Reading Time: 9 minutes
Programme Manager Flix
Esha grew up in a small Nepalese town on the eastern hills of the Himalayas. Her parents – who owned a bed and breakfast, were able and willing to offer her a private education. Esha is acutely aware of her privileged upbringing. In Nepal, private schooling is often the only way to access good standards of education, learn English, and develop the mind set required to forge a better life abroad. She insists that compared to many of her compatriots, she didn’t endure tremendous financial hardship. However, she did have to keep hammering away to get herself to where she is today.
As a child, she proved to have a sharp eye for how things operate and a natural interest towards optimisation and efficiency.
A natural problem solver, she has been lending a hand at her parents’ business for as long as she can remember. “I must point out that I got involved out of interest and never felt forced”. Her journey took her to west Bengal in India where she studied engineering, Bangalore for her first quality analyst job, then Nantes and Milan where she followed a master’s degree in Supply Chain and Purchasing Management at Audencia. She moved to Paris where she learnt her trade at Nissan’s European headquarters. She has recently settled in Berlin after joining Flix, a leading German company offering intercity bus services in Europe, North America and Brazil. Having developed a long-standing fascination for Germany’s legendary efficiency, this last move was also an opportunity for her to experience the system from within.
A board game collector, a goal planner, and a rational thinker who clearly likes all her ducks in a row, it would be easy to label Esha as a strategy geek. But a different side of her is unveiled when she shares her interest in self-development books and her spiritual quest for freedom. A sign that one can be curious about the ``what`` and the ``how`` in their worldly activity, whilst also questioning the ``why``.
Tell us about your childhood in Nepal. Did you spend it climbing mountains… or is this assumption a terrible cliché?!
It is a bit of a stereotype indeed…, not all Nepalese are sherpas (laugh)! The small town I grew up in is located on the foothills of the lower Himalayan range. With green hills on three sides, it is a land of enthralling natural beauty. But I was too busy studying and working to indulge in too many outdoorsy recreational activities, and I was more drawn towards arts and crafts activities.
My parents own a bed and breakfast. It’s a small family-run establishment that has always been buzzing with customers checking in and out, many of them pilgrims. From a young age, I was interested in the daily run of its operations and felt fully invested in it. I started by supporting my parents with basic logistics and assisting customers at the front desk. My analytical instincts kicked in early and at 15, I asked to have a look at the accounts to figure out how to optimise our processes.
Was education important for your parents?
It was paramount. My mother played an important role in impressing upon my older brother and I the importance of academic learning and financial independence. Where I come from, girls are not necessarily given equal rights to education. But my mum – a strong headed woman, made a point of treating my brother and I equally. My parents worked hard to give us both access to private schooling. I felt a responsibility to perform at school, but it wasn’t like a burden. I saw it as teamwork, where the whole objective was for our generation to become better off than our parents. So I typically woke up at 5am to study before going to school at 7am. I was back home at 3pm and when I finished my homework, I helped my parents with the family business. But it was not the ascetic childhood it might sound like. I was happy and having parents that encouraged to study was a privilege. Apart from a couple of rebellious years when I reached 15, I was a good kid.
Why did you leave Nepal?
The university provision in Nepal isn’t all that good and pupils whose parents can afford it go and study abroad. I left home at 18 to enrol in a university in India. Engineering felt like an obvious discipline choice because I had this thirst for problem solving. Academically, it was a big step up for me, so I had to work harder than I ever had. When you grow up with power cuts that last for the best part of a day, you develop resilience! This experience was also a mental challenge as I had never ventured far beyond my hometown. I was living in a student dorm in a country where I didn’t know anyone, and I felt homesick for months. I’m sure that having interacted with tourists from a young age helped me develop interpersonal skills and build confidence.
Tell us about your first steps in the professional world
Once I graduated, I got a job in Bangalore in the southern India, as a quality analyst for Sapient, an American company now part of Publicis. My role – at the crossroads between operations and technology, consisted in testing the quality of the software that we were building for different banks and hedge funds. I had always had my eyes on a master’s so after 3 years there I left. I realised that I wanted to know how supply chain and operations worked end to end, as opposed to specialising in one particular sector. In 2015, I applied for Audencia’s Master in Supply Chain and Purchasing Management. The dual degree programme in partnership with Politecnico di Milano made it particularly appealing.
Joining the programme in Nantes must have been another daunting step?
Moving countries at 18 had already made me feel like I had crossed a mountain so this intercontinental move was a little less overwhelming. Making new connections was not the most difficult part. No, it was… getting accustomed to the foreign cuisine. I mean… the uncooked sea food… and don’t get me started on snails! But hey, just like everything else, with an open mind and a dose of courage, you adapt. I loved the interactivity of the lessons, and the project-based group work. There was a bar by the river in Nantes, which became our hangout. By the time the whole class moved to Milan, we had become close, and we had so much fun. As for Italian food… for me it definitely beats French cuisine. No offense! (laugh). Our Whatsapp group is still alive and we have regular video chats. That felt particularly comforting during lockdown.
Tell us about your experience at Nissan’s European headquarters in Paris
I secured an internship in Paris and managed to convert it into a permanent job. It was exactly what I had hoped and more As a supply chain project officer, I gained both business acumen and tech skills. Later, I moved into a reporting role preparing analyses to improve sales decisions. This gave me valuable exposure to senior management. I enjoyed the corporate culture there. Its diversity and mixture of nationalities reminded me of the atmosphere at Audencia. It was a male-dominated environment, but female employees felt empowered. I certainly never felt that I was treated unequally.
Why did you move to Germany?
I had been there a few times to visit my brother who was living there at the time, and I had fallen in love with the country. I was fascinated by this sense that every system is efficiently run. I wanted to experience this way of living from the inside, as a daily user. And also my boyfriend – now husband – was living there.
How did you end up with a boyfriend in another country?
He is Nepalese; we went to the same school back in my hometown. He is just one year older than me and we have known each other for twenty years. Our paths crossed again in India when we both got scholarships to the same university. After he graduated, he moved to Mumbai to study a master’s in computer science. He is a pure tech guy. I moved to Bangalore then Nantes before we reunited for good in Germany. We survived the long-term long-distance relationship.
Flixbus has an inspiring vision of making sustainable travel both comfortable and affordable. What does your role there entail?
I made a conscious decision to join a smaller, agile company, where I could apply what I had learned at Nissan and gain more ownership and freedom. I have been at Flixbus for 6 months and I am really enjoying it so far. The company has a unique concept, combining tech and transportation and it has propelled the bus industry into the digital era. As a project manager and senior business analyst, my job is to optimise all the processes, products and tools that we launch for our operations teams and partners. Ultimately, I help to add growth for the company and improve mobility for our users. Flixbus has recently acquired Greyhound, which is the biggest and oldest bus company in the US and we have gone live in Brazil this month. It’s exciting to know that we are touching all continents.
I admire how the company lives and breathes its corporate values and first and foremost its attachment to sustainability. It is such a warm feeling at the end of a long day to know that you bring a positive contribution to the world.
What is the most gratifying aspect of your role?
I have the opportunity of making an impact and coming out proud, which is exactly what I always look for in a job. Through all this daily data crunching, reports writing, and project greenlighting, I am improving the customer experience of our passengers and co-workers. I launch systems that are used by a lot of people and are making their work and life easier. I can see myself staying with Flixbus for a while.
Does your inclination for tidiness and optimisation also transpire into your daily personal life?
I like to keep my home space and my finances neat and organised indeed. My personal “COVID lockdown project” was creating an Excel finance dashboard. I realise it’s not everybody’s idea of entertainment, but it gave me a sense of joy and accomplishment! I am also a planner when it comes to my personal goals: I write them down every year, come up with an action plan and a project list, and review them regularly. The end of year is a period of deep introspection for me. I am not particularly passionate or impulsive, so whenever I have an important choice, such as a career move, I always research thoroughly. However, once my mind is set on a goal, I am decisive and consciously dedicate all my energy towards it with the intention to come out as a winner.
Please tell me that you don’t spend all your free time on Excel?!
Ha, ha, no, far from it. I like to paint. And I collect board games. My current favourites are Azul, Patchwork and Ticket to ride. I also enjoy a good game of poker. Not surprisingly, I enjoy mostly strategy and planning games (laugh)! I am openly competitive, and I hate losing!
I am also an avid reader of personal development books. I am influenced by the wisdom of Eckhart Tolle, and the teachings of Joe Dispenza on our ability to free ourselves from limitations. I enjoyed “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz; it’s a “practical guide to freedom” that has stayed with me.
Your favourite activity in Berlin?
I enjoy strolling around in East Berlin, which is packed with historical landmarks. I am not an expert in the Second World War, but I can’t help but feeling moved by what I see. I also like the feel-good atmosphere of the Weissensee Lake, and the East Side Gallery: once the Berlin Wall and now the longest open-air gallery in the world.
Looking back … Do you think you have achieved success?
For me success is a process and I want my life to be a constant learning curve. I fear that If I ever consider myself successful, I will take my accomplishments for granted and see the curve slow down.
Your professional and life accomplishments must make your parents very proud of you
Yes, I think they are proud of me. And of my brother too – he has a PhD in strategic management and is doing a post doctorate at ETH Zurich. But it’s not my parents’ culture to express it to us very often. What they would say is that they feel at peace with the way they have raised me, and the place that I have secured for myself in the world. Even though they could safely retire and finally enjoy life, they can’t imagine a life without working. I haven’t seen them much since I left home. I last saw them for our wedding.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
I hope that I will have grown. For me it’s not a question of promotion, job title or salary. It’s about self-development and my ability to constantly increase the scale of the impact that I am creating. This goal might lead me back to Nepal, where I can see myself as an entrepreneur. I would use my expertise in launching high quality operations projects and focus on accelerating the digital transformation of the country. Again, if I make that step, it will be a thoroughly researched and analysed decision!
Are you proud of your heritage?
Nepalese people are warm and welcoming. I am very fond of my country, and anyone who goes there will agree that its natural treasures are breathtaking. I just wish that people would look beyond the stereotypes. The mountains that surround us are superb and majestic but the topography makes life harsh for many Nepalese. However, I think we get our resilience from withstanding years of political instability and financial hardship.
Reading Time: 11 minutes
CFO Airbus for the Southern Cone
It is with an open smile and a lilting accent betraying her Southern France origins that Jessica Giuliani greets us for this interview.
Hers is a story of a youngster from Toulouse whose head was always turned upwards to the sky; such was her fascination for aeroplanes. Her mother was convinced that she would one day join Airbus, the city’s iconic multinational corporation. However, Jessica’s dream of becoming a pilot crash-landed when she was told -wrongly- that her eyesight would prevent her from flying. Smart, curious, and ever full of joie de vivre, she went on to graduate from Audencia’s Grande Ecole programme in 2013. At 33, her CV could make many fifty-year-olds pale with envy. In just a few years, Jessica has embraced a successful career in finance becoming CFO of Airbus in Santiago di Chile in 2020.
