Audencia's Alumni Magazine

Here at Audencia, the start of the new academic year will always remain a special time, synonymous with sharing, reunions and the welcoming in of a new generation of students.

Filled with events including our Career Kick-offs, Career Connection Days, the Audencia Talent seminar, and our Go International event, back-to-school time is a high point for intergenerational interaction, where students get the chance to connect with you, our esteemed alumni, as they look towards their future professional career.

This new school term is also a great opportunity to honour the commitments undertaken by the school, which has always remained avant-garde and quick to get involved in these issues alongside our renowned partners. A good example of this is the partnership entered into by the school with the WWF some 12 years ago now. Just like the school, alumni and students alike are committed on a daily basis to a variety of humanitarian causes.

In this issue, we will find out about the various ways in which these stakeholders are getting actively involved: working for an NGO, innovations to support inclusion, sporting activities, and much more.

We trust you’ll enjoy reading this new edition of the Mag and hope the stories featured here will be as inspiring and meaningful to you as they’ve been to the team here.

And finally, for all the latest news on your school and its network make sure you subscribe to @AudenciaAlumni on LinkedIn.

Albane Guillonneau, on behalf of the Audencia Alumni team

Whether caused by natural disasters or violence-related emergencies, humanitarian crises are becoming more intense and in turn forcing international aid to evolve. The Mag provides us with an update on the latest major trends shaping the humanitarian sector.

The tsunami in Asia in 2004, an earthquake in Haiti in 2010, ongoing civil war in Syria since 2011, the brutal intensification of the war unleashed in Ukraine in 2014, and so the list goes on. So many events that have shaken up humanitarian aid. According to Karl Blanchet, Professor of Humanitarian Public Health at the University of Geneva and Director of the Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, one of the main developments is down to the nature of population displacement driven by these crises. While refugee camps still exist on the boundaries of the territories affected, more refugees are settling in cities, as is the case in Beirut for example, where an estimated figure of nearly one million Syrians have found refuge. As a result, it has become very complicated for international NGOs to identify needs and provide follow-up assistance to vulnerable people.

Against this backdrop, international humanitarian NGOs have no choice but to increasingly work alongside the civil societies of the countries in which they operate. This localisation of international aid is accompanied by an increase in local recruitment.  More and more, the sought-after profiles in the humanitarian sector are from locally-based civil society and collaborate with one or more international organisations.

This phenomenon is intensified by the digitisation of processes, chiefly in dangerous areas where international organisations venture less, for fear of attacks and kidnappings, often giving way to the national organisations which they support. In order to monitor the quality of actions carried out, a veritable form of “remote management” is implemented, with tools such as telemedicine, digital data sharing, or the transfer of dematerialised funds.

Alizée Avril (Bachelor 07), a management controller who has worked for a number of NGOs over the past decade, has also observed a digital shift that the sector has been forced to navigate.

“The majority of interactions between NGOs and their financial backers are now done via online platforms,” she points out. “This trend is being driven by the growing complexity of the sector, increasingly rigorous demands from the financial backers and therefore an increasing professionalisation of NGOs looking for more and more specialised skills, particularly in finance and administration.”

The emergence of crowdfunding has also served to move things on, by bringing donors nearer to the recipients in the context of the development of microcredit funding. A multitude of charitable associations are springing up. Their work, very often exemplary, can at times make international assistance coordination more complex and weaken the financial security of NGOs faced with greater competition when seeking funding. Yet another reason to further professionalise the humanitarian sector.

Guy-Pierre Chomette, Editor

Séverine was sailing across the Atlantic as Léa was running a marathon. Both equally committed to connecting their passion with purpose by serving the public good, so as to demonstrate that humanitarian engagement comes in a variety of forms and is not always synonymous with having a career on the other side of the world.

Séverine Amalric (ABM 21) was born in Brittany near to the sea, for which she has always had a lifelong fascination. Offshore sailing, boats, and the nautical world continue to fascinate her, so much so that she is intent on making it her career. With ambitious sailing projects surfacing all around, she finally opted to take the plunge and set a course for Cap-Martinique in May, 2022.

A crazy challenge, decided on a whim, and one that she would embark on alongside her father. For Cap-Martinique has two original features, in that it is both a double-handed race and in support of charity.

Séverine approached l’Envol which provides adapted holiday stays for hospitalised children and organises excursions for them to La Trinité-sur-Mer before departure and Fort-de-France after arrival.  In the space of a few hours, she presents her boat, tells the children all about life on board and the voyages, in order to help give these young sick children a new lease of life.

