Network Director

I’ve been working at the bank for 28 years. I’m now the Director of the NorthWest Network (individual, professional and private banking networks) after a varied career path: the corporates market, the world of payment linked to back offices, the retail network in the Paris region and risk.

This career path has provided me with a 360° view of the company and I have always approached functional mobility with a lot of energy and curiosity. The problem of gender equality has never arisen and has even been a facilitating factor, but the most important factor has been the ability to be agile, to take risks and sometimes to step out of my comfort zone.

How would you describe the position of Network Director?

Network Directors are responsible for the individual, professional and private banking commercial networks within their scope. They coordinate all their teams with the aim of meeting the company’s commercial and financial objectives. They are also in charge of developing the people in their system in order to meet the expectations of our customers, both internal and external.

Of the 11 Network Directors at LCL, I am the only woman. I can’t see any rational reason for this as the job is “asexual”, but perhaps it is because women are not confident/bold enough to apply.

What do I contribute to the circle of Network Directors? I think my contribution is more to do with my career path than the fact of being a woman, although it’s true that my “attention to detail” sometimes mentioned is more wanting to get to the bottom of things and make sense of them.
The advice I give myself is to be “myself” insofar as this contributes to the group.

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

The retail market is similar to the supermarket and hypermarket sector: we aim for the most regular level of activity possible throughout the year. The biggest point of focus is therefore achieving a successful start to the year, giving the teams peace of mind.

Peak times are more related to meeting the teams on the ground, which involves a lot of travel and good organisation to optimise time. The secret? Having a very good assistant!

Can you describe your typical day?

There is no typical day as such, but there are some constants that should be maintained: setting aside a bit of time to confirm the course of action and priorities, ensure a presence on the ground, making time to listen and be attentive. And then there are the more celebratory moments with the teams. These more relaxed moments are important for everyone: bonds are strengthened and discussions are more informal (often private), enabling simple and facilitating solutions to be found.

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

There’s no single pathway to get to this position, but some things are essential: knowledge of commercial networks, an aptitude for coordinating teams (liking people), a good understanding of risk, and a “development” vision.

This is a role that always attracted me and that I often mentioned, but without ever being persistent (which is probably a female flaw), so it was initially the momentum created by my managers up to the CEO that enabled me to get the job.

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

It’s a very attractive job that combines human, strategic and performance aspects as well as direct contact with the end-customer and the Group’s partners.
My advice would be: dare to ask; be persistent (!), have faith in your skills, emphasise your experience and your personal qualities (be bold) and activate your network.

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

There’s a lot of discussion about it, but in fact not much has changed. It’s hard to understand because women are just as committed as men. Perhaps it’s a question of self-confidence and putting yourself forward. More generally, it’s also a question of mindset: rather than listing reasons why the job seems out of reach, let’s focus on the reasons why we are the perfect candidate!