Operations Director

I have a Master’s degree in Real Estate Management from the University of Paris Dauphine and a second Master’s degree in Real Estate and Construction Law from the University of Panthéon Assas. I’ve been working in property development for nearly ten years. I participate in the design, assembly and construction of apartment buildings. I joined the Crédit Agricole Immobilier teams two-and-a-half years ago as Operations Director within the Ile-de-France East Residential Development Department.

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

My role is to manage a team of Programme Managers. Like orchestra conductors for real estate projects, we ensure that real estate projects are properly carried out, from the signing of the agreement to sell the land to the delivery of the building to the buyers. Throughout the project, we work in conjunction with many internal teams (lawyers, finance specialists, construction engineers, sales people, etc.) and external partners (architects, notaries, authorities, etc.).

As both a manager and an expert, I work alongside the teams to ensure overall project monitoring and explore all legal, technical and financial issues related to operations. Even though the sector is very masculine, especially in the construction and political spheres (town hall, agglomeration, prefecture, etc.), we are fortunate at CAIP to have teams that really value women, particularly in the Programmes teams.

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

Residential real estate projects mostly last for three to five years and the key periods are more linked to the key stages of the project than to seasonality: filing of the building permit, commercial launch, launch of the call for tenders from construction companies, land purchase, site launch and delivery to end-customers. However, August is often a quiet time of the year, while the last quarter is often busy when the challenges of annual goals come up.

Can you describe your typical day?

While real estate projects often follow the same pattern, none are alike and our experience allows us to anticipate the dangers inherent in real estate projects or in any case quickly to put measures in place to move them forward. So no day is the same, but we always try to take the time to have lunch with the teams. Whether it’s on the Evergreen Campus or in a restaurant after a meeting, it’s always a laid back occasion when we can chat and bond.

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

After attending business school, I obtained master’s degrees from both the universities of Dauphine and Assas; this enabled me to specialise in real estate. We are project managers rather than experts, so the career profiles for my position are varied: engineering school, law school, business school, political science, etc. Although the environment is still very masculine, especially in senior management, I’m happy to see real progress and more and more positions of responsibility are occupied by women, who bring a new style of team management and negotiation with partners.

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

More than qualifications, it is a question, above all, of being enthusiastic and rigorous when working in project mode with all the internal and external partners. If you are motivated and like working in a team, don’t hesitate to come and meet us and find out what we do. Lastly, experience and adaptability are essential for managing projects, partners and teams in an agile way.