Armed with the confidence that 20/20 vision isn’t a prerequisite for flying, she signed up for her first lesson last year. The flying school is just a few minutes from her office, which she takes as a sign that the time has come to fulfil her life’s dream.
Thus summarised, Jessica’s trajectory seems almost predestined. When she signed her contract with Airbus, her mother said “See! I’ve always known you’d end up there. Didn’t I tell you so many times?” But Jessica insists on setting the record straight. It’s not about destiny so much as hard work, ambition and an appetite to jump on opportunities that has got her where she is today.
Thus summarised, Jessica’s trajectory seems almost predestined. When she signed her contract with Airbus, her mother said “See! I’ve always known you’d end up there. Didn’t I tell you so many times?” But Jessica insists on setting the record straight. It’s not about destiny so much as hard work, ambition and an appetite to jump on opportunities that has got her where she is today.
Let’s meet a fearless woman who has managed to get hold of what matters to her most in life, by keeping her feet on the ground and her head in the sky.
Tell us a little bit about your background. What steered you towards a career in finance?
Until 2007, when I came to Audencia, I lived in Toulouse. My parents are from quite a humble background; my father left school at 13, working as a mechanic before managing a Renault dealership. My mother was his secretary then joint manager. My parents’ lack of academic background had a significant impact on me because I grew up hearing the “You must get a good education!” mantra. They wanted me to be in a position to choose from a wide range of careers. Their dream was that one day I would join Airbus, which to them is the best firm in the world, offering opportunities, great working conditions, a career for life, and all this close to home in Toulouse!
What were you like as a child?
People always found me sociable and easy-going. I enjoyed interacting with adults and was excited when my parents had guests because I loved eavesdropping on grown-up conversations. I fed off the life experiences I was hearing and developed a certain maturity and curiosity.
What were your biggest wishes then?
I was desperate to travel the world. My parents didn’t have the time or the money for foreign holidays. But when I was 11, we went on a family trip to Reunion Island and that’s where I caught the travel bug. From the age of 13, I took it into my own hands to sign up for any holiday camp that we could afford.
My other big dream was to become an airline pilot. I was inspired by Hollywood movies, and I loved spending time in aviation museums. I always believed that a job as a pilot would be fulfilling on many levels: my inexplicable dream of flying, my fascination with engineering, the possibility to connect people, a thirst for reaching faraway lands and admiring landscapes from 40,000 feet above…
Were you serious about pursuing a career as a pilot?
I was totally determined. At the age of 12, I attended a career fair to figure out the best way to get there. I met with staff from the Air Force and from several French airlines. Several advisors spotted my glasses and told me that a flying career needed perfect vision. It turns out that they were wrong. I will never know would have happened had I investigated further. My mother always wanted me to work at Airbus; maybe she thought it would be the next best thing for me…
With such a stellar career in finance, is it safe to say you were a mathematical whizz kid?
I was a good all-rounder. My favourite subjects were maths and Spanish. I even helped my older sister to revise for her exams. Nevertheless, I also valued my social life and made time to go out and have fun. I would have liked to do some sport but my parents never had the time to sign me up and to take me to practices.
After her baccalaureate, my sister did a two-year course. She was my only role model, so I was naturally planning to follow a similar route. However, I met a career advisor in high school who, after looking at my grades, insisted that I needed to consider applying for preparatory classes, the two years that prepare you for the national competitive entrance exams to the best French business schools. I wasn’t even aware that the possibility even existed, as my parents didn’t have the academic codes to guide me through the system. I am so grateful to the lady who detected my potential and pushed me towards a different path.
What options did you choose at Audencia?
In my first year, I chose the sustainability track with specialised classes on sustainable economics and micro-credit, for example, and I dived into it with a passion. I chose finance as a major – to me, the most challenging choice but also one that would equip me with the skills that would be trickier to acquire later on the job. I did a one-year work placement with KPMG in Toulouse, during which I audited banks and industrial firms. It encouraged me to study a double major audit and corporate finance.
What were the highlights of your time at Audencia?
Throughout my first year, we worked on a project for an organic Mexican fair-trade coffee brand that aimed to export to Europe. I was by far the most enthusiastic member of my working group and I was the only one to speak Spanish fluently. So, I got to travel to Mexico for 2 weeks, visiting the cooperative, the trading port in Vera Cruz, and setting up all the costs. What an incredible experience when I think back about it!
I joined “Access Sud”, the micro-credit club. It was gratifying to be part of a community of students who were motivated by the same interests and values. The issues we were trying to tackle really awoke something in me. I must also mention the parties that were a great way to build up my social skills!
Did you ever feel self-conscious about your background?
When I first visited Audencia for the entrance exams, everyone I met was very friendly and I immediately felt at home. It felt a bit like landing in a fairytale world! My social background has never been an issue because I have always been comfortable and even proud of my roots. I know what my family values are and the hard work it takes to earn money when you don’t start out with much.
But yes, there were a few individuals who drew attention to what made me different. Some asserted that I would never get a job in Paris with my strong southern accent. When we attended the first Audencia party in Paris, others were shocked when I admitted that it was my first time in the capital. I just decided to leave the comments slide and to adopt a “we shall see” attitude. I knew that with resilience, I could build a path that would reveal my true personality, regardless of my background. These were isolated incidents and what I remember best is the school’s capacity to connect us with people from other horizons.
We noticed on your CV that you worked briefly as a flight attendant… tell us more, we’re intrigued!
I needed to earn some money during my last year at Audencia. Believe or not, I spotted the ad for an Air France flight attendant on the school’s job board. They need to fill these jobs every year, so I would encourage every student who fancies being paid to travel to check it out! I criss-crossed the globe and even got to sit in the cockpit during take-off and landing. Air France offered me a permanent position but I was wise enough to understand the value that an Audencia diploma represented. Besides, my true dream was to be in the pilot’s seat…
How did you land in Brazil, when you didn’t even speak the language?
After graduating, I did a 6-month contract in the internal audit department of Lagardere in Paris before returning to KPMG. Three years later, I realised that I didn’t want to stay in a company for a couple of weeks to simply assess the risks and deliver certifications. As a doer myself, I was itching to make an impact in a particular sector, be part of a team and implement a strategy.
From the age of 18, I dreamed of working in Latin America, especially after all the Spanish lessons I had during my preparatory classes. At 26, I decided it was time. The only paid job that I found was in Sao Paolo and I accepted a pay cut, but I figured that the opportunity was worth it. As LatAm financial controller for JC Decaux, I was in charge of branches in Brazil, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. 3 months after I joined, my boss resigned, so I quickly took on greater responsibilities… and learnt Portuguese! At first, I was talking “Portuñol” but after 3 months of lunchtime tuition and interacting with my flatmates, I experienced a sort of light bulb moment and I separated the two languages. It goes to show that with a good dose of determination, a foreign language isn’t a barrier to career progression.
What motivated your move to Chile?
In 2017, after deciding the corporate culture wasn’t me, I resigned and went travelling. My plan was to go backpack round Latin America for six months. Just a few weeks in, my manager from KPMG contacted me to say that there was an opportunity for me in Chile at NewRest, a catering company whose headquarters are in Toulouse. In between excursions, I logged in from various youth hostels and internet cafés in Colombia and Ecuador, and, after a long series of interviews, I got the job of Financial Director. I love how life can throw the best surprises at you. I wasn’t looking to move to Chile, and I wasn’t even looking for a job at the time… let alone this amazing opportunity for someone of my age!
I discovered the easy-going expat lifestyle, complete with company car, apartment and social connections. But I was working crazy hours as I had so much to learn and was managing 4 people in their 50’s who were not driven by the sort of motivation that I had taken for granted at KPMG. I stayed there for 3 years.
CFO at Airbus sounds like a huge step up. How did you manage to land such a senior role?
In June 2020, in the middle of a strict lockdown in Santiago, and the unsettling context of mass redundancy at the catering firm I was working at, I received a call from one of my ex-managers who encouraged me to apply for a CFO role at Airbus. If I have learnt one thing, it’s that it clearly helps to cultivate great relationships with your ex bosses! The Managing Director of the Chile branch was looking for someone based in Santiago to report to him as well as the LatAm CFO. The role entailed overseeing teams in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay as well as the client portfolio across the whole “ConSur”. The turnover was much larger than anything I had ever managed before. The challenges were exciting, having to negotiate contracts with governmental institutions and VIP clients.
I knew I would need broad shoulders, but reminded myself that I already had an experience in a senior role that I could leverage. So I decided to go for it and entered a 2 month-long recruitment process during which I had 5 interviews with 5 different people. During one of the interviews I had to deal with a few snarky comments, such as “We sell helicopters… not sure you know anything about those?!” Perhaps the interviewer was biased against my age, gender or the fact that I didn’t have any professional experience in aeronautics. But I didn’t let the questions stump me. I argued that in finance you don’t need to be have technical product expertise… but as it turned out, I happened to cultivate a passion for the sector, with a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot!
This seems to have done the trick and in 2020, I joined Airbus.
What’s a typical working day for you?
The tasks are too varied to fit into a daily template. Essentially, I try to prioritise making myself available for the team of 12 people that I manage. There’s a tendency to get wrapped up in Airbus meetings with my branch directors, my counterparts in other branches or colleagues from head office to discuss strategic projects such as regionalising the business which will result in moving functions to LatAm.
I have learnt to carve out time for myself to progress on my projects when I have realised that others’ priorities are not necessarily mine. Otherwise, I would be stuck in meetings until 6pm… and I confess that my vision is not to work until midnight!
Are you as organised in your personal life?
I wish! The day that I found myself stuck in Lima unable to pay for my hotel room or the bus because I had forgotten to activate my credit card … I realised how chaotically I can let my life run! Fortunately, the Peruvian friend of a friend generously lent me some money and saved my trip. I laugh now at the irony of how powerless a CFO feels with no access to a means of payment!
Which country would you recommend relocating to – Brazil or Chile?
I loved my time in Brazil because there I found everything that I imagined Latin American culture to be: music and dance everywhere, and the special warmth and joie de vivre of the people. In that respect, moving to Chile was a culture shock because I harboured the same expectations. In Santiago in particular, people are quite closed-off, far from the typical image of Latino. However, they are also the most loyal friends you could ever wish to have, once you have gained their trust. Here, when people invite you at their home, they introduce you to their family; that’s an honour. The attitude is closer to what we see in Europe… with the added benefit of an amazing living environment. It is safe enough that I can walk the streets at night. Being such a long country, it is a land of contrasts, with the Atakama in the North – the world’s most arid desert, a string of fjords and snow-capped volcanoes, and the glacier-carved lakes of Patagonia in the South. I have never seen anything like it. Chile gets my vote!