“I didn’t think many people would come along at first. Yet, this project seems to have struck a chord and is far beyond anything I could ever have imagined. And the children have given me incredible strength. Moreover, if it hadn’t been for this added responsibility, I don’t know whether I’d have seen this project through to the end.”

This is a vision shared by accomplished runner Léa Porterie (GE 22), who has collected $10,000 by running the Boston Marathon, in April 2022, in aid of BuildOn. This organisation mobilises young people from disadvantaged schools to engage in community service and through international humanitarian missions.

“The legendary Boston Marathon is a challenge in itself, but to get to take part and raise $10,000 by myself, in a foreign country, without any prior connections or support, was a tremendous challenge. I put my neck on the line but it was super rewarding. I’m proud of myself, I got to meet some great people and have now built up a strong network. This has made me want to keep going. My time qualifies me for the next marathon in Boston, so I’ll be back there. Maybe I’ll scale things back though; in my future races I‘ll definitely be running for charity again.”

Séverine dreams of Kilimanjaro. “To all those who think the timing is just not right for them, I’d like to say: go for it, take the plunge and try not to overthink things.”

To check out Séverine’s Transatlantic voyage, simply head to Papa Au Rhum (@papaaurhumsailing) • Instagram photos and videos

Florence Alix-Gravellier, Editor

After graduating from Audencia’s Bachelor programme in 2007, Alizée Avril went straight on to launch her career in the humanitarian sector. Her most recent position: Administrative and financial controller of projects at Geres, an NGO which aims to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people by fighting against climate change and its impacts.

Could you start by taking us through the major milestones along your career path?

I completed my studies at Audencia with a Master in International Cooperation and Development at the University of Madrid, before heading off to work as an international solidarity volunteer (VSI) for two years in Chad as part of a local association there. Following this, I enrolled at the Bioforce school in Vénissieux, which is a benchmark for training in the humanitarian professions. I followed a one-year course for HR managers and financial controllers involved in humanitarian projects. In 2015, after a six-month mission in Mali, working for Acted in a highly complex crisis context, I joined Handicap International for five years, where I was posted on short overseas assignments, at their head office in Lyon, and in Amman, as their HR and finance manager of the Jordan mission. In 2019, I joined Geres, where I am truly committed to putting the humanitarian skills I’ve acquired to the service of the humanitarian sector so as to help our ecology.

So, what exactly is Geres?

Geres is a development NGO, originally set up in 1976, that supports countries through energy transition, with the aim of improving the living conditions of their populations. This includes designing innovative energy-saving solutions, implementing bioclimatic architecture, supporting farmers for instance by building passive solar greenhouses for a more effective control of harvests, etc. By promoting energy transition and fighting the effects of global warming, the living conditions of the local populations in turn improve. By way of example, in alliance with the local institutions and partners, Geres supports the renovation and construction of schools in the region of Midelt, in Morocco, to improve teaching conditions. In winter, temperatures can plummet as low as 4°C in the classrooms there!

So, there’s a close link between humanitarian action and environmental preservation?

Absolutely, and this link continues to grow ever stronger. Environmental and climate degradation is becoming a threat for many populations all over the world. Food shortages, access to water, access to energy, and the like. There are so many crises, both cyclical as well as structural, that call for the specialised intervention of an international NGO such as Geres, to support these populations in coming up with solutions to lead a better life. In this particular context of environmental crises, development NGOs and emergency NGOs are highly complementary to one another since they both enable the implementation of long-term solutions.

Guy-Pierre Chomette, Editor 

In a vocation which has taken her from Liberia to Sudan, via Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo working for Action Against Hunger, Bérengère Tripon (GE 98) learnt the ropes in the highly delicate field of humanitarian action. Today Desk Officer for Sudan and South Sudan for the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), this tireless traveller looks back over her atypical life journey at the service of humankind.

Bérengère, can you tell us how it all began?

I’d always wanted to work in the humanitarian field. If it had been up to me, I’d have gone to med school but whilst studying science in year 12, I realised this might well prove tricky for me. However, humanitarian profiles can be divided into two main categories: those who help, for instance the caregivers, and those who help the helpers, such as logisticians or financiers. So, I enrolled at a business school and chose Audencia in order to carry out my work-study placement in an NGO.

At the end of my internship at Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World), my manager advised me to perfect my management control skills in the private sector since NGOs need well-trained experts. On the ground, you learn a lot but the technical side of a job is learned at school and in a business setting. For me, this was at Audencia, PWC and Lagardère Active.

So, what is in-field humanitarian work really like then?

Contrary to popular belief, it is predominantly made up of specialised professionals: doctors, water technicians, agronomists, logisticians, management controllers, etc. You don’t start out as a country director. You become one. Although it’s possible to quickly work your way up, mastering your own specialist area will always help you get your foot in the door.

