to its Senior Staff Consultative Committee, colloquially referred to as "The Nine." The election process closed on Sunday, 23 August, and the new members will serve until August 2029, replacing the outgoing members Sophie Baron and Giovanna Vandoni. Jean-Paul Burnet from the Beams Department and Benjamin Couturier from the Experimental Physics Department were elected.
The committee's role since its inception in 1981 has been to provide a channel of communication between senior staff and the Director-General, offering advice on scientific activities, organizational matters, and resource allocation. This year, Thorsten Wengler from the Experimental Physics Department was appointed as the spokesperson for one year, beginning in September 2026.
The committee consists of nine members, each elected for three-year terms, and they aim to advise on various topics including the scope of industrial partnerships, graduate hiring schemes, and reducing administrative load. They encourage contributions and welcome feedback on topics to be investigated throughout the year. The committee meets every Tuesday, from 12.15 to 1.45 p.m., and invites community members to present their topics during the initial part of the meeting.
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