Have you given up on your flying dreams?
Never! My office is located on an aerodrome with a flying club. A year ago, I started taking flying lessons three times a week, from 7 to 10pm. I’ve been learning about aircraft aerodynamics and how the engine works. I’ve passed the theory, and I am now working on the practice. I have 22 hours of flying under my belt, and I need 40-60 hours to get my licence. So just a few more hours before I can fulfil my childhood dream!
I now realise that on commercial flights, you don’t actually pilot the plane that much. I get much more joy from flying in a small 2 person aircraft. You get to be responsible for all aspects of the flight. We don’t train on simulators, but we are thrown straight into a real cockpit. Last time my instructor simulated an emergency situation and turned off the engine to test my reaction. That was fun!
I always walk back on the tarmac with a huge smile on my face. I am proud that for the first time I have managed to be disciplined enough to carve out time for an activity that makes my life so fulfilling.
I am also fortunate, because even though it’s not going not going to help us win contracts, my boss encourages all employees to embrace their passion for aviation, in whatever form.
It sounds like you have achieved your main life goals already. What’s next for you?
This year will be decisive. I will either stay in a CFO role, possibly in another country. Or I might move on to an operational or sales role, which interest me as well. I confess that I would love to go travelling again… but I can’t be too greedy. For now, I am looking forward to getting my pilot licence and show my boyfriend, friends and family the stunning views of my adopted country, from above.
Stop press!
Since the time of writing, Jessica has indeed stretched her wings! She has her pilot’s licence and is now hoping to skydive -safely- into entrepreneurship. The Audencia community wishes her all the best and looks forward to seeing where she will fly to next.
Reading Time: 9 minutes
Assistant Vice President Citi
When she was growing up in Bogotá, Annie Rojas was fascinated by the night sky and its many wonders. As a teenager, she gave up on her long-time dream of becoming an astronaut and chose a career in finance. Pragmatic but ambitious, she figured that if international business wouldn’t send her to the moon, it could at least take her to the other side of the world.
Annie’s story could serve as an advertisement for international mobility. Moving to Nantes in 2011 to join the Audencia IMM programme, she learnt to speak French, made lifelong friends, and got her foot into Citi’s door where she is leading a successful career in supply chain finance.
When an opportunity to transfer to the Dublin office presented itself, she didn’t know much about “the Emerald Isle” beyond its widely celebrated St Patrick’s traditions, but she leapt at the chance. There, she further expanded her worldview across a broader set of trade methods, gained exposure to a new working culture, met her soon to be husband, and developed a liking for one of the most revered Irish institutions: the pub.
Not everyone is tempted to move halfway across the globe and start life again in a foreign country with all the personal and emotional stresses this entails. But it certainly was a decision that paid off for Annie.
Not everyone is tempted to move halfway across the globe and start life again in a foreign country with all the personal and emotional stresses this entails. But it certainly was a decision that paid off for Annie.
Let’s meet the international executive who tells us about her journey and why her granny-style trolley, her swimsuit and a healthy dose of adventurous spirit are some of its special features.
Did you grow up in a traditional or liberal family?
I was born and raised in a close-knit family in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. My two younger brothers and I were inseparable. My father has a degree in business and worked for Volkswagen pretty much all his life; my mother is a psychologist. My parents have always been proud of their Colombian roots but they also wanted us to develop an open-minded attitude. They often referred to our family members who moved to the US as inspirational. They enrolled us in a bilingual school knowing that speaking English would open doors to their children.
What sort of child were you?
I was quite shy and did not hang out with the cool kids. My boyfriend insists that I’m still uncool (laugh)… but I am definitely more open these days. The experiences I had abroad that forced me to throw myself into the unknown have helped shake off the shyness. I still have a tendency to get nervous. I got nervous ahead of this interview actually! But it’s getting better with time.
I think I performed well at school I because my parents had paid for our private education and I felt I had to honour their investment. For some reason, they thought that no proper education would be complete without years of swimming lessons, so I clocked up more laps in the pool than I can count.
What were your dreams back then?
I was fascinated by outer space. I watched tons of space movies, and after a visit to the NASA centre in Florida I even wanted to become an astronaut. I gave up that dream when I was a teenager, but with hindsight, I realise that I still ended up choosing a path that led to far away adventures. This is how, at 16, I ended up on a bachelor programme in finance and international business at Bogotá University.
Living in France was another dream of mine. I loved the language and everything else I discovered about the culture through the many French movies I watched. I fantasised about becoming the “Colombian Amélie” and retracing her steps through the winding alleys of Montmartre. At uni, I met some exchange students from Audencia. I was impressed that they all had exciting international profiles already. They sold Audencia and the city of Nantes to me and I enrolled in Audencia’s international master in management (MSc IM) programme.
Was your experience of Audencia as life changing as you had anticipated?
It was! Until then, I had only left the country to visit my family in the US, so this was my first time in Europe. At 20, it was also my first solo trip and first steps away from my family. That was 10 years ago, and I have been living abroad ever since. Overcoming the language barrier was more challenging than I had predicted. I’d studied French for 4 years at university and thought I’d do OK until the day I found myself in the Nantes airport shuttle, praying I would find my way to the “Commerce” station… I stuck close to the driver until he promised me that I had made it to the right place. That was quite a stressful jump in at the deep end.
In a single year at Audencia, my classmates – many of whom I still count as close friends, and I built so many memories. We travelled to Barcelona to visit a partner school, and a few of us celebrated New Year in Switzerland. The opportunity to continue onto a yearlong internship was also immensely valuable. In Colombia, when young graduates leave university, they feel much more vulnerable without this prior work experience.
How easy was it adapting to French culture?
What really helped was living with a French family. We would have long dinners together and they introduced me to the local cuisine (ah! Le plateau de fromages!), and many other traditions. They moved house while I was there (and I went with them!), and they put up little signs with the family members’ names on the doors of each bedroom. I will never forget seeing mine was marked “La Chambre d’Annie”. They told me they kept the sign up a long time after I moved away, which I found so touching. To this day, I call them my “French mum and dad”.
The main cultural difference I had to adapt to was around friendship. For the first few months, when I engaged in a conversation I naturally expected the person to be my friend or at least be willing to build a friendship. Sometimes I would bump into people the following day and they would not remember me, a reaction which takes some getting used to! Then, when I started to experience the office culture, I understood that the French tend to keep their work and personal relationships separate. It gets better when you accept that and don’t take it personally. French people are more private than Colombians are and some need time to warm up to new acquaintances. On the plus side, once you have formed strong bonds with someone, they will treat you like family.
How did you climb the steps at Citi?
For me it’s always been about seizing opportunities as they present themselves. As the expiry date on my student visa got closer, I tried to remain philosophical about the dozens and dozens of internship applications and rejections. I set myself a deadline and decided that if I hadn’t secured an internship two weeks beforehand, I would pack up and go travelling. On the day I was getting ready to pack my suitcase, my luck turned and I received an offer from Citi.
In 2011, I joined one of the bank’s branches in Paris, close to the Champs Elysées for a one-year internship that was later converted into a permanent role. I started in the trade and treasury solutions department, and my job involved going through export documentation and finding financial solutions for exporting from France. After being promoted to trade sales associate, I got to work with a broader selection of products such as supply finances, letters of credit and guarantees. My clients were using our services to ensure that the risk associated with the transactions in terms of documentation and payment was covered for both parties. Suppliers and buyers relied on me to make their interactions easier. My job was client-oriented from the start, and my manager, a great mentor, encouraged me to learn on the job.
Did you go on an Amélie pilgrimage to Montmartre when you arrived in Paris?
You may laugh but this is exactly what I did on my very first day! When I lived in Paris, I spent so much time in this quaint neighbourhood. As I said, I love swimming as it has a sort of meditative effect on me, so another way I spent my free time was to try out as many swimming pools as I could find… and there are lots! I was on a sort of mission, or “swimming pool crawl” (laugh). My top pick is the Molitor; I love its avant-garde atmosphere.
Why did you decide to move to Dublin?
In 2014, employees with a bit of trade experience and language skills were encouraged to apply for a position that had opened there. It was a promotion and, with Dublin being on of Citi’s biggest European hubs, it would give me exposure. Frankly, after only three years in France, it had not crossed my mind to relocate, but the opportunity was too good to miss. I accepted the offer without having ever set a foot in Ireland. I didn’t know a soul there, and the only taste for the Irish life I had was through the fun and colourful tales of former Irish colleagues. I packed my suitcase and went!
What does your current role entail?
My remit grew when I took charge of all European clients and started to control a larger scope of products. I am now Assistant Vice President, or AVP, and I work with another area of trade, which is supply chain finance. I engage with my clients’ suppliers who want to participate in our programme. It helps them receive early payment and improve their cash flow. Recently I have also started managing our documentation team who helps with onboarding clients. It’s a team of 8, based in India, with a varied skillset. Some of them have been in supply finance for longer than I have and it has been a rewarding experience so far.
What makes it exciting to work in your sector?
It’s a dynamic sector with ever-changing legislation so trying to keep up makes it an exciting challenge. It suits people who get a kick out of working in a multicultural environment and across different time zones. It also feels good to know that my work leads to practical applications for end users as we enable the trade of thousands of everyday goods.
What are your predictions for the global supply chain?
Clients ask me this question a lot and it’s a tough one! I think that following the pandemic, trade will move from a crisis mode to a more normal mode of operating. 2022 was the year when we learnt some lessons from the chaos we faced, and we will accept that some processes will never return to the pre-pandemic times. Still, silver linings such as the possibility of working from home emerged in the aftermath of the pandemic.
What is the corporate culture like in Dublin? Do people still hit the pub at 5pm every day?
Not every day… but most days! In Paris, social interactions between colleagues amounted to the occasional “after work apéro en terrasse”. In Dublin, workers routinely finish their day in the pub. The camaraderie of the Irish workplace makes it easier to make friends and pubs help this, mixing people of all generations and backgrounds, finding it an easy way to share their life stories over a pint… or two.
What is it like being a Colombian in Dublin?
There aren’t many Colombians here. Until recently, we didn’t have access to an embassy, but only a consulate that we could reach once a year. The European media mainly tends to portray Colombia through the lens of its criminality issues and sadly, negative stereotypes still persist and can be exhausting to address. However, references that are more positive are now emerging. People’s curiosity about my country can be amusing: I was once asked if I was related to Gloria from the Modern Family sitcom (I’m not), or how I cope with the weather in Ireland, even though Bogotá is in the coldest and rainiest region of Colombia, so getting used to Dublin’s meteorological conditions hasn’t been at all hard. In any case, as the saying goes here: “the weather here might be cold, but the people are warm”. I have always felt truly welcome here.
Do you feel settled in Dublin now?
