My name is Jérémy Pasquereau and I’m the Chief Operating Officer in CACIB’s Operations Division. I work on a wide variety of projects and report directly to the Management Committee of the Financing & Trade Operations Division, which represents more than 500 employees, half of whom work outside France. I work closely with the Finance, IT and Human Resources departments and the CACIB Corporate Secretariat.

How would you describe the position of Chief Operating Officer?

The job title is as broad as the missions it covers. Generally, I provide support to the department for the budget management and coordination in the teams that have specific requests to be dealt with. My recurring assignments concern the monitoring of staff movements, budget forecasts, analysis of costs and gains made, production of KPIs, monitoring of delegations of authority and management of the business continuity plan.

I also have many one-off assignments in the form of mini-projects (refurbishment of premises, internal reorganisation, change of IT tool settings) and specific studies (cost analysis, progress of our quality approach).
This job changes all the time!

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

There are very hectic periods, especially at the end of the year during budget preparation, because all the data from the teams in France and abroad have to be coordinated and consolidated, and this involves a lot of discussions and interactions. There are also a lot of analyses to be carried out at the end of each month when the accounts are closed. The rest of the time, activity is regulated by requests from the Management Committee.

Can you describe your typical day?

There is no typical day. There are days when I have one meeting after the other, others when I spend practically the whole day working on Excel, and days when I’m on the field with the teams. The danger would be to cut myself off and not go out to meet others. But that’s not the case. I work in an open office where there’s a good atmosphere. We regularly organise breakfasts so we can all get together.

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

I don’t think that there is a standard career path for this job. I’ve been working in the Crédit Agricole Group for nearly 10 years now. With a Master’s degree in Accounting, Control and Auditing, I first did a work-study programme in an accounting firm before joining Crédit Agricole Assurances’ Internal Audit department in 2009. After 3 years, I moved to the Management Control of Crédit Agricole Payment Services, a position I held for 6 years. It is this dual experience as Internal Auditor and Management Controller that led me to the position of Chief Operating Officer at Crédit Agricole CIB in 2018. I wanted to work on a variety of assignments such as in Internal Audit and at the same time develop technical skills in management control.
Later, I think I could move on to a management position or the Finance Division.

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

You have to be a good communicator, know how to adapt to change, be meticulous, know how to step back and also be creative. Each study is different: you must always have lots of ideas and make polished presentations. It is this diversity that drives me every day!

And when you’re not working?

I love sport and competition! I’m passionate about climbing, which I have been doing for about fifteen years, and more recently, I have started running obstacle courses. This experience led me to take part in the TV show, Ninja Warrior. It is an obstacle course that is considered impossible where 200 competitors face each other in an attempt to go all the way to the end. It’s quite spectacular to do and to watch. My climbing skills and determination enabled me to reach the Finals, three years in a row.