A graduate of École Polytechnique and École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Matthieu Chabanel began his career in water resource management at the Agence de l’eau Seine Normandie. 

In 2006, he joined the Ministry of Transport as Deputy Director for Ports, Waterways and the Coastline, before taking over the Ports and Inland Waterways Sub-Directorate in 2008. In August 2010, he was appointed Transport, Infrastructure and Urban Planning Technical Advisor to the Prime Minister.

In April 2012, Matthieu Chabanel joined Réseau Ferré de France as Deputy Managing Director, responsible for commercial relations, regulation and network planning. 

In 2014, when SNCF Réseau was established, he became Deputy Managing Director for Maintenance and Works. In 2018, he was appointed Executive Vice President, with responsibility for the company’s industrial and technical performance. 

From 2020 to 2022, he served as Executive Vice President for Projects, Maintenance and Operations, overseeing all operational teams. He became Chairman and CEO of SNCF Réseau in October 2022.