It’s interesting that I have never felt so Colombian since living abroad. After 8 years in Ireland, this is home. I applied for and obtained Irish citizenship as a way of showing my gratitude for the opportunities that the country has given me. I also wanted to be able to participate in society and exercise my right to vote. Ireland has held various referendums lately, where citizens have expressed their wish for change on important societal issues such as divorce and abortion. It was inspiring to feel that I could contribute. It’s funny how life plays out: Ireland wasn’t on my radar until a few years ago, and now here I am, a proud Irish citizen! I hold dual citizenship because I will never forget my Colombian roots.
Can we please go back to your boyfriend claiming you are “uncool”?!
Well, he claims that I’m like someone in her seventies (laugh). I admit that I listen to classical music, I bake, I go for walks, I do my grocery shopping with a trolley like a granny. But I have adopted many local traditions, and popping down the pub for a good time is top of my list, so I can’t be that uncool! (laugh).
Any plans for the weekend?
Big plans! Tomorrow I’ll be flying to Colombia with my fiancé for Christmas. I haven’t been in over two years, and I am beyond excited despite the 20-hour flight. Christmas in my country is such a special time. Celebrations start from the 1st December! I am looking forward to some serious wedding planning talks and to watching the Encanto movie… multiple times!
Meeting my soon to be husband here in Ireland has also played a big part in settling in. He is Danish and works in digital advertising. You could say that we represent the two sectors that Ireland is a renowned hub for: finance and tech. My dad is taking English lessons so that’s definitely a sign that he and my mother have come to terms with the fact that I’m not relocating to Colombia any time soon. I imagine that at some point we might move home – to Denmark or Colombia – unless we head to somewhere new that is neutral to both of us. I love the idea that our options are open.
Reading Time: 8 minutes
Deputy Director of the MBA Programme, Cambridge Judge Business School
In 2009, Thomas Roulet graduated from Sciences Po and Audencia’s Grande École Master in Management programme. Today he is an Associate Professor at Cambridge University, Deputy Director of the MBA at Judge Business School and co-director of the incubator at King’s College Cambridge. He contributes to numerous magazines and publications, such as Forbes and Harvard Business Review.
He is teased about his accent and his friends ask him to choose the wine at mealtimes. Professor Roulet’s French touch is like a signature that he wears happily, especially on the day after France’s football team defeats England. He even claims to bake his own galette des Rois because “you can’t find any good ones in Cambridge”.
Thomas enjoys this French impertinence, which gives a special touch to his journey from a finance student at Audencia to an associate professor in organisational theory at Cambridge. With enduring ties to France, Thomas delights in a job in England that, in his Harry Potter gown and in 800-year-old buildings, plunges him into the heart of society’s greatest debates on one of the most renowned campuses in the world.
Thomas, tell us about your journey to Cambridge
It’s a long and winding story which started fairly characteristically during my preparatory classes. When I started at Audencia, like lots of others, I thought I would do marketing. In the end, I went into finance and did my year-long internship in investment banking in London.
I enjoyed this first experience but found it disappointing. I wanted to delve deeper and understand what was going on behind the curtain of our social interactions. At the same time, I’d always had this taste for teaching. I imagined what went on behind the scenes, when professors were not in front of their students, preparing classes, correcting assignments, carrying out research, etc. When I came back from London, I returned to the classroom to try and find out more about what was going on behind the scenes.
By then, I’d decided to double up my final year finance course with a Research Master at Sciences Po. In fact, my research internship at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) counted towards both Masters.
I really liked the stimulus of the research Master’s degree, so I started a PhD at HEC. Again, I really enjoyed it. In my second and final year, I was teaching at Sciences Po and Audencia. Once a week, I taught strategy to international students, an experience that I really enjoyed.
When did you decide to export your academic career?
Halfway through my PhD, I had the opportunity of being a Visiting Scholar at Colombia University in New York. I loved it, especially because Audencia had cultivated my taste for the United States.
Then, after my thesis, I needed to choose between Vanderbilt in the United States and Oxford in England, I chose Oxford for its geography, which suited me better from a family point of view at that time in my life.
Oxford was very different to London. The culture there is deeply British and much less international than in London. And the college world is fascinating, with its old buildings that house candlelit dinners and a real English-style academic aristocracy. The codes are very particular. It was then I then decided to pursue an academic career in England rather than in France or elsewhere.
Tell us about the British universities
Academia in France is divided into business schools and technical or generalist grandes écoles, whereas the UK has a real university culture. Business schools are integrated into much larger faculties, with, in my opinion, much more interdisciplinarity.
British universities are divided into departments, like in France, and into colleges, which were originally student residences like the ones you see in films. Today, it is much more than that; everything, including the social life, educational experience, culture and symbolism of an 800-year-old college, takes place there.
For a professor in Britain, taking on responsibility in a college is usual – it is very much about individualised support and tutoring students. Compared to other professorial activities, this part of the job isn’t particularly well paid, but it is highly valued and very interesting.
For my part, I co-direct the incubator at King’s College Cambridge, the former college of John Maynard Keynes and Alan Turing. I really enjoy this aspect of my job, as it is extremely diverse. One of the biggest challenges, by the way, is the funding we get from major donors. Our budget is partly covered by the sponsorship of David Sainsbury’s Gatsby Foundation. This involvement of patrons, particularly alumni, is another marker of difference.
How did your career path take shape between Oxford and Cambridge?
After Oxford, I went to Bath, in Somerset, a medium-sized city with a well-known university. I stayed there for a year before heading for King’s College, the London one – the British like to call places King’s or Queen’s Something. For three years, I ran the Master in International Management there.
In 2018, when the opportunity to join Cambridge arose, I took it and I have since been an Associate Professor of Organisational Theory and Deputy Director of the MBA there. My research work focuses on the sociological and psychological approach to organisations.
You said that you enjoy the backstage work of professors. Can you explain what this consists of?
There’s this idea that professors only work when they’re in a classroom with their students and that the rest of the time they don’t do much. This is not true, of course! I work much harder as a professor here in Cambridge than I did when I was working in finance in London (laughs).
Most of my time is taken up with resarch: collecting data, writing, editing and publishing research papers, supervising PhD students and post-docs. In theory, this represents more than 60% of my time. I also participate in four or five editorial boards of journals where I review papers and do some editing work.
I see research as a basis for engaging in the debates that are shaking up society. For me, research is not about producing concepts in an ivory tower but about asking questions that matter to people and producing ideas that find their way into managerial and societal practice. In the coming years, one of the topics I would very much like to have an impact on is the issue of mental health, from a skills perspective but also with regard to hybrid work, comparing remote and face-to-face.
Teaching is the other main part of my work, which I really enjoy. At Cambridge, we do a lot of tutoring, which gives me the opportunity to teach small groups of three or four students, with a very different relationship to the one you find in a lecture hall.
I teach courses at the faculty of business and the faculty of sociology. Each year I teach leadership and organisational behaviour to over 200 students on my MBA programme. The content is all extremely topical and changes constantly. In the past few years, I have totally adapted my course to the topics of the moment to include themes of hybrid work, silent quitting, Diversity & Inclusion issues, etc. After COVID-19, we rethought the whole teaching structure, keeping some courses online and promoting small agile groups on topical issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement or leadership biases.
Sector bias, gender bias, disability bias, ethnicity bias, etc., contribute to the funnel effect, i.e., the success of a Diversity & Inclusion policy at the bottom of the organisation but its failure at the top. I also do a lot of work on invisible stigma, such as invisible disability or sexual orientation, and how certain categories of people are exhausted by working on raising awareness, the ‘diversity work’ that is asked of them and the risks of burnout and performing badly.
Tell us about your experience at Audencia
It seems like ages ago but sometimes as if it was only yesterday. I think I’ve kept more in touch with the faculty than with my classmates but this is probably due to the career I’ve chosen.
When I wanted to pursue an academic career, I got in touch with a few alumni who had followed a similar route. I was impressed to see that several alumni are quite well known in this field. I am thinking of David Dubois, now Professor of Marketing at INSEAD, who gave me some great advice back then and Fabrice Lumineau, Professor of Strategy in Hong Kong.
As for most people, my student journey itself was a multi-faceted experience. I became who I am now in the classrooms of Audencia, which is undoubtedly why I have kept in touch with quite a few figureheads. I was also president of Réseaudencia Junior, the forerunner of the school’s young alumni association. However, there were also more complicated moments to handle, like losing the student campaign for the BDA (Bureau des Arts). I realise now that at the time it affected my relationship with the school. You don’t always realise how difficult it is for young people just out of preparatory classes to cope with things like that.
If I had to do it all again, I don’t think there’s much I would change. I really enjoyed my AIPM internship year and the international flavour of the school. I felt very French when I started Audencia, before discovering wider horizons during my studies.
My internship year nurtured my desire to live abroad but also to do things to the fullest. This I owe in part to an alum who worked on the desk that recruited me. He was instrumental in giving a chance to a student from the same school as him. The alumni network is one of the assets of this school.
Today, you still have close ties to Audencia
Yes I do; through my teaching activities and as an affiliate professor. At the beginning of my career, I used to come once a week to teach strategy. Now I don’t come as often but as an international affiliate faculty member, I still come over for a few days each year to partner with Audencia professors on their publication process.
More importantly, I’ve been lucky to work closely with some of the faculty, including Sandrine Frémeaux, who was one of my favourite professors when I was a student. She is a wonderful, fascinating person who manages to make law exciting. Today, I have the pleasure of working with her on a paper due to be published soon. It’s a privilege I would never have thought possible back when she was my professor!
How do you see the next stages of your career?
I’m already lucky to be a tenured professor at Cambridge, so I have some control over my choices between research, teaching, student support and influencing public policy. However, the holy grail would of course be to get a professorship.
I am eligible but the application process is long and tedious, as one would expect in such a venerable institution. I filled out a fifty-page application with letters of recommendation and convincing arguments.
However, being a tenured professor gives me the opportunity to do other things besides research, hence my investment in the incubator and in the life of King’s College. I really enjoy this entrepreneurial aspect of my job.
And more generally, how do you see the future?
I live in a country that is going simultaneously through the consequences of Brexit, the pandemic and a global energy and economic crisis. We’ve recently lost a lot of European friends because of Brexit and I’d certainly love to see people return as there are still great opportunities, not just in finance.
I would like alumni to continue to look at Britain as an attractive choice to live and work. For me, expatriation is a great experience, a real asset. I love being French outside France.
We are often caricatured, and in fact, at the university, we French colleagues are seen as the grumblers. In meetings, we’re the ones who argue or get upset and our hierarchy doesn’t always like it. However, I like the idea that in France, we don’t have problems challenging what we think is questionable.
Beyond that, expatriation is an adventure and filled with shared experiences. When I watch football with my brother-in-law, I’m torn between the two sides but I get to win each time! In many ways I feel British today, but for them I am French first and foremost. Maybe it’s my accent (laughs).
