Agency Group Director

I joined LCL in 2006 and am now an Agency Group Director in the Jura within the Eastern Network Division. I joined LCL as a work-study trainee: there were only two women in that cohort, so we were effectively under-represented. More and more women are now coming into this role, but within the network, the higher you climb up the ladder, the fewer women there are: we have to rectify this!

How would you describe the position of “job title”?

Agency Group Directors report to a Regional Division and their role is to coordinate and support Agency Directors in commercial and management development.

They serve as operational contacts vis-à-vis the Regional Division in terms of quality of service and support, and also ensure that the service provided to our customers complies with quality standards.

Lastly, Agency Group Directors have to guide the management of various risks within their scope (compliance, operational and counterparty risk).

What are the peak periods of your job during the year?

There are various key periods during the year. It starts with the launch of the commercial year and the “resetting to zero” of the clocks. I have to ensure commercial activity and efficiency until the summer holidays.

The “back to school” period is the second key point in the year, when I have to mobilise the teams and ensure the momentum to enable us to achieve the commercial targets set and welcome new arrivals, including our work-study trainees.

Lastly, the management appraisals come at the end of the year. This is a period when I see each member of staff to review the past year, help them think about their future career plans and find out what their training needs are, in order to support them as effectively as possible, and launch career plans where applicable.

Can you describe your typical day?

Managing around 15 staff in a dispersed sector is a real challenge on a day-to-day basis. The pace of work is very fast, with no down time: I have to operate at 200% all day, but I like that, otherwise I would be bored.

I organise things so that I can see the agencies within my scope once a week despite the distances involved. This time with the teams is important for remaining close-knit and ensuring collective performance.

Family life is my second working day and is also very structured. I appreciate the weekends even more, particularly quality time with my family when I can recharge my batteries and start the new week on the right foot.

What career path is required to reach your position and what are the possibilities for development?

This job can follow the role of Agency Director. The most important thing is to have management experience in the banking sector, as well as experience in managing a portfolio, particularly for professional customers.

After that, your skills make up the rest: a sense of organisation, team spirit and availability, as well as an appetite for risk management.

In terms of evolution, we are part of a great company, within a strong group that gives us a very broad range of development options, so many in fact that we don’t always know what they all are.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of taking up a similar position?

Be bold! One quick story: when I joined LCL, I was in awe of my “young” Agency Director who had passed the ITB (Institut Technique de Banque – Technical Banking Institute), one of the best-known diplomas in retail banking. I saw that as unattainable.

Now, I have carved out my own path and I also have an ITB diploma and I’m an Agency Group Director!

How do you see the company’s progress in terms of diversity?

There are more men than women in my position: this is obvious when I go to conferences with my peers. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and the difference fades away very quickly. However, the higher you climb up the ladder, the fewer women there are: we have to rectify this!