#Iconic_Audencians: Céline Assimon (GE 01), the sparkling chameleon
- Get Involved
- Le 13 avril 2022
Céline Assimon, Grande Ecole 2001, CEO of De Beers Jewellers and De Beers Forevermark
When we explain to Céline that this portrait series aims to reveal the human nature behind Audencia’s iconic alumni, she is immediately up for it. She tells of her regret that she didn’t identify inspiring leaders she could relate to when she was studying at Audencia 20 years ago. At the time, “They all seemed to have this cookie-cutter life, the suit and the wife at home. I wish I’d had access to CEOs who shared their personal stories, successes, mistakes and the fact that you can thrive if you learn from them.”
Looking back at her career to date, Céline makes a point of emphasising the hurdles she had to overcome. She is convinced that she wouldn’t have reached her current position if there hadn’t been a few difficulties and failures along the way. She highlights three in particular: her father’s struggles with running his business, her own countless rejections in the search for her first internship, and the experience of taking de Grisogono through bankruptcy.
Céline has long established her reputation in this coveted industry, but she doesn’t take success for granted. “I am trying to look to the future with a cool head and a dose of humility. Careers nowadays are very fluid, and I might not have my CEO title in a few years from now.” It is with the same refreshing candour that this self-described chameleon, petrol head and bon vivant reveals her immersion into the African American culture, her best red-carpet moments and her signature dish.
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Audencia Around the World 2022: a strong turnout in Phnom Penh!
#Audencia_Worldwide “Audencia Around the World” is an event for alumni and students who are currently living and working in different cities worldwide. In 2022, for its fourth edition, Audencians around the world are embarking on a slightly different journey. With a nod to the School's motto “never stop daring”, alumni ambassadors have been creative, inventive and resourceful in devising daring challenges across the globe. The journey began on 17 March, and travels to cities on all five continents for a full month before coming to a close on 18 April. A special mention goes to the thriving alumni community in Phnom Penh who, with the encouragements of Seang Sok (MSc IM 10), turned out in force for a rooftop dinner. With a gathering of alumni who studied in Nantes over a decade apart, the event was a great success. Thyda Pov (MBA 2016) declared "It’s a great catch-up with all the alumni. The highlight of the evening is sharing the story of how we spent our time in France when we first moved in. We continue to support each other and hope to meet more of our alumni in the next gathering." We currently have the following dates on our daring list: 17 March New York: kick off session for a one-month compost challenge 18 March Phnom Penh: river cleanup 19 March Tokyo: 5km race around the imperial palace 20 March Barcelona: 5km run 22 March Hong Kong: online escape game 23 March Geneva: night swim in Lake Leman 24 March Munich: gathering with Uwe Supper (Audencia's favourite professor!) 25 March Madrid: climate mural 26 March San Francisco: bike challenge 26 March Chengdu: fun sport 26 March Algiers: forest clean 26 March Dubai: cycle trek in the desert 30 March Ontario: AAGEF networking & winetasting 31 March Amsterdam: afterwork with students 01 April Phnom Penh: Cambodian alumni dinner 02 April Baku: online gathering 03 April Beijing: city tour on bike 03 April Shenzhen: hiking along Shenzhen bay 03 April Washington DC: inaugural meetup 06 April Singapore: drinks & discussion 07 April Düsseldorf: Breton crêpes with Uwe Supper (again!) 08 April Melbourne: coffee before work 09 April Vung Tao: Trifactor swim 1.5km bike 80km run 20km 14 April Casablanca: ftoor 14 April Algiers: electing the class ambassador 14 April Milan: official launch of the Chapter 17 April Shanghai: plogging along Huangpu River [CANCELLED] 17 April Toronto: CN Tower edgewalk 18 April Boston: cheering on Léa at the Boston Marathon 23 April Luxembourg: jogging in the Grand Duchy More dates will be coming soon for Dallas, Montréal, Sao Paulo and more… And, throughout the event, from 17 March to 18 April, take a selfie showing your daring achievement (sporting, sustainable, nutritional… the choice is yours!) Can’t find anything near you? Drop us a line and we’ll help you set up an event!