My advice to students today is to go for the expatriation adventure, even if it’s just for a few months or even a few years. It’s worth it.
What can we wish you for the coming year Thomas?
A successful application for the professorship, no doubt. Also to have time to spend with my friends, here and in France, and with my parents too.
I don’t have much downtime. I manage to fit in a morning bike ride. I don’t have any wild wishes for 2023, maybe just to feel that the link with Europe is not broken forever.
Reading Time: 9 minutes
Consultant & e-commerce entrepreneur
After studying for her bachelor in The Netherlands with periods in Helsinki and Paris, before joining the International Master programme which took her to Nantes, Warsaw and Barcelona, Shirley declared she would never go back to live in her home town of Rotterdam in The Netherlands. At 23, with a bachelor and a master’s degree ticked off her to-do list, Shirley was not yet ready to enter the real world (her own words). With wanderlust still in her system, she bought a one-way ticket to Nepal and headed for Everest Basecamp on her own. “It was to do the scariest thing I ever did,” she says.
When she finally returned to lower altitudes, Shirley spent nine years in e-commerce, driving the brand XD Design with the iconic anti-theft Bobby backpack, running 8 successful kickstarter campaigns and leading projects with a hands-on crash test approach. Today Shirley has changed direction and, in the past year, she has become a consultant and e-commerce entrepreneur, purchasing her own products, having her own brands and selling them in Europe, on marketplaces and in her own web shops.
Shirley is insatiably curious and driven by a passion for people, nature, animals and things. She still has the mountain bug and has climbed some great peaks such as Mont Blanc in France, Toubkal in Morocco and Huayna Potosi in Bolivia. When we catch up with Shirley, it’s been 13 years since she graduated from Audencia and she is happily settled - in Rotterdam. Let’s discover which direction her career is taking her today.
Tell us about your childhood
I grew up in Rotterdam with my brother, mother and grandmother. As a child, I wouldn’t say I was shy but I was certainly a little afraid of the world. I would always be on the side-line. For instance If I went to an birthday party and everyone else was having fun playing outdoor survival games, I would be the kid in the corner crying and saying I was scared. I wasn’t sad, just shy. When I was about 16, I realised how fed up I was of watching everyone else live their life so I kind of pulled myself together and finally started doing things on my own!
Why did you choose to settle in Rotterdam?
After studying in Finland, France, Poland and Spain, I thought I’d never go back to The Netherlands and Rotterdam. I thought I was going to travel the world forever, but after so many years of living abroad, it really felt like it was time to come home and unpack my suitcases. Funnily enough, for the moment, I can’t see myself living anywhere else.
Where does your passion for mountains come from?
I’ve always loved being outdoors and climbing a mountain makes everything so relatable. When you reach your destination, there is an incredible feeling of victory and a sensation that you can take on the world. I went all the way to Everest Basecamp (5,364m) on my own, because even when you are alone, there is always a strong feeling of camaraderie in the mountains; everyone helps each other. You can be suffering from altitude sickness but the scenery is breathtaking and uplifting. I definitely learned about determination during my four months in the Himalayas in Nepal and Tibet.
How did you manage your return to the “real world”?
It was a big reality check. I realised I’d run out of money so work was the only option! The economic crisis was in full swing and companies weren’t hiring. I was told I was over-qualified and had too many diplomas; recruiters weren’t interested in me. Then I landed a great job at Trust, a huge electronics company here in The Netherlands where I worked as a purchaser for two and a half years. This meant a lot of traveling to China, negotiating prices and learning about the whole purchasing process. Then, when I wasn’t looking for it, a new opportunity came my way with the Dutch company XD Design. They had been selling mostly promotional gifts and wanted to grow the retail side of the business, selling to consumers instead of only doing giveaways.
I started working for XD’s almost non-existent retail department. I came in as a replacement to the one person who had set it up but was moving on. They gave me a desk and wished me luck. I ended up setting the whole retail network of agents and distributors in more than 50 countries. It was an old-school way of selling but an amazing learning curve. Then I tackled the e-commerce strategy, which ended up being bigger than anyone had anticipated with a web shop in 52 countries, three warehouses globally and marketplaces all over the world. Our famous kick-starter campaign really got us noticed; we had one prototype, one idea, one story, but we sold over $1 million in one month. That was pretty crazy. Today, XD Design is one of the biggest suppliers here in Europe.
Tell us about the anti-theft backpacks; was the Bobby your idea?
We have a very talented design studio in Shanghai and I worked closely with them. They were trying to solve the problems people encounter on public transport, especially in big cities like Shanghai or Paris. Everyone carries their backpack in front of them like a baby because they’re terrified of pickpockets. We heard stories about people in France and Italy whose bags were being cut open and the contents stolen. I came in on the later stage for the look and feel of the backpack, the colouring and some of the smaller details. The great thing about a kick-starter campaign is that we actually got to co-create our bag with the consumers. The bag was about 90% finished but we really needed the end users to tell us what they were missing or what they needed. We did polls on whether to have extra pockets or a different colour for example, people would reply and we just changed the design and manufacturing. Co-creating with consumers was one of my favourite parts of the process. The bag that you see today is actually third generation.
Calling the bags Bobby was my idea; I have to take credit for that one! It comes from the round helmets of the London police bobbies as our backpack has the same shape. It’s meant to remind you of safety and police officers!
I remember in the first years after the bag came out, whenever I saw one – in Japan, Switzerland, the USA, anywhere – I would go up to the owners and ask if I could take selfies with them.
I spent nine years at XD so it has been the biggest chunk of my professional career so far. In November 2021, I made the decision to leave the company.
You sound as though you were very happy at XD Design, what made you leave?
Yes I was happy there! If I were still at XD, I think that making the brand more of a household name would still be one of my goals.
However, I’ve always had the urge and the drive to be an entrepreneur. I think in some ways at XD, I was already an entrepreneur, it just wasn’t my own company. I built up my own team, developed my own products and did almost everything you do when you have your own company. But it wasn’t my own company and a little voice inside me had started saying “Shirley, if you don’t do it now, you never will”. So after nine years, I made the decision to quit, and I started two companies, one in consultancy and one in e-commerce.
Can you tell us more about your two companies?
One of my activities is consulting. I realised that whenever I went to tradeshows, other brands and entrepreneurs would ask me how to do a kick-starter campaign or how to set up an e-commerce landscape for example. So today, I advise other brands on e-commerce strategies, creating fully automated processes with multiple warehouses or multiple platforms, multiple websites, etc. I also develop marketplace strategies because that is still what some brands don’t fully understand or don’t get the full potential from. You cannot ignore the Amazons of this world, but how do you work with them without getting your prices cut or ruining your brand? Another big chunk is crowdfunding because a lot of brands are either afraid of doing it or really want to do it but don’t know how.
My other activity is my e-commerce business. I did purchasing and sales for so many years that it was quite natural for me to develop my own beauty brand and sell it on marketplaces and in my own web shops.
How did you identify the products to develop under your own brand?
Throughout my career, I’ve tended to go with the flow and see how things pan out. I love everything related to beauty – mainly products and gadgets – so I started my own beauty line. This morning I actually got an order from the USA, so by next week, there’s a store in New York that will be selling my beauty products!
My strategy is to look for gaps. I’m quite a geek and I love doing keyword searches. I try to identify what people are searching for and the gaps where the supply isn’t too high. I also need to have a positive vibe about the product and I won’t sell anything I don’t like or don’t understand. A product has to have a connection to something in my life. I for instance do a lot of dog products too, inspired by my own dog and her needs (I can see my dog staring at me as we chat).
How long will it be before you get the itch to do something else?
I’ve only had two real jobs since I graduated so it’s not as if I’m constantly changing. I think I’ll be good for a while now. For the moment, I’m happy to develop my two activities and I’m excited to see where they will take me. In The Netherlands, we say if a train comes along and you like it, just jump on it and see where it takes you. So that’s what I’ve been doing so far and I think that will be the same for my businesses. I really love what I’m doing it now and things are growing quite fast. However, I’m not saying that there won’t ever be a third or fourth company.
What are your best memories of Audencia?
Going to study in three different countries because the course I followed was taught in Nantes, Warsaw and Barcelona. In fact, I only spent one third of the MSc IM programme at Audencia. Altogether, it was an amazing 360° experience and I left with two lifelong best friends who I continue to see very regularly.
My experience in Dutch schools was quite impersonal, you just walk in, you do your classes, and you go home. That’s it. When I arrived at Audencia, it was completely different; there was a welcoming committee and an induction day, what a great start to the year. I think my first and last day are still very clear in my mind as they were so intense.
My classmates and I were all living in these small apartments in Nantes. Taghi and Nariman from Azerbaijan were my neighbours on one side and Cyril and Baptiste from France on the other. It was a tiny village of holiday homes with a very small swimming pool too. I remember it was just so much fun. One of my classmates had a car and although it was scary going round the roundabouts because he wasn’t used to driving on the right hand side of the road, we did some great road trips!
How do you let off steam?
I love pushing back the boundaries, being outside, travelling and climbing mountains. I love walking with my dog – she’s big, a cross between a boxer and a labrador and I take her for a 2-hour walk every day. Connecting with nature is something I enjoy as it revitalises me.
What advice would you have for students today?
One of my former bosses asked me to become a mentor for their start-ups and starting entrepreneurs. I recently participated in a women’s leadership session and one of the questions I was asked was how did I get to be so in control and so self-assured and confident about everything? My advice was stop worrying about being scared because everyone’s terrified underneath. You just get better at covering it up! Again, I would say just do whatever you’re terrified of. Those are the best things.
What are your plans for the weekend?
It’s going to be Kings Day so I’ll be going to this big festival. It’s great to get our social lives back after not seeing anyone for so long.
What’s your proudest achievement?
Definitely the fact that I’ve managed to do the things that I was always most afraid of. For instance, I was terrified of going abroad for the first time, but I went. Then I was terrified of coming to Nantes, having to discover a new city and meet another group of people I didn’t know. Nobody in my family had ever studied for a master’s degree so I was scared I wouldn’t succeed, but I did. Same for all the outdoor stuff. Same also throughout my career, managing to take the steps I was terrified of, doing the trade shows I was terrified of, and actually doing it all by myself. All this fear has taught me that the more terrifying something is, the better it will be in the end. I still get scared on a daily basis, but I’m proud that I manage to overcome my fears. It was the same when I left my good job and started my own company.
Reading Time: 11 minutes
Co-Head of Global Physical Trading at SOCAR
At 36, Taghi has moved up the professional ladder with remarkable speed. At 21, when he was head of logistics for a firm specialising in luxury goods and design, the only theoretical next step up was to take his CEO’s place. The two of them had a no-holds-barred discussion after which they agreed that with Taghi’s potential, the CEO would support him in aiming even higher. Taghi subsequently secured a prestigious scholarship with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan and Total to study at Audencia. By 25, he had studied – and graduated – on 3 different continents.