It’s a challenging environment where you’re confronted with emergency situations and often precarious living and working conditions. The contracts are pretty short too, generally for a 12-month period, and all your coworkers are 150% invested in their assignments. For this reason, each individual must be well trained, prepared, and job ready right from the get-go.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Dare to make that commitment! Give it all you’ve got, even if it’s only for a period of your life. Some people only take on one assignment, while others dedicate their entire career. There’s just one rule: for your first mission commit to dedicating at least 9 to 12 months. Too many people say they’re going to head off for 6 months “just to see”. Yet, this proves hard as it takes around 4 to 5 months for you to become effective during your first assignments.

Maybe it was easier before, when you could cut off from your personal life completely. Yet today, the reality of the situation is that you can get Internet access anywhere, even from the middle of the bush.  For some, this makes immersion trickier. Ultimately, they miss what’s been left behind.

So, my top tip is to live this experience to the max, at least once in your lifetime.

Learn more in episode 6 of Les Égarés du Canapé 

Florence Alix-Gravellier, Editor

Increasing numbers of young people are getting mobilised and in a similar vein the students here at Audencia have themselves been getting behind a great many humanitarian projects. This is the case for Louisa Boydron (MSc FAM student), who has been in Togo heading up a number of projects. As for Élise Mehaddi (GE 22) and Elsa Prévost (GE 22), last July they began an 8-month trek across Africa and South America. They tell us their stories. 

From January to February 2022, Louisa upped sticks and went to Togo for an internship as part of her course here at Audencia:

"I’d always wanted to discover Africa and, truth be told, for a rather personal reason: my parents met each other in Burkina Faso! Also, one of my classmates Marie Keller had told me about an opening, so I applied for an internship offer working for the HICA association. It was a first for me as I’d never done voluntary work before, I’d just never got round to it.”

An eye-opener

So, Louisa spent two weeks in a village helping small project promoters to develop their activity, mainly supporting an artisanal palm oil producer. The rest of her assignment involved raising awareness on how to safeguard the environment. “It’s not all that easy for a European to get the message across.” For Louisa, this experience has left its mark on her: “It was a real eye-opener for me: people with so little and yet so happy, who welcomed me with a great deal of kindness. This has truly spurred me on to do voluntary work in France.”

Tanzania, Kenya, Bolivia and more

Departing on 12 July this summer for a lengthy journey spanning Africa and South America (article appearing in The Mag n°20), Elise Mehaddi and Elsa Prévost bring us up to speed on their travels from Tanzania: “We are currently in a small town in the north of the country supporting the Femme International association, fighting period poverty.”

The two young women have already carried out their first mission in South Africa this summer and will soon be heading out to Kenya. In October, after a brief trip back to Europe, they will be heading off to South America and Bolivia. The duo is due back mid-February 2023!

Feel free to show them some support, as they still need a helping hand in raising money to complete their funding pot!  

Jordi Soudé (SciencesCom 07), Editor

The Triathlon Audencia La Baule has just concluded its 35th edition. The perfect time to take a look back at this sporting event where the importance of solidarity was certainly placed front and centre. Another high point that has left a lasting impression: an inspiring conference held in late June, in the company of neurologist Lionel Naccache invited along to be our special guest of honour.

As is the custom at the start of each academic year, the Triathlon Audencia La Baule was back again for a 35th edition that took place over not two but three whole days, from 16 to 18 September. On the programme: a total of 21 races, with some 7,000 participants and no fewer than 45,000 spectators. On 17 September, Audencia Alumni were at the tri-relay starting line for the general public, with 22 teams of three. For the first time ever, this year the sports event was an opportunity to support two worthy causes which “the community hold dear”, explains Katie Francois, Alumni Relations Manager.

The first: l’association Nourette (The Nourette Association) for seriously ill children set up in January, 2022.

“This event provided the opportunity to shine a light on this young association, whose purpose is to ease the daily lives of hospitalised children, their families and their care providers, while the month of September is dedicated to supporting the fight against childhood cancer,” explains Gaël Lamant (GE 96), the association’s founder and father to Nour, who passed away from leukemia at the end of 2021. He adds:

“This helps us in raising awareness and encouraging people to donate. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of different types of leukemia, rare diseases for which research is slower to advance. Hence the importance of getting behind and funding this research.”

The second challenge, this time seeking to raise awareness on colorectal cancer screening, paid tribute to Hervé Gaudillat (EMBA 13) who also passed away last year. This sports enthusiast who signed up to all editions of our Audencia-La Baule Triathlon from 2006 to 2019 took his position on the starting line over 25 times!

