I joined EM Normandie after a first degree. As I reviewed business schools, I could see that EM Normandie, which already enjoyed a very good reputation at the time, had a longstanding and genuine history. I spent three of the best years in my youth there! and today, my closest friends are alumni themselves. What I appreciated most were the values the School upheld. The latter are expressed through student society engagements in particular. Personally, I was fortunate to serve as President of the Sports Bureau (BDS). To achieve this, I had to rig up a project, raise funds, canvass other students and promote our society within the School. Once elected, the challenge was to make this BDS work! We looked around for activities that were unusual, like a paintball week-end (the first ever!) or a cruise to the Balearics…
Be in the company as if you were the owner!
From fieldwork to Senior Management
After graduation from EM Normandie, I spent the first twenty years of my career with Whirlpool. I moved up, changing positions every other year, from operational level as Area Manager to Regional Management. I went through almost every possible position that existed, whether locally or internationally, in Sales and Marketing. I really moved into another professional dimension when I went off to live in Italy in 2005 as I became a European Manager for a product line. I then discovered the special features of consumers in the various countries, and gained an insight into our industry and its R&D. I then worked in senior management positions with teams to manage and more strategic and financial approaches. Then in 2015, I switched companies (even though I remained in the household appliance sector). Today, I am the Head of European General Management at Haier. Haier is a world giant, of Chinese origin, but still a challenger in Europe. My mission is to increase this growth and to raise our company into the TOP 5 league as fast as possible. My daily routine is somewhat of a mad race, as I travel a lot. On average, I am 3 days out of five abroad. I am in direct contact with the Heads of our subsidiaries to structure our 5-year strategic plan and to work on staff development.
The Réseau, tools for reflection to achieve mutual growth
I joined Réseau EM Normandie for the pleasure of it, to exchange and share. My starting point is to think that the further you are in your career, the more open to others you must be! To repay what we have received. The Réseau brings us tools for reflection and enriches cross-generational exchanges. One of the great promises of this Réseau is to grow together, and that is why I have engaged in it! My fondest memory is to have been able to organise the 20th Class Reunion. It was great fun to see we could all meet with the same spirit and joie de vivre. This was a very emotional moment for me.
Vincent's advice :
" You should know how to take risks and behave within a company as if it was yours. Move on and be innovative, always. Don’t hesitate to bring your own contribution to the whole. To evaluate each professional experience, I always ask myself: what did I achieve? Will it last? "