Just a few months before his 30th birthday this young Azeri, born and raised in Baku, relocated to Geneva to work for the trading branch of SOCAR, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic.
“I had never planned to work in the oil and gas industry – I come from a family of doctors and academics – but when you grow up in Baku, there’s always a little bit of oil running through your veins.”
In March 2021, Taghi was promoted to Co-Head of Global Physical Trading at SOCAR, a role which gives him responsibility for trading 1 million barrels of crude oil per day while managing teams of traders in offices in Geneva, London, Singapore, Dubai and Houston. Although he clocks up gruellingly long hours, Taghi still makes time to satisfy an enduring passion for football (much more about that later) and run a youth charity club in Azerbaijan. We speak to Taghi during his precious holiday time, back home in Baku with his family. During our conversation, we learn more about his ambitions for a greener future for his children and discover that his lasting love of France even led him to co-found Baku’s first crêperie with a fellow Audencia alum!
Tell us about your family background
My father was (and still is) an academic -a mathematician- and my mother is a paediatrician. When my sister and I were growing up in Baku, the house was constantly full of my father’s colleagues from across the world all speaking different languages. The richness and diversity of his colleagues’ backgrounds and the pervading intercultural atmosphere shaped my childhood and made for some fascinating dinnertime conversations. My parents instilled strong values into their children and we grew up believing that we should always strive to be good people.
I didn’t really have any specific memories of what I was like as a child, but since the birth of my first daughter, some of them have certainly floated back up to the surface. My older daughter is now 5 years old and whenever she is cheeky or misbehaves, my mother reminds me that she gets it from me. I think on the whole though I was quite a well-behaved child, but you’ll have to check with my mother on that one as she may say that I was a bit hard to handle! I do remember being quite studious at some point though and finding school lessons interesting. I definitely developed a thirst for learning which has never left me.
What are your memories from when the Republic of Azerbaijan became independent in 1991?
I was only 6 years old when the Soviet Union fell apart and the transition towards independence took place. As a young boy in 1991, I have a distinct memory of being in our living room with my parents physically protecting my sister and me as the Soviet army drove their tanks past our front door and shots were fired. It was a time of uncertainty, of alternating bouts of fear and optimism with differing experiences depending on the generation you belonged to. As the country lurched from border crisis to financial crisis and back, the value chains fell apart and everything had to be re-organised from logistics to social services and more. For purely economic reasons, my father held down several jobs at the same time just to support the family. We all had the task of reinventing ourselves, but we got through it.
How did your time in the USA have an impact on you?
In my early school days, I spent 6 weeks in the US on a programme that was filled with visits to big cities including New York and Philadelphia. This first experience inspired me to apply for the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) programme, a competitive, merit-based scholarship programme funded by the US Department of State. Although its initial philosophy was to enable young people from ex-Soviet countries to learn about the US by spending a year in America with a host family and attending a US high school, the programme still continues today. After multiple rounds of testing and interviews, I left Baku – population several million, to arrive in Mason City Iowa – population less than 30,000.
Apart from the lack of diversity that I had always been accustomed to back home (no-one in Mason City spoke anything else but English or had much international experience), the biggest surprise was the independence of my teenage American peers. They all had weekend jobs, did community service, paid their way through university and left home as soon as they were able to support themselves. In Azerbaijan, you tend to focus on your studies, live with your parents until you are ready to get married and look after your family first and foremost. Discovering this different approach to life definitely made its mark on me and was a huge game changer.
Although my American host mom has sadly passed away, I still have close ties with my host dad who even made the journey to visit us in Geneva in 2018.
What were the highlights of your experience at Audencia?
To be honest, and I’m not just saying this to flatter the School, it was one of the best years of my life! I was lucky to have applied for and obtained a full scholarship from a joint venture between SOCAR and Total and I arrived in Nantes full of curiosity about France in general and Nantes in particular.
It was reassuring having a fellow student from Azerbaijan on the programme too. We got our accommodation sorted together, explored Nantes together and by the end of the first month, we went halves on the cost of buying a car: a 1-litre, 2-door Opel Corsa. It was tiny but boy did we enjoy driving it. As football fans, we managed to drive to some great matches as far afield as Madrid! That little car did us proud and I’m sure that quite a few of my Audencia classmates will remember squeezing into the back to go places!
The structure of the programme at Audencia was a wake-up call in more ways than one. Back in Azerbaijan, I was used to having classes in the morning and spending the afternoon working on assignments and coursework. At Audencia, we had to be in class by 08.30 and only finished by about 18.00, it took a while getting used to! However, I would still say that the biggest take home of my year at Audencia was the value of teamwork. It may sound corny but being in a class with 13 or 14 nationalities was a real test of how interconnected you are or can become. We worked together, had fun together and created lasting relationships.
Tell us more about the crêperie venture!
I think I must have tasted crêpes from all the crêperies in Nantes. I discovered them in Nantes and developed a serious passion for them. When we had to write a business plan for our International Business class at Audencia, my classmate Nariman and I wrote one for setting up a crêperie back home. A few years after we returned to Azerbaijan, we really did open a crêperie in Baku and it was a success! We had 4 people working for us and we were not only the proprietors but (very) regular customers. The venture lasted for nearly 4 years until I was posted to Switzerland and Nariman to Turkey, but we were able to sell it on as a viable business.
How would your crêperie associate and former classmate describe you?
I think he would say that I am a good and trustworthy friend. He might also say that I have a tendency to be a bit pushy, but I hope that he would add that it’s in a balanced way and not to the detriment of anyone else. I guess that people generally see me as determined and quite driven and ambitious. I have often quoted a saying that if you can’t run towards your goal, you walk to it, and if you can’t walk then you crawl and if you can’t crawl then you lie with your head in that direction.
I think you have an interesting story about how you met your wife. Can you share it with us?
My wife doesn’t like me telling the whole story, but here it is… I met her at work. When I returned from the US exchange programme, I worked for a while with the team that recruited the future cohorts of scholarship students and my wife was one of them. This was just a coincidence and I had no romantic thoughts at the time because she was still in high school and I was already working. We met a couple of years later, but again, we barely acknowledged one another. Then, one day at work, my boss introduced me to our new colleague who was starting in the legal department and it was her! Our paths had already crossed several times but it was only when we became colleagues that we started dating. She is a fantastic person and my best friend; she definitely keeps me grounded and sane and I know I can always go to her for advice.
So, is football really all that important to you?
Football is an integral part of my life and perhaps, like oil, runs in my veins! I have played it, supported it and helped organise football-related events wherever I have been in the world. Back in 2003, with some school friends, we set up the Baku Fire Football Club and joined the national futsal league. We’re almost at the 20-year anniversary landmark and although I no longer play there, I’m honorary president of the club and our young players are winning some great competitions. During my time in the US, I was in the high school football (soccer!) team and this got me noticed, leading to several offers from American universities to join them although it wasn’t something I’d ever anticipated doing. For me, sport is about letting off extra energy, the team spirit and pure enjoyment.
One of my fondest football memories while I was at Audencia was going to a Nantes-Lyon match at La Beaujoire which Nantes won 2-1. I can still remember parts of that match more than 10 years later! In Geneva, my job is demanding, but there is always time for football. What more can I say? Football follows me around. My daughters are already armchair football fans and I manage to play football with them whenever we have a moment at home. My older daughter joins me if I’m watching a game on the TV, most recently during the European Cup.
Being a trader, you must know what it’s like to work in a stressful environment. How do you manage stress?
Stress drains our life power and I realise that and try to approach it responsibly. I’m definitely not a stress junkie and it’s not something that I necessarily want to have as part of my daily working life. However, as you mentioned, the very nature of my role – trading – has a fairly stressful environment as part of the job description. You have to be ready to make the calls and accept responsibility for them. However, I always try to avoid stress levels that would affect my relationships with people. If I’m in a stressful situation, I try to do a helicopter view and stand back. I try to understand the moving parts and what has caused the stress and this helps me to calm down and deal with the situation better.
There’s a method I use from time to time when I go into an important meeting. I mentally box up anything stressful and make sure there’s time to deal with it after the meeting. This helps me to distance myself from the problem and free up the head space to deal with the meeting in real time. It works!
Your CEO is a woman; does she have a specific leadership style?
I’m glad you asked this question. Having grown up in a family where the women – my mother, aunts and grandmothers – have all without exception had successful careers, mainly in medicine and academia, it’s something that I haven’t ever questioned. Women got the vote in Azerbaijan over one hundred years ago – often before many European countries! My CEO, Mariam Almaszade, is one of the first women to run a large oil trading company and I’m definitely proud of that fact. She joined the company in 2018 when it was going through a turbulent period and is currently leading the company through the pandemic with some good decisions. She has the skills and personality to keep up with the dynamics of the energy trading environment, brings her fundamental previous experience to the table and has an analytical mind-set and a hands-on managerial approach.
What about your own leadership style?
I think my leadership style is based on what I learnt myself from my managers, parents and professors. For me, the keys are education, learning new skills and gathering knowledge and I always encourage my teams to have that conversation with me. I also enjoy delegating and preparing people to do the job better than I can! The value I put on the table is helping people to choose the right paths and making it consistent with their career goals. I also think I’m good at building teams. Due to the nature of our business, I tend to approach things with a P&L mind-set so I find I can see the advantages of hiring new team members and am able to convince my bosses that this is the best way forwards.
It is no secret that the oil and gas industry is a target for climate campaigners. How do you react to these attacks and how do you see yourself having a positive impact?
I fully understand, accept and agree with the constructive criticisms but I also want to be part of the industry move from brown to green. The earth’s resources are becoming increasingly scarce and although things are starting to move in the right direction, our use of oil and gas is going to continue a while longer until we have a viable and lasting alternative. However, we are all aware that things must change and it’s not because I work in the oil and gas industry that I can’t have an impact. In fact, I hope I can contribute by instilling some changes from within. Oil companies and individuals must invest as much as they can in making sure this sector reduces its ecological footprint. The world has to become greener if we are to leave a decent legacy for our children and it mustn’t just be a bit of superficial greenwashing.
I am very involved in Climate Neutral Commodity (CNC), an independent Swiss business-led initiative supporting the global commodity industry in its transition to carbon-neutrality. I am a member of the advisory board and we have developed a process to measure and verify the offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from production to delivery, or to end-use (covering the full commodity lifecycle). This is part of the way we can ensure that the industry makes a positive change.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope that in 5 years I will still be bringing value to the company and the next generation of employees. I still feel that I have a huge amount to share and achieve. I definitely want to be part of the move towards a greener and more sustainable industry. As my children grow up, and understand my line of work, I hope they will, one day, be proud of the positive impact I have had. I definitely want to be able to look my daughters in the eye and tell them that I am striving for a greener planet. I also hope that in 5 years I will continue to maintain the work-life balance I enjoy today and still have time for extracurricular activities such as my work with the youth charity club back home in Baku.