Audencia wished to financially support these two causes. Léa Porterie, student of the Grande Ecole Programme who is “very invested and sporty”, was given the opportunity to present them both with a cheque to the value of €500. A financial helping hand that will notably allow the Nourette association for seriously ill children to fund projects, such as the commissioning of decorative wall paintings in the hospital rooms.

Two trophies created especially for the event by the artist Thierry Loheac were also awarded.

Another highlight

On 30 June, the summer was also marked by another prominent event: the conference on the theme of "A brain so inspiring!”, at the Salon Hoche in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Topping the bill for this 4th edition: Lionel Naccache, neurologist, ENS graduate, lecturer in physiology at Sorbonne University and essayist, was the keynote speaker. The conference was also led by four alumni: Pauline Ferrières (GE 20), Céline Tran (MS MDC 18), Romuald Graveleau (SciencesCom 03) and Emmanuel Lacroix (GE 09). Around 140 graduates participated at this annual conference.

In addition, for the first time, this inspiring conference hosted by Sandra Khawand (student on the MBA 22) was broadcast live and followed by around fifteen alumni ambassadors based outside the Île-de-France. The event was also a chance to shine a light on two young women entrepreneurs: Pauline Ferrières (GE 20), who cofounded DEYI, and Mathilde Allard (Bachelor 18) the inspiration behind Cocoon. “This evening received extremely positive feedback”, states Nushad Merchant, Alumni Relations Manager.

Florence Falvy, Editor

Last springtime, Syed Kazim Baqeri (MBA 15) let me in on what’s been happening in his life of late (Read the full story), recounting the portrait of a forty-something-year-old forced to flee and driven into exile by religious extremists for the second time in his life.

This was a year ago. A few days after Kabul fell into the hands of the Taliban, Syed Kazim, his wife, his two daughters, his mother, his brother and his sister-in-law boarded a military aircraft heading towards a new life in an unknown land, without any preparation and no luggage.

Reaching a safe haven in Italy, the Baqeri family gradually set about rebuilding their lives but the sense of exile could not be shaken off. They remained foreigners, at the bottom of the social ladder, in a land, with a language and a culture that was alien to them prior to landing in Rome.

Thus, sharing his story became a way for Syed Kazim to put his finger on the reality of life as a refugee, to raise awareness on a phenomenon that, he is convinced of it, only stands to grow over the coming years.

“The displacement of human populations due to climate, conflicts, poverty or globalisation will only continue to increase,” he explains. “The decision to leave one’s country, one’s entire life is often brutal, with little or no preparation. Therefore, there’s a need to take a fresh look at how these displaced families are hosted, integrated and considered, so that we can live more harmoniously together and limit the loss of talent.”

For despite his MBA and countless professional certifications, Syed Kazim has the feeling that his professional experience has suddenly lost its value. He is faced with a painful language barrier. Expatriates enjoy a high degree of added-value from a North-South direction, whereas migrants are stigmatised, even rejected, in a South-North direction. The reception of displaced populations differs greatly depending on which angle it is viewed from.

Thus, without any sense of fatalism, Syed Kazim continues to recount his story again and again, to bring people together, break down barriers and bridge the gaps, whilst also continuing to develop the HR-Tech project he was already working on in Kabul. Through his startup, he hopes to contribute to the diversity of human resources in the world after.

Read all about the story of Syed Kazim Baqeri and his family

Florence Alix-Gravellier, Editor

After a two-year break in activities due to the health crisis, last July Golf Trophy Audencia made a return to the green. In going international, this 5th edition has taken the event bigger and better, whilst remaining firmly in support of solidarity.

Usually held every year in West France, on golf courses in and around Nantes, this year Golf Trophy Audencia, has taken on a whole new dimension by going international. Indeed, from 8 to 12 July, the event, sponsored by CIC Ouest and D-Vine, took place in 5 cities across the globe, in Nantes, Paris, Singapore, Chengdu and Geneva. This provided an ideal opportunity to bring together 145 participants. The event was open to alumni as well as our corporate partners operating in the local communities.

Perfect for “creating a fertile ground for the network to thrive with a reach that goes far beyond the school,” highlights Laëtitia Caliez, Alumni Relations Manager responsible for steering the event. In total, 41 teams gathered on the greens to compete against each other across the 18 holes.

"In teams of three, the golfers play in a scramble format. On each strike of the ball, the best shot of the three players is selected. Thus, this collaborative competition enables each player to play on their own skill level, giving everyone a fair chance and making each participant feel valued.”

Golf Trophy Audencia reached its conclusion on 12 July this year and the results were announced by a videoconference. This special moment was combined with a remote wine tasting, in the company of an oenologist from D-Vine, Béatrice Dominé, who explained the different wines.

