This is an interview with the geneticist and cell biologist Edith Heard who has become EMBLs fifth DG in January 2019 and who is also head of department at the Curie Institute and professor at the College de France. In this interview, Edith Heard describes the development of her scientific career and of her interest in the genetic control of X-chromosome inactivation and its epigenetics. She also talks about how she came in touch with EMBL through Daniel Louvard. Furthermore, Edith Heard gives an insight of how she witnessed her election as DG and what ideas she has for EMBLs future in relation to research in molecular biology, but also in relation to the different EMBL sites and the administration.