What are you planning to do during your holiday?
Visit some of the many beautiful places in Azerbaijan and see our families!
Very unusually for a comparatively small country, Azerbaijan has nine different climate zones from semi-desert and dry steppe to alpine tundra and more in between. Each time we come back, my wife and I try to show our daughters as many different aspects of our home country as possible. We also spend time with parents and grand-parents to give the girls as much family time and cultural exposure as possible, and there’s a language aspect too. Our 5-year old is growing up in Geneva and her French is way better that her parents’. She sometimes even apologises for us when she thinks we don’t understand. In turn, we make sure she and her sister are exposed to as many different Azeri speakers as possible.
Reading Time: 10 minutes
Co-Founder of Les Petits Culottés
Les Petits Culottés is the first eco-friendly nappy brand distributed through direct sales and short sales channels in France. Its sister company “Les Petites Choses” offers a range of organic feminine hygiene products and is engaged in fighting period poverty. At first glance, one might expect the company to be headed by a “mompreneur” who started a lifestyle business after having her children… Meet its co-founder Johan who is anything but. A farmer’s son, with a bachelor’s degree from Audencia, he learnt the ropes of the FMCG trade among the international giants. At the age of 31, motivated by a longstanding itch to start his own business, as well as solid ethical principles, he launched Les Petits Culottés.
Back then, he didn’t have children and couldn’t even tell the front of a nappy from the back! Going against all the entrepreneurship rulebooks, Johan started the company with his close friend – and fellow Audencia alum – Matthieu Batteur. This pair of bearded young men has now become the Ben and Jerry of the French eco-nappy market. It’s not the economic success that Johan mentions first when asked about his proudest accomplishments, but his satisfaction that his employees come to work with a smile on their face each morning. Maybe the office etiquette that bans shoes and encourages pattern socks is a contributing factor… “It puts us all on an equal footing,” he jokes.
We discover an entrepreneur with a big heart and ambitious dreams, yet with his feet firmly on the ground. At 34, Johan exudes remarkable wisdom and a cool head. He shares his personal recipe for success with us, based on high moral standards, respect, self-preservation, and a vow never to take himself too seriously.
Is there anything in your background that can explain why you have chosen the path that led you to where you are today?
I come from the Vendée, a rural region in western France, where my father farmed and my mother was a leather worker. At first glance, it would appear that I have taken a completely different direction to my parents. However, I can clearly identify the values that I have inherited from them. My father taught me the importance of common sense and hard work, both essential to survive as a farmer. I come from a home where it was important to be humble and to be aware of the value of things.
I suppose that my ecological awareness comes from growing up in the countryside. However, it’s only now that I live in Paris that I have realised how I miss living in an environment close to nature, where life is simpler.
As for my liberal views on gender equality, my parents were good role models and displayed a rather modern approach. I am lucky that my family members have been supportive with my life choices.
What were you like as a child?
It depends on who you ask! My friends saw me as sociable and fun loving. My parents would tell you that I was boisterous and needed boundaries. However, my teachers would remember me as a focused and engaged pupil.
Why didn’t you choose farming as a career?
Farm life and its symbiotic relationship with nature appealed to me, so I did consider this option but the financial perspectives were too precarious. I enjoyed school but I needed to find purpose and practical applications to remain motivated. One day when I was in high school, I visited the library to browse through job descriptions. I discovered the buyer’s role and I liked how it sounded; outward looking and transversal. I imagined that it would fit my personality, as it requires resilience, as well as an inquisitive nature in order to come up with insightful competitive intelligence.
How did your experience at Audencia have an impact on you?
The best thing that I got out of Audencia has to be meeting Matthieu Batteur. We met during our first year back in 2005, immediately clicked, had a few wild nights out and became close friends. We also happened to cross paths professionally after we graduated, and the rest is history!
Apart from the high quality academic and practical training from the school, my other take homes are the countless moments of intense friendship. These years were genuinely some of the most powerful and vivid moments of my life.
Why did you decide to start your career in some of the world’s largest multinationals?
When it came to procurement, these companies appeared to have the most advanced strategy. I joined L’Oréal as a buyer, then LVMH, and finally Kraft-Mondelez. In this last role, I discovered the American corporate culture at its best: when you prove that you are motivated and competent, you get promoted quickly.
What motivated you to take the leap and set up your own company?
After 6 years at Mondelez, I felt that I’d covered the main aspects of my job. I didn’t feel challenged enough, and I knew that others could deliver results as well as me. I felt too young to see my motivation and pleasure falter and by then, several of my friends had shifted into entrepreneurship. This career path fascinated me, and I itched to make the move too but annoyingly, I was lacking a concept.
Luckily, a combination of events played out in my favour. At Mondelez I had the opportunity to go for voluntary redundancy. Then my friend Matthieu Batteur who was working for Gilbert – a leading pharmaceutical company specialising in baby products – asked me to advise him as a procurement consultant. The decision to set up my consultancy firm was relatively easy because I didn’t have much to invest, my risk was low, and at 30 I knew I could bounce back if I failed. My plan had always been to use this as a stepping-stone to generate some revenue that I could invest in setting up my own brand.
Shortly after that, Matthieu suggested we go into an entrepreneurial project together. The advantage was that he had come up with a strong concept for a baby nappies product that his lab wasn’t interested in developing. Matthieu called me on Christmas Eve 2017, and two years later we launched Les Petits Culottés.
Would you say that you set up your company as a knee-jerk reaction against the large corporations you’d worked in previously?
I am well aware that we couldn’t have launched our business so successfully without the experience gained at mega companies, so I certainly won’t bite the hands that fed me. However, I am convinced that the quality of the products they offer must be addressed. Historically, nappies have been produced using petrochemicals because the materials are cheap and stable. However, scientific studies are unequivocal; there is also a negative impact on consumers’ health. The whole business model, based on price wars, high margins for mass distribution, high volumes and cheap raw materials, has to evolve quickly and soon. It is challenging for such huge vessels to pivot whilst maintaining the same financial performance.
In a sense, it was easier for us because we were aware of these issues from the get-go. Our CSR principles and our financial model are not contradictory, and we don’t have any shareholders to fight against. Fortunately, more and more consumers realise that their credit card can be used as a ballot paper. As long as they have access to information and alternative products, they have the power.
How did you come up with the concept for Les Petits Culottés?
When we first started to research the market, we were hugely surprised to discover the lack of regulations in the baby hygiene sector. And we weren’t even parents yet! It is insane when you think that these products come into direct contact with a baby’s sensitive skin. The product composition is opaque, and studies have shown that the big manufacturers’ products contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
We also learnt that less than 5% of nappies bought in France are manufactured here. Our vision from the outset was to produce in France using healthy, natural, and, of course, highly absorbent materials. We also made a point of making our products accessible price-wise, the trickiest objective to achieve. To bring our costs down, our strategy was to cut out all the intermediaries and to sell from the manufacturer straight to the consumers. This is where my rural common sense came in handy! We ended 2021 with 30,000 subscribers, 15M€ turnover, a dozen permanent employees, about 60 million nappies coming off the factory lines, and above all, a viable business.
Why did you decide to branch out into feminine hygiene products?
Many mothers who were fans of our nappies came to us enquiring whether we offered a feminine hygiene range with similar qualities. This sector is equally poorly regulated, so this is why we came up with “Les Petites Choses”, a 100% organic cotton range. Our products are available for free in about 2,000 dispensers in partner schools and universities and we are also present in more than 3,000 pharmacies in France. We are very proud to be part of the fight against period poverty among students.
Are you competing against Jho, the organic feminine hygiene brand, founded by fellow Audencian Coline Mazeyrat?
We have a different pricing and distribution strategy from Jho. However, there is plenty of space on the market for players like us, and I actually consider that our main competitors are the historical leaders. Ultimately, we need the eco-friendly sector to take over, and growing side by side with Jho isa good sign!
By going into business with your best friend, you have given the lie to the saying “Don’t mix business with pleasure”. How do you make your partnership work?
Personally, I would find it much riskier to partner with someone I have only just met rather than with a friend I have known for 15 years. Entrepreneurship is intense and often stressful: it’s important to have someone to share the responsibility for decisions. Our strength is that we have complementary talents and interests. The way we split the workload came naturally. Matthieu has a salesy temperament, so he excels in the commercial and marketing side of things. I have an analytical mind, which led me to look after the manufacturing, logistical, and legal operations.
When we started Les Petits Culottés, we had no product to show and the project consisted of a few slides; the risk that we were asking our potential partners to take was high. I believe our duo’s complementarity and the determination that we exuded were essential in winning their trust.
We don’t agree on everything though… which is healthy! Our partnership is strong, but, as in any relationship, it needs to be nurtured. We set aside two weeks every year to retreat to the countryside, take stock of what we have accomplished, ensure each other’s buy-in on future decisions and maintain a coherent path towards our dream.
What professional achievement are you most proud of?
I think I’ve achieved a good balance with my personal life, which was not a slam dunk because we launched the company just when my baby was born. For the company to be long lived, I am aware that I need to go easy on myself. Having a close-knit support network is equally essential: I know I can rely on my friends and family at challenging moments.
I am also proud of the fact that every day when I step into the office, people greet me with a smile. The economic impact we are making is gratifying. We have not just generated jobs, we have contributed to re-industrialising Brittany and the Vosges regions where the two production sites are located. For some of our products we are even partnering with a vocational centre that employs about 20 people with disabilities.
I could also mention our 1,600 5-star rating reviews on Google. Knowing that so many parents love our brand values and that our products help them have nights that are more peaceful is a real boost. I am always baffled that so many customers take the time to write messages of appreciation. One mother, who had just cancelled her subscription because her child was now potty-trained, felt she had to write to us to explain. She said that she was so fond of our company that she almost considered having another baby! Last week, another one wrote “Les Petits Culottés is the best thing that came out of the Vosges region aside from the world-famous Munster cheese”. This is simply the ultimate praise!
Let’s jump in with both feet: you are in a field where we would expect to find women. What do say to those who might think that you lack legitimacy in your understanding of women’s concerns?
Actually, being a man in this field tends to put a smile on people’s faces, and that’s a plus, which has helped get us noticed. We have always positioned ourselves as the cheeky challengers who want to shift the lines. The good news is that they already have: just look at the paternity leave terms that are being extended in several countries. Fathers have opinions and new ideas to share. And mothers actually appreciate men being involved, including in feminine hygiene products. The objective is to achieve progress together by minimising our environmental impact, re-localising, and closing the gender gap. For this, we need all genders on board.
After discussing tampons and newborns’ stools all week long, do you compensate by pumping iron, fixing cars and going hunting at the weekend?