Solidarity swing

A key feature of this competition: its solidarity-based approach. Indeed, Golf Trophy Audencia took place to the benefit of the Audencia Foundation. Thanks to the scores achieved by the top 10 teams across the world, €4,050 was able to be donated to the solidarity fund. A great way to “provide support for students facing financial hardship by means of grants but also to support people affected by the conflict in Ukraine." Taking part in Golf Trophy Audencia is therefore a great way to perfect your swing, network, and display generosity.

We’ll be seeing you in July 2023 for the next edition. Note that the organisers of Golf Trophy Audencia are promising “bigger things to come”. In short, the event may well strengthen its presence in all four corners of the globe.

Florence Falvy, Editor

In creating Solinum (which stands for Digital Solidarity), Victoria Mandefield was on a mission to provide support to actors in the social and solidarity economy. Six years on, now with a staff of 30 on their payroll, she joins us to talk about this human and entrepreneurial adventure.

“The social and solidarity world is on the move, and is now breaking new ground,” explains Victoria Mandefield, the founder of Solinum, a company seeking to help people in precarious circumstances. She came up with the idea whilst still a student: “I was at engineering school and used to outreach to homeless people. They would ask me a lot of questions: where to take a shower, the contact details for various associations, and so forth. I came to realise that, on occasion, I would unknowingly be giving them the wrong information.”

This is how the idea of an updated database was born, one that would gather information on the various social emergency, health and reintegration facilities, etc. “I called it the ‘Soliguide’, which at the present time provides information on 50,000 services across 25 of the French departments.”

A double degree

Initiated whilst in her second year of engineering school, the project met with considerable interest:

“I had to develop it though, and to this end needed to hone my skills in terms of management and business management. I opted for Audencia’s engineer/manager double degree programme to make this happen.”

And the results speak for themselves:

the “Soliguide” is available as an app, a website and also comes in paper format. It has become a reference for social sector workers: “it’s a tool that helps to simplify their work and save them time. Moreover, people in precarious circumstances are also connecting online too. We often forget, but most of them have their own smartphone.”

A million searches

The number of Soliguide searches has reached upwards of a million since the beginning of the year 2022. This success is enabling her company to take things on to the next level:

“Our goal is to be present across all French departments over the next 2 to 3 years and to replicate this model globally. There is no other equivalent tool anywhere else in Europe.”

Alongside her 30 employees, Victoria also wishes to democratise citizen lodgings in France through her ‘Thanks for the invite’ (‘Merci pour l'invit’) initiative and she also produces studies on the key points related to precarity: “We have data from the field and can make this available to State authorities with a view to advancing public policy.”

Learn more

Jordi Soudé (SciencesCom 07), Editor

A Solidarity Fund that comes to the aid of students in need and two evening donor appreciation events in support of entrepreneurship and diversity at the school: in the first semester, alumni generosity exceeded the targets set for the collection campaigns organised by the Audencia Foundation.

First launched during the Covid crisis to help support students in difficulty, the Audencia Foundation’s Solidarity Fund has been maintained to assist those facing structural challenges, particularly those related to the current inflationary economic situation. Some of the funds are directed towards students who have fallen victim to the war in Ukraine, while the school is also committed to welcoming in around a dozen Ukrainian students from the start of the new school year. With a total figure of €51,540 raised in the first semester, the initial target of €50,000 has indeed been smashed.

Furthermore, to mark this milestone of 2,500 individual contributors achieved this year, for the first time ever, the Foundation organised two evenings of appreciation to thank them, the first held in Nantes on 14 June and a second held in Paris on 5 July, where the generous act of alumni giving was clear for all to see. The donors all close to the School had previously been asked to choose between six student-support projects, of which the following two were selected:     

• Entrepreneurship

This is about motivating the greatest number of students to become entrepreneurs during their studies at Audencia. While the Audace Contest awarded five prizes worth an average of €1,400, ten living grants were also awarded, each to the value of €2,500, to enable student entrepreneurs to do their internships working on their own project and bringing their business project to life.

“For my startup project, ‘La Cuisine de Jeannette’ (‘Jeannette’s Kitchen’), the Foundation gave me a real boost thanks to the grant and the Audace Contest. This has enabled me to believe in my project and dare to work towards a fairer, more sober and more joyful world!”, testifies Ombeline Gille (GE 21).