- Get Involved
- Le 6 avr. 2022
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#Iconic_Audencians: Fulgence Ouedraogo (DCP 19), Captain Courage
Fulgence Ouedraogo, Executive Education DCP 2019, professional rugby player Fulgence Ouedraogo is the tireless tackler and captain of the iconic Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club, in the South West of France. Loyal to the club where he started as a pro, “Fufu” has been described as a role model and the soul of Montpellier. In 2011, he led his team to the final of the Top 14, the French professional rugby union club competition… gritting his teeth to ignore the pain of a broken hand. His international record is equally impressive. He has participated in several Six Nations tournaments (in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013), won the Under 21 World Cup Championship, and faced the mighty All Blacks in the World Cup final in 2011. With a height of 1m91 (6’3”) and weighing 99kg (15.5 stone), this gentle giant is highly respected for his integrity and bravery. Learning about his challenging start in life sheds some light onto his special qualities. Born in Burkina Faso, his parents sent him on his own to France when he was three, to be raised by a foster family. They hoped that this upbringing would give him access to a better education. Against all odds, Fulgence has pursued an exceptional sporting journey and he is grateful for how fulfilling his life has turned out to be. But he is still battling with unanswered questions around the merits of his parents’ decision. The athlete refers to rugby as a school of life that has helped him to take control of his destiny equipping him with crucial skills on and off the field. In 2017, in anticipation of his post-sporting career, Fulgence enrolled on an executive education programme at Audencia that he successfully combined with his intensive training regime. Fulgence shares with us his efforts to make peace with a troublesome past, his passion for the noble sports, and a few of his favourite pleasures as a father raising young children in the countryside. Read the full article here Audencia's Iconic Alumni It all began back in 2020 when we celebrated Audencia’s 120th anniversary by launching our very first iconic alumni collection. For this second series, we are delighted and proud to showcase 12 new profiles of Audencians from around the globe. The alumni that you will discover have very generously given up their time for an interview with fellow alumna, Katia Hérault (GE 2001), for which we are immensely grateful. Discover all the portraits here
- Get Involved
- Le 27 avr. 2022
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C’est par où la direction ? Le bien-être des dirigeants selon Simon Daspe (GE 13)
Tout est parti d’une carte postale manuscrite et d’un timbre du Petit Prince fin 2021… C’est de cette manière que Simon Daspe (GE 13) propose à des dirigeants d'aller à leur rencontre, d'échanger et de prendre le temps de mieux les connaître. Objectif ? Parler de leur parcours certes mais surtout de les découvrir sous un autre prisme : leurs passions, leurs joies, leurs craintes, ce qui les fait avancer... Fondateur de Terrecalm depuis 2020, Simon a à coeur le bien-être de ces hommes et femmes à la tête d'entreprise. "Quand on tape 'bien-être dirigeant' sur google, on ne trouve pas grand chose et dans le code du travail, on voit qu'on parle de bien-être des salariés au travail et pas des dirigeants qui sont des travailleurs non salariés. Si on veut que les entreprises soient rayonnantes, qu'il y ait un bon management, ça commence par l'homme et la femme qui est en haut...", révélait-il sur France3 lors du lancement de son projet, le 4 avril dernier. Au cours de son coaching individuel 'TerreCalm', ce diplômé audacieux offre aux dirigeants une parenthèse de 48h, une expédition terrestre pour prendre du recul sur leur qutidien et ancrer des repères. Vélo, Kayak, marche à pied... des moments uniques pour une prise de conscience ! Une véritable aventure humaine qui continue sous une autre forme avec ce périple "C'est par où la direction ?" Pendant 3 mois, Simon va sillonner les routes de l’Ouest (Bretagne, Normandie, Pays de la Loire) sur un Solex et rencontrer un dirigeant d'entreprise tous les mardis. Une 1ère rencontre, ce 5 avril, avec le co-fondateur de Faguo, Frédéric Mugnier. "Je n'avais jamais vu Frédéric avant notre rencontre, et la première chose que je lui ai dite est "tu es plus grand que ce que j'imaginais" et on a tous les deux ri et dans la suite de nos échanges j'ai découvert Fred dans une autre dimension, simple et humaine." D'autres suivront... Suivez ses aventures sur :
- Keep In Touch
- Le 11 avr. 2022
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Go Netherlands! Introducing the new guide to working in the Netherlands
Audencia's Career Center and Alumni teams are delighted to to bring you “Go Netherlands!”, the guide to working in the Netherlands. Following the success of the guide to working in France for internationals, this new edition focuses on a country that is a destination of choice for Audencians. Members of its thriving community of students and alumni say they choose the Netherlands for its economic stability, work-hard-play-hard lifestyle, multiculturalism and for being a country where English is often the working language. “Go Netherlands!” is a valuable resource for students considering a career in the Netherlands after their studies. Starting with HR professionals’ top tips and debunking the myths and realities of the workplace, Go Netherlands! also showcases the experiences of more than 20 alumni who have aced the challenge of finding a job and settling in the Netherlands. This week, discover what the Audencia's alumni ambassador in the Netherlands, Matthieu Vonthron (GE 05), has to say. After living and working in Germany, South Korea, Singapore and France, I arrived in Amsterdam 5 years ago. The biggest challenge in the move from France to the Netherlands was having to give up those long French-style lunch breaks with colleagues! Here, the Dutch typically eat a cold, light lunch (bread, fruit and dairy) in under 30 minutes. On my first day at work, my boss invited me for lunch (we both paid our share at the company canteen) and ordered a slice of bread, a portion of butter and a glass of milk. Once seated, he spread the butter on the toast and pulled out a miniature box of chocolate sprinkles (“hagelslag”) which he then delicately scattered over the buttered bread: that was his lunch! If I have a single piece of advice for students and alumni who wish to work in this amazing country, it is to always be on time - one minute late is already late! Alongside punctuality, it is also advisable to be clear and precise with Dutch colleagues and friends as they typically dislike or misunderstand messages that are too implicit. This also means that the Dutch are very direct, so be prepared for (constructive) criticism. Unlike the team structure in France, hierarchy in the Netherlands is very "flat" or horizontal. Dutch team members are encouraged to speak out and challenge their managers. The work atmosphere is therefore much more open and transparent. Speaking Dutch isn't required to settle down in the Netherlands, however, keep in mind that learning the basics will help you integrate locally. And finally… the Dutch have a great sense of humour and love to have fun. I must warn you that they tend to get quite noisy when they do so. There is a time for work and a time for play so be prepared to work hard and play hard. Read your copy of "Go Netherlands" here
- Career Center
- Le 15 avr. 2022