No, there’s no testosterone surge on Friday evening! Quite the opposite: working in this field has made me broody and encouraged me to have children. It also motivated me to learn more from women. Both Matthieu and I are totally at ease with our roles.
What piece of advice would you share with Audencia students and alumni who are thinking about setting up a purpose-driven company?
Don’t believe that entrepreneurship is the only road to success. You can find fulfilment as a company employee. Don’t over-plan, and take experiences one at a time. If you do decide to set up your own venture, don’t underestimate the importance of a viable business model. Dig out your notes from your Audencia years.
Working for a passion or a cause and not just for profit is highly rewarding and your enthusiasm will help you to convince and motivate people around you. But be mindful not to lose yourself. For me, there can be no satisfaction in achieving professional success on its own.. My biggest nightmare would be to realise in 20 years’ time that I have missed out on my daughter’s childhood. So, be ruthless in managing your time, which will be hard at the beginning. Even more so when you’re working from home because of the blurred boundaries. Find time to squeeze those sport breaks into your diary, and carry on reading and staying curious.
If your career goes absolutely as per plan, where would you like to be in 10 years?
I have benefitted from mentoring and in a few years’ time I want be able to give back and share my expertise*. I hope that Les Petits Culottés will be going strong and will even grow: it would be a great sign that the whole economic model has evolved. I would want to see it carrying the same values and be an environment where employees still smile. Hopefully by then my parents will have stopped asking when I will become a fixed-wage employee!
*Since the interview, Johan has become patron of the Audencia Bachelor class of 2024 programme.
Reading Time: 9 minutes
TERMINAL MANAGER
“When I look back over the path I have followed since first leaving my humble community in Bangalore, it feels like nothing short of a miracle”. Varsha’s incredulity about her achievements is touching. But listening to her as she retraces her steps, it is clear that her success is truly of her own making.
Within her family, she is a true pioneer: no woman had ever before dared to dream of venturing outside her home city, … let alone exploring other continents.
She is thus the first. Today, Varsha works in Houston for a third-party logistics provider that operates in almost 30 countries. She has managed teams of up to 50 people, the vast majority of whom are male. She is driven by the conviction that optimising the supply chain can contribute towards making people’s lives better. Varsha considers that it is her experience at Audencia – where she followed the MSCPM (MSc in Supply Chain and Purchasing Management) programme that provided her with the tools and confidence to succeed in an international environment. Her bubbly, driven and go-getter personality have certainly helped.
We meet a determined young woman who has pulled off a remarkable challenge. To pursue her dreams, she has transcended her circumstances and broken away from her background, without ever turning her back on it. She’s one to watch!
Tell us a little bit about where you come from
I was born and brought up in Bangalore, a large city in southern India where I lived with my extended family – my parents, my brother who is 7 years younger, my aunt, uncle, and grandparents, all under the same roof. I come from a modest middle-class family. I spent most of my playtime out on the street, hopscotching with the other children from the neighbourhood. Both my parents graduated from university and work for a bank. They raised my brother and I with the idea that education is essential, primarily because a good degree would give us access to the security of a stable job.
What were you like as a child?
My teachers would remember me as that typical studious child who was always meticulously taking notes and asking questions. I have been always a person of needs rather than “wants”. I am happy, satisfied and grateful for everything that I have. Like, I never had a room of my own, I would just throw a mattress on the floor at night and that was sufficient for me. I have always been self-motivated, and to this day, I have a strong work ethic. I was an extrovert though, and from a young age, my curiosity has driven me to approach people and ask them all sort of questions.
As a child, what did you dream of becoming?
Initially, I wanted to become a doctor, then a pilot. By the age of 12, I knew I wanted to be an engineer; I think essentially, my dream has always been to find a way to help and make life better for everyone, by making processes more efficient. It was also important to me to be a role model for my brother: he eventually followed in my footsteps.
Why did you decide to go abroad?
I have always been curious and open-minded and from a young age, I was able to appreciate the beauty of diverse cultures and opinions. I had moved in the same restricted social circles all my life, but when I saw people in my circle moving out of the city, I started wondering: why not me?
Whilst following a bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering, my mechanical design classes were taught by a French professor. His practical style of teaching contrasted with the methods I had been exposed to, and I found it intriguing. Also, I had always only stuck to one mantra, which was: “work hard”. He challenged me to consider “working smart” instead. This teacher opened my mind, and thus the “international seed” was planted in my head.
When I was 20, an advisor from Campus France – an agency that promotes higher education in France, convinced me to take the leap. I spent a year secretly researching and planning the move, and when I announced it to my parents, it came as an utter shock to them. Even before I graduated from my engineering school, I had already had a couple of offers for well-paid jobs. So, they simply could not grasp why I would aspire to continue studying, let alone abroad. I come from a place where fathers consider their daughters to be their vulnerable little princesses. My father remained opposed to my decision for months and it was only through sheer determination and my mother’s support that I managed to push myself out of that comfort zone.
Did your first experience abroad at Audencia live up to your expectations?
When I arrived in Nantes for the French semester of my International Master’s in Supply Chain Management, I felt terribly homesick. I didn’t know a soul there, and I could barely say more than two words in French. I cried my eyes out for the first two days but then acclimatised to the new way of life. The next time I cried was when I left Nantes! When I arrived, I struggled to find accommodation and ended up staying with a host family. I was extremely lucky to form a special bond with them. We got so close that they attended my graduation ceremony, and even my wedding in India! We are still in touch and I can safely say that I have a “French mum”.
I loved my time at Audencia, especially as I discovered a brand-new way of learning and interacting with so many diverse nationalities all with their own specific take on things. It was very different compared to what I had experienced in India. The international environment surpassed my expectations.
Can you share the main steps of your career journey?
At the end of my semester at Audencia, I moved on to Milan for the Italian semester at MIP Politecnico di Milano, the second and final part of the dual degree. I then returned home to India for a month … only to announce to my father that I intended to join a management trainee programme in Belgium! I knew I had to manoeuvre carefully, and my tactic was to take a step-by-step approach to soften the blow. I told him that I was only signing a 6-month contract, after which I would come home… I expressed how grateful I was that he had sent me to study in Europe, but I also stressed how valuable this first job opportunity was. My parents finally caved in.
The graduate programme at Katoen Natie didn’t disappoint. I was training to become a manager, but the company’s policy is that any trainee has to start at the bottom and to explore several parts of the company. My first role was in the warehouse, working in the logistics department for an e-commerce business. After 3 months, I was offered a position in a start-up project and was able to choose my area of specialisation. I decided to work in operations because it allowed me to continue to learn, overlook several departments, and communicate cross-functionally. I worked in the Belgium office for 3½ years, managing several warehouses, in sectors as diverse as e-commerce, healthcare, luxury goods, and the speciality chemical industry. My mission was to set up or improve my clients’ supply chain operations and provide the best services the industry could offer.
In 2015, I got the opportunity to move to Texas for a project. I accepted the challenge and made my move to the other side of the Atlantic and, so far, there has never been a dull moment. I met my husband in Texas and this has been our home for 5½ years now.
Tell us more about your current situation.
The Flemish company I work for is a large international corporation operating across all continents, but it remains a family-owned business at heart. The trust that I have built with my managers and the independence that I have earned are invaluable, which explains why I have been with them for the past 8 years.
My current client is a specialty chemical company based in Houston. I am responsible for all aspects of their operations, so there’s an exciting entrepreneurial feel to the role. Thanks to my experience at Audencia, I felt much more equipped to fit into such an international and diverse environment. In one of my recent projects, I had a team made up of people from 13 different nationalities!
It has been a challenging and exhausting year because of Covid. Many of our client’s end products are used in food, water, medicine and other essentials. The spike in demand has been so unexpected that we have had to adapt our strategy and implement changes in no time at all. It’s been a real test of agility.
How have you managed to work your way up in such a male dominated environment?
I struggled at the beginning of my career because, as a young female manager working in operations, few people took me seriously. My way of earning my colleagues’ trust was a combination of hard work, empathy, and a collaborative leadership style.
What makes your job fulfilling?
I find the challenge of coordinating a multitude of people, processes and moving parts hugely stimulating. A sign that I love my job is that I have never resented going to work whilst many others stayed at home during lockdown, because I felt that my job mattered. My team, my client and I have contributed – in a minute way – to the global fight against the pandemic. I regularly reflect on my responsibilities towards the wider society and I need to know that my job is having a positive impact. At the end of the day, my role is about making life easier for others. When I see that consumers benefit at the end of the chain, and when I get heartfelt thank you messages from my clients, I know that my efforts have been worthwhile.
Do you find it easy to switch-off from work?
The switching-off skill doesn’t come easy, but recently I have got much better at it. My secret is to make sure that at the end of each day, I have made some headway towards my core work objective, and I have some clarity on what will be on my plate the following day. This way I can go to bed with a relaxed mind and I generally manage to get my 8 hours of sleep.
During the week, I stay in an apartment in Houston. In the evenings, I hang out with my colleagues and friends, do some fun activities and relax. On Fridays, I commute back home to Austin where I feel connected to my family and the Indian community there. My weekends are dedicated to catching up with friends. Thanks to technology, my parents and I speak at least twice a day. It’s fair to say we are close!
How do you feel when you look back at your journey so far?
Frankly, when I think about where I have come from and all I have accomplished since I first set my mind on becoming an engineer, studying abroad, travelling and meeting so many wonderful people… I have to pinch myself to believe it’s real. It’s quite a contrast with the conditions in which I grew up!
I own two houses in the US. They each have 4 bedrooms and I barely have anyone sleeping there… I have achieved what I deem to be financial success and I feel so grateful for this.
When I reflect on my childhood dreams of finding ways to help people, I know I did well in choosing a career in supply chain. I have absolutely no regrets.
Above all, I am so happy to have made my parents proud. A few years ago, they came to see me in Europe and I took them to Nantes because it was important for me that they got to see the environment which had shaped me. We visited Audencia and when my dad was in the lobby, looking up and all around him, he had tears in his eyes! We had a flashback to my state school in India: a one-apartment building with a playground as small as our living room. That was a proud moment for all of us. They met my “French mum” who told them how she had seen me grow and gain in confidence in the space of a few months. She is an artist and crafter who has introduced me to other talented artists from all over the world, many of whom I now count as my own friends. These connections would never have been possible if I hadn’t left my nest in Bangalore.
Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in 5 years?
One thing for sure is that I want to pursue my career in supply chain management and carry on learning; technology in my field is evolving fast and I want to keep up! I see myself staying in the USA as the people here are warm and welcoming. But I would move in a heartbeat if I had an opportunity to advance in my career, as long as it also works for my husband. I am willing to go anywhere in the world. Literally.
Any plans for the weekend?
We have recently moved into a new home, so we have hours and hours of DIY and decorating in store for us in order to make it feel homely. And there will be multiple calls with my folks of course!