• The Parcours Sirius study path

Available exclusively in France, this new system bears the hallmark of Audencia. The scheme allows pupils leaving sixth-form college, and having obtained a vocational qualification, to follow a free one-year course enabling them to sit for the Bachelor admissions tests, by removing the various obstacles and by working on the key factors to success. As of this year, 12 pupils will benefit from the Parcours Sirius study path, with a view to increasing this number to 30 next year. Currently studying on the Grande Ecole programme, Romuald Prader has shown considerable determination to get on Audencia’s Bachelor programme, after having obtained a vocational high-school leavers qualification. He shared his testimonial during the evening event held in Nantes on 14 June:

“I wish I’d got to hear about the Parcours Sirius study path when I was in upper-sixth form. Particularly when it comes to the attractive financial support on offer and all it delivers on an academic level in terms of languages, global reach and building a professional network.”

Now with a running total of €66,000 raised during these two donor appreciation evenings, the target of €54,000 has well and truly been smashed. The culture of giving is undoubtedly an integral part of our Audencia alumni network.

Guy-Pierre Chomette, Editor

The School is committed to a policy aiming to increase the diversity of our students. To this end, in a further complicated economic climate, not everyone has the same resources and an increasing number of individuals are facing difficulty when it comes to the funding of their course.

In response to this, the Audencia Foundation is launching its solidarity campaign that will run right through to the end of this year. Its aim: to appeal to your kind generosity and fund support grants adapted to the various precarious situations that have been identified.

International mobility grants for internships abroad

For some years now, it has been mandatory for students following Audencia’s Grande Ecole programme to complete an overseas work placement. Transport costs and living costs: these internships may incur additional costs leaving some students struggling to cope. Mobility grants for overseas internships aim to provide them with support.

Grants for international students

While the School has an ambition to boost the number of international students at the school, the Foundation seeks to help those who are unable to finance their stay in France on their own. The presence of international students at the school is an asset in terms of cultural inclusion and is also an important criterion in the school rankings. By supporting these students, we are also supporting the entire Audencia ecosystem.

Entrepreneurship grants

The increase in the number of student entrepreneurs (also taken into account in the ranking of establishments) is an integral part of the School’s strategy. Moreover, these students are encouraged to carry out their end-of-studies internship working on their business project. In this situation, the absence of any income during one’s internship may deter student entrepreneurs. The Foundation is intent on moving this obstacle away by awarding them grants to pay for living expenses.

Solidarity grants

Launched within the context of the health crisis, the Foundation’s solidarity fund continues to maintain its importance, at a time when the economic situation might well impede the pursuit of studies for some of our students in need. A number of these students are facing serious temporary financial hardship and the Foundation has a duty to step in and help them.

This end-of-year solidarity campaign will reach its goals thanks to your help.

Guy-Pierre Chomette, Editor

Once again, this year our MBA students have had the opportunity to visit companies such as the Puy du Fou, the Breton malthouse Yec'Hed Malt, the Socomore company and the Vendée-based Arcade Cycles. What better way to experience some truly special times of sharing with decision makers, whilst getting to meet up with alumni eager to welcome them and open up the doors to their companies. Just follow the guide!

Earlier this year, on 13 May, the moment had come for 30 or so of our students to draw to a close their full-time MBA programme. To round things off in style, they travelled to Vannes and entered through the doors of the Socomore company, specialised in the preparation of chemical solutions for the aerospace industry. This morning-long tour was chiefly hosted by their HR Director Muriel Biju Charrier (GE 92) alongside the plant director. Also featuring on the programme for the day: a tour of the malthouse called Yec'Hed Malt, cofounded in 2016 by Florent Besnard (MBA 14), which produces malt from organically grown barley grown in Brittany. A great way to get to see each and every stage of the production process before going on to sample the beers.

Next stop Vendée

At the end of June, the Audencia Executive MBA delegation of Algiers stopped off in Nantes for a week of seminars all related to the theme “Between tradition and innovation”. On the programme of activities: two Vendée-based company tours. Firstly, some 24 students headed to La Roche sur Yon and joined the Arcade Cycles company specialised in the design and assembling of city bikes. It was a chance to meet up with their sales and marketing director and company shareholder Laurent Chaillot (Exec MBA 12) and to see the various operations carried out in the assembly workshop.

A day that continued with a visit to the Puy du Fou. Nicolas de Villiers (GE 03), president of the famous theme park, was eager to meet up and talk with them, mainly on the subject of his passion for writing scripts for the shows and to explain how they are adapting to international cultures within the framework of their concept exportation. The students had the privilege of taking a look behind the scenes of the famous Cinéscénie, before visiting the stables and the falconry.

“These visits are a great opportunity for the students to get to meet with decision makers, allowing them to ask concrete questions and get a real grasp of the complexity of the business world,” points out Katie Francois, Alumni Relations Manager.

