NEOMA Alumni Mag - N°34 - Avril 2023 - 26

PROFILS - ENTRETIEN -
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ment of my experience. Railway industry is captivating.
It is not just about running trains: it deals
with growth projects, transformation projects, big
challenges in companies and in customer service.
Thalys and Eurostar are the first two high speed
railway companies to be merged: right now, I really
have the feeling to make history.
What were the main steps of your career at
SNCF?
I began as a finance girl, a controller. I had many
roles in this area, at different levels. The first big
step was in 2005, at a quite early stage of my
career, when my boss offered me to manage a
team of 500 train drivers in Brittany. He had identified
my leadership aptitudes; it was also fancy for
a boss, at that time, to choose a woman in her early
thirties as a manager. I thought: " Wow, I might fail,
but let's try it. If I fail, I'll go back in finance. " It was
a tough job, but I discovered what kind of manager
I could be as a woman, strong but also listening
and caring. This was the turning point that triggered
the rest of my career because from that
moment I became very visible at SNCF. I think I was
the first woman to lead that kind of team. After
that experience, my other jobs came one after
another: CEO of the regional network in Brittany,
CEO of TGV Atlantique, etc.
You have a special interest in environmental
initiatives and gender equality. At Eurostar,
how will you contribute to develop green
mobility and give women in transport a voice?
I do want Eurostar Group to take its responsibilities
in addressing mobility impact on climate. As the
European backbone of sustainable travel, we offer
a natural solution of low carbon trips. Most travelers
prefer using the train rather than the plane.
Travelling from Paris to Amsterdam by Thalys
emits 27 times less carbon than by air. We are
green by definition. Though, we still have things to
do to provide our customers with the greenest
- 26 - NEOMA ALUMNI mag AVRIL 2023
journey possible, by improving our global supply
chain. For instance, there is a main issue about
small plastic bottles in Eurostar - they came back
in Business Premiere during the pandemic, for
health issues. We are now launching a specific project
on supply chain and waste, to globally measure
and define targets about our operational
carbon footprint. Eurostar has just hired a new
Sustainability Chief Officer to work on it.
Concerning gender equality, I am CEO, but above
all, I am a very active mother. Female CEOs are
often asked about family and work-life balance. I
want to say that I have never chosen between my
family and my professional career. I have always
had rules: the main one is " family first " . For instance,
when my children were younger and lived with me,
despite all the travels, I have always wanted to
have at least one meal everyday with my them - it
is rather simple: either you leave after breakfast, or
you go back before dinner. All my bosses knew and
understood that, even if I had to repeat it very regularly.
I would like to say to young women: stay in
the course! You can be a CEO and a mother. It's a
fight, it's a lot of energy but it's possible if you stick
to your rules - as long as you deliver, of course.
Even now that my children are 25 and 21, I talk to
them at least once a day and I am very close to
them. I must also confess that my husband did a
lot by sharing domestic responsibilities. By the
way, in my teams the rules also apply to men: it's
OK for them to talk about their children, their
wive's job and have dinner with their family every
day.
Do you have any special recollection from
NEOMA?
I had a specific experience at NEOMA. I didn't go
through prepa, I was admitted through the
entrance examinations " Oblique " , with 10 to 15
other students coming from many horizons. We
spent two amazing years, discovering the culture
of a business school. I also liked Reims very much.
Can you tell us a few words about your
involvement as a mentor at Article 1?
I wanted to support underprivileged students in
their projects. Having the right codes, contacts,
network, and business culture is essential for them.
I began being a mentor 2 years ago, taking one
student at a time. These young people are smart
and motivated and deserve to succeed. I offer
them advice and guidance, help them write
their motivation letters and resume, train them for
their interviews, etc. I feel useful, even though
I know it is a very small personal contribution.
I wish Eurostar Group could have a global project
to help underprivileged students. My team and I
are currently working on it: another purposeful
objective! ❚
Interview by Marianne Gérard
NEOMA Alumni Mag - N°34 - Avril 2023

Table des matières de la publication NEOMA Alumni Mag - N°34 - Avril 2023
