Originally from a scientific background, I decided to gradually turn to sales positions (corporate and professional account manager in a Regional Bank, then payment appraisals at CA Group level). My position as head of sales promotion at CAPS is essential in the context of the “last mile” in the distribution of our offerings to the Group’s entities:

• be able to support our distributors in marketing CAPS payment services
• promote the range of payment services marketed by CAPS
• propose support solutions (training, information, action plan).

The diversity of my team, whether in terms of the 71% of women or its generational diversity, is an asset.
The various profiles that make up the team contribute significantly to the actions we undertake, as they allow us to have a good mix of sensitivity and to be more effective in our actions.

In this regard, and from my own experience, different types of diversity can only constitute a strength within a company: they bring creativity, rigour and enable the understanding of the sensitivity of as many people as possible.

How would you describe the position of “name of position”?

The job of manager is neither masculine nor feminine: the corporate world has already been engaged in this process of natural gender diversity for many years now.

On a personal level, it is a real pleasure to be able to work in a mixed environment ( female-male – junior/senior) that requires managerial skills and has to take certain specific characteristics into account.
This experience helps me enormously in my daily relationship with others.

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

My job in the sales department involves a lot of cross-functional interactions. Payment services are not affected by time. They work 365 days a year, albeit with a small lull between 15 July and 15 August. However, there are some projects that come directly to mind:

• Launch of ApplePay in January 2020
• The new Up2Pay range on the professional client market
• The new Up2Pay E-payment (e-commerce) offering in March 2020
• Development of the capacity to propose support on the new offerings of the new day-to-day banking offering
• Development of support in the form of training courses for Group distributors

Can you describe your typical day?

My typical day? The problem is that there is no typical day. There are simply projects and colleagues for whom our actions must be meaningful (not only for the project, but also for CAPS’s success in rolling out its commercial strategy )

Of course, there are times when the situation is more complex and tense, but I’m lucky to have a close-knit team where collective mutual assistance is the norm.
My guiding principle is enjoy what we do, do it with mutual understanding and with good humour!

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

You don’t become a team manager on the spur of the moment:
When I took on this responsibility in 2017, I set myself a challenge to develop a team and a nascent department.

Be able to act at all times with empathy and care, whatever the situation, even when complex.
“The career path” was a bit longer than I had originally planned. It required me to be open to others, make my ambitions known and seize opportunities and assignments making it possible to assert my capabilities.
In my case, I did not sense any specific barrier to obtaining this job, rather it was management that put its trust in me to launch the sales promotion department.

One word of advice however: in my opinion, guidance is essential for new managers to enable them to know themselves better and manage situations that may seem difficult to overcome at first glance…but are really not.
My advice as a young manager: be curious about how others work. This can teach you a lot and allow you to question your strategy

What messages would want to give to people who are thinking of taking up a similar position?

My advice as a young manager:

• It is vital to be caring and compassionate (be attentive to others)
• Being curious about how others work can be an excellent way to learn and allow you to question your strategy
• Ideally start in a business line you know
• Be aware that when you become a manager, you will have to manage not only projects but also HUMAN employees
• Be aware of the need to achieve a WORK/LIFE balance: I thank my wife and children who constantly enable me to adjust my cursor

But it is also a rewarding experience when the work of your colleagues and your actions are recognised and contribute to the company’s success

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

At CAPS, General Management is attentive to the issue of diversity, and this is an advantage when it comes to continuing actions to promote diversity.
As regards managers, I think that this issue is no longer a hurdle at all. Managers are very aware of the issue. The launch of the “POTENTIELLES” circle in the spring has reinforced this commitment.