Florence Falvy, Editor

They have dedicated their professional career to defending great causes. In the humanitarian sector or to meet the environmental challenge, Nikki and Clara – graduates of Audencia – share with us their helpful top tips.

Staying true to one’s values

“I had a first experience in a fundraising consulting agency that was most interesting:  this enabled me to liaise with a lot of humanitarian organisations, identifying those most in line with my own values.  It’s an experience I valued and it proved to be a great springboard.”

Diverse backgrounds

“In an organisation such as MSF, you come across a wide range of diverse backgrounds – as is the case in any large company – and don’t shy away from applying for a post:  backgrounds in finance, HR and marketing are highly sought after now.  Go ahead and do your research, call them up to get to know the values they hold and the projects these humanitarian organisations are involved in.  What binds people together is the cause itself.”

Job mobility

“You can also choose an organisation based on how far away you want to work:  an actor operating all over the globe enables you to build an international career.” 

A change of path

“After two years working for a financial analysis firm, I decided to change direction and dedicate myself to the climate cause. I think it takes a certain amount of courage to change track. I read up a lot and educated myself on the subject, so as to be in a position to work on climate-related issues etc.  This allowed me to make my job more meaningful.”

Go for it!

“You just have to go for it! Feel free to send in spontaneous application letters, even if you don’t have the ‘typical’ profile to work in this type of organisation. My training in finance enabled me to grasp the pressing stakes and challenges facing States and local authorities.”

Patience et conviction

“It’s a world where patience is key. You conduct research and come up with climate-friendly proposals that only go on to be implemented two to three years down the line. You also have to defend your ideas, and persuade public actors to come round to your line of thought.”

Jordi Soudé (SciencesCom 07), Editor

• Friday 23 : MBA class of 2023 welcome session with alumni - Nantes
• Saturday 24 : guided visit « Le Montparnasse des années Folles » - Paris
• Tuesday 27 : webinar "How to communicate effectively at work?" / 职场中如何进行高效沟通？

• Thursday 06 : afterwork at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire - Geneva
• Monday 10 : France alumni launch event - London
• Tuesday 11 : afterwork - London
• Tuesday 11 : general assembly of the Audencia Alumni Association - online
• Wednesday 12 : webinar "Leader as healer" with Nicholas Janni
• Thursday 13 : wine tasting and conviviality - Lyon
• Thursday 13 : afterwork SciencesCom - Nantes
• Friday 14 octobre : 3rd sustainable development meeting - Nantes
• Saturday 15 : guided visit « Le Paris de Marcel Proust » - Paris
• Tuesday 18 to Thursday 20 : EFMD Global Fairs powered by Highered - online
• Wednesday 19 : afterwork - Nantes
• Friday 21 : autumn breakfast - entrepreneurial/intrapreneurial experiences - Le Mans

• Saturday 19 : guided visit « Les Oeuvres scandaleuses au musée d'Orsay » - Paris
• Wednesday 30 : Engineers-Managers evening - Paris

• Saturday 03 : guided visit « Le Luxe à la Place Vendôme » - Paris
• Saturday 10 : Homecoming Day (graduation anniversary) - Nantes
• Thursday 15 : conference & cocktail DBA & MBA - Nantes 

Find out about the latest publications from across your Audencia network:

“La vie est un ballet, on ne le danse qu'une fois” (“Life is a ballet, you only dance once”)

“In life, you mustn’t listen to yourself!” It’s by this motto that Juliette, a married, somewhat career-driven, thirtysomething young mom, has lived her life.

A reflection of the daily lives of many women, this novel deals with modern issues such as mental burden and the difficulty of striking a balance between motherhood and one’s professional life. With humour and authenticity, it brings with it a breath of optimism.

Edwige Billot (GE 07) - Published by Librinova

“Fragments” 

“Stay, won’t you please stay a little while. Listen to the sound of the town, the people, the river. Drink in the sweet scent of the cherry, lilac and pine trees all around. Caress the timid wind with your lips, here it comes again.”

Oscar de Rotalier (SciencesCom 17) - Published by Baudelaire

“Fantasy, Neoliberalism and Precariousness: Coping Strategies in the Cultural Industries”

Jérémy Vachet is a contributor to debates on working life in the cultural and creative industries in the field of cultural, sociological and political economy studies in communication. In this book, he addresses hitherto unexplored issues on the psychosocial impact of precarity, and also tackles other problematic characteristics related to working in the cultural industries.

Jérémy Vachet - By Emerald Group Publishing Limited

“L'entreprise et le bien commun” (“Firms and the common good”)

This book invites us to experience a common good approach, a concept neither reducible to concern for the welfare of others, nor exclusively focussed on self. In addition to the ethics of care that upholds a responsibility of caring for others, the common good perspective helps us to combine care for others and self-care, by working towards the good of the community. This approach is geared towards human development and allows for the full accomplishment of one own’s personal good.

Sandrine Frémeaux - Published by Nouvelle Cité

Séverine Richou, on behalf of the Audencia Alumni team

A number of our Audencia alumni have changed post in recent months. Congratulations to each and every one of them on these wonderful new appointments:

Clara Audry Bailly (GE 08) has been appointed General Partner at Jolt Capital

Rebecca Beaty (EIBM 10) has been appointed Senior Marketing Manager at Pleo France

Jacinthe Brillet (GE 00) has been appointed General Manager at Les Prés Rient Bio (Danone)

Eddy Cuglietta (GE 12) has been appointed Head of Strategy, Agency and Channels at Mollie France

Antoine Desjeux (GE 16) has been appointed Investment Director as part of the Development team at Apax Partners France

Agathe Duca-Combaluzier (GE 10) has been appointed Head of Sales & Marketing - Direct Sales at Casio France

Arnaud Foujols (GE 07) has been appointed Chief Transformation Officer at Elior France

Cédric Georges (GE 04) has been appointed Executive Director of Outdoor Sports Valley at ODLO International

Cyrille Glumineau (Bachelor 92) has been appointed General Manager Sales Southern Europe - Reality Labs at Meta

Corentin Hoo (GE 14) has been appointed Head of Merchant Services at Octopia (Casino Group)

Guillaume Josselin (GE 05) has been appointed Head of Financial Steering at Vyv3

Laurent Kayser (GE 11) has been appointed Deputy CEO at Cafeyn

Hervé Lavisse (GE 94) has been appointed Group Compensation & Benefits Director at Veolia

Tristan Lheure (GE 09) has been appointed Managing Director at OBM Construction

Grégory Malgras (EMP-MBA 05) has been appointed Chief Revenue Officer / Finance Manager at Goshaba

Laurent Melaine (ISMA 90) has been appointed Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer at Geodis - SNCF

Stéphane Miquelis (GE 01) has been appointed Sales Director at Mediakeys

Alexandre Morel (GE 03) has been appointed Partner in the Corporate - M&A practice of Eversheds Sutherland

Sophie Orain (SciencesCom 08) has been appointed Head of Brand & Engagement at Omnicom Public Relations Group France

Marie-Caroline Schwartz (GE 10) has been appointed Director of Company Law & Stock Exchange Law at Faurecia (Stellantis)

Fellow Audencians have launched their own business venture over recent months:

Grégory Colin (GE 09) is Partner at Smart Entrepreneurs Partners

Nathalie Chauvin (Bachelor 01) is the Director of Arthurimmo.com Angers Ney

Hugues Debray (GE 19) is a freelance Photographer

Mara Desmars (Communications Manager 2013) is a freelance Specialist in Communications & CSR

Arnault de Lambilly (Bachelor 04) is Co-founder of Provence Services and La Gare Coworking

We wish them all the very best for continued success in their professional life!

If you too are changing post or setting up your own business venture, we’d love to hear about it. Please drop us a line here at audenciaalumni@audencia.com

Séverine Richou, on behalf of the Audencia Alumni team

Dear Audencia Alumni,

Was your time at Audencia only yesterday or longer ago than that? Perhaps at that time the school may still have been called Sup’ de Co, Ecole Atlantique de Commerce or SciencesCom…

In order to celebrate your class-year anniversaries* in style, we are delighted to cordially invite you to come along and join us for the 3rd edition of Audencia Homecoming Day, our annual get-together event to celebrate our class-year anniversaries across all of the school’s programmes.

During a late afternoon and evening full of surprises, we promise to bring back all of your fond memories, as we take you on a journey to the very heart of your school for an immersive experience, where you’ll get to (re)discover the places and faces that left a lasting impression on you during those student years.

Book your place now, and come and meet the people who join to make up the Audencia of today, reconnect with your long-lost classmates and enjoy this wonderful time together, with an unforgettable "themed evening party" held in the gym!

Haven’t booked your place yet?

Today, we are launching a competition with 3 places** to grab to enable you to partake in this one-of-a-kind event!

Form

=> 3 random draws will be made (for one place each): on 7 October, 14 October and 21 October.

=> Each result will be announced via our LinkedIn page at the end of each draw.

* For alumni members celebrating their 1-year, 5-year, 10-year, 15-year anniversary etc.  In other words, alumni whose class year ends with the number 2 or 7, as well as the class year 2021. However, this year we’re inviting all alumni along to share in the celebrations!

** Find the rules of the game in the form

The Audencia Alumni team