Human Capital

Valérie Gabriel, Fil Rouge: “Always be yourself!”

Valérie Gabriel, Fil Rouge: “Always be yourself!” 2560 2367 Altavia

Meet Valérie! You may already know her as the voice of Fil Rouge.

Valérie, a.k.a. “Valoo” has been an operator at Fil Rouge for three years. She loves her job because she likes to welcome people and to be social. When she’s not on the phone, welcoming visitors, preparing mail to send or handling daily administrative tasks for Fil Rouge, she always finds the time to help company employees.

 

Valoo likes working at Fil Rouge because of its family-like atmosphere. She feels as though all of the employees were her children. Always smiling and in a good mood, Valoo makes us laugh—especially when she has to speak English.

 

 

Her advice: “Always be yourself!”

 

 

Raid Amazones: for Sophie Vaux, “It’s all about being together and helping one another”

Raid Amazones: for Sophie Vaux, “It’s all about being together and helping one another” 1600 1067 Altavia

 

In October Sophie Vaux took part in the Raid Amazones in Sri Lanka. The account manager relished the challenge and togetherness of the adventure race. She tells us more about her love for sport and readiness to leave her comfort zone.

 

How did you get to where you are now?

I was working as head of advertising at a PR firm. It didn’t take long for me to gravitate to the production side of things, and when I was hired to oversee print production for pharmaceutical laboratories, I knew I had found my calling.

 

Seven years ago, I joined Altavia In Store where I was put in charge of POS. It was a great opportunity to develop the more creative aspects of my job. POS is a vibrant, dynamic and all-encompassing line of work. We work with all kinds of materials, dealing with various practical, functional and creative dimensions. It’s very rewarding and stimulating.

 

 

How did you come to love sport?

I came to Altavia just as the firm was launching its exercise programme. It was an opportunity for me to really get back into it, and I met Alexandre, who’s a terrific coach. In no time I was hooked!

 

When I went to the mountains on holiday, my cousin took me trail running. With the Pyrenees and the Jurançon vineyards as our setting, it was simply glorious! My first run lasted 45 minutes, and I not only enjoyed it but also ran at a pretty decent pace.

 

When I got back to Paris, I called up some girlfriends who had been trying to convert me to running for some time, but the idea of jogging in the city had never appealed to me. We started running together and I loved it.

 

I started competing in short runs like the 10km Boucles du 17e and the 16km Paris-Versailles starring the famous hill, and the Course Royale, a 15km run through the legendary gardens of the Palace of Versailles.

 

The hardest race I’ve taken part in so far is the Raid Amazones in Sri Lanka this October.

 

 

What is the Raid Amazones?

It’s a charity race for women only, and in 2018 it was held between 10 and 20 October. It’s made up of two 16km and 10km runs, a 15km canoe race, a 48km mountain bike race and a 23km Bike & Run race. I signed up with two very sporty friends and our team was sponsored by an executive friend.

 

We trained under Alexandre, the Altavia coach, who put together an individual training plan for each of us.

 

 

Would you say the Raid Amazones is an opportunity to leave one’s comfort zone?

Sophie Vaux and her teammates

For sure. It really tests your limits. In fact, it pushes you well past your limits and makes you realise just what you’re capable of. Raid Amazones runners are able to take up the challenge and tap their hidden reserves in large part because everyone helps and looks out for one another, everyone works as a team.

 

 

What did you enjoy most about this unique experience?

I was really moved by the generous spirit that infuses the event. For example, at the end of the race, the two winning teams each receive €1,000 to give to the charity of their choice. Two other teams picked at random also receive €1,000. I liked how you don’t have to be a winner in order to help a charity you support.

 

 

Every year the Raid Amazones supports a local charity. What cause was highlighted this year?

This year, the Raid Amazones decided to support Reconstruire et Vivre, a non-profit organisation set up by a Frenchwoman right after the 2004 tsunami. It seeks to rebuild homes destroyed in the disaster.

 

 

What caught you most by surprise during the race?

For the canoe race we trained on the Aisne river near Compiègne (in northern France). But in Sri Lanka we saw that canoeing on a river is one thing and canoeing on the sea is quite another!

 

The weather was also a bit of a challenge. Even though we were lucky enough to train during a very hot summer back in France, with very similar conditions, it was much more intense in Sri Lanka. It was 10°C hotter with 60-80% humidity! That really takes it out of you.

 

 

What did the local people make of it all?

Sophie’s friends on Rais Amazones third day

This year the event took place in a low-tourism part of Sri Lanka. The region suffered 26 years of civil war (between the government and the Tamil Tigers) and severe depopulation. In 2004 the tsunami compounded the misery.

 

The 2018 race was held there to put the area back on the tourist map, show off its natural beauty and promote it as a completely safe destination with lots of fun things to do.

 

The local people aren’t that used to foreigners. So, you can imagine how surprised and amused they were to see 270 women running and biking past their rice paddies! They were very curious and interested in what we were up to.

 

 

A few weeks later, what does the Raid Amazones mean to you?

It’s all about being together and helping one another!

 

Raring to do it again – perhaps with an ALTAVIA team!

 

Etienne St Denis

Étienne St-Denis, a passion for words

Étienne St-Denis, a passion for words 1677 1119 Altavia

CloudRaker’s Creative Director Étienne St-Denis has had a passion for writing since he was 16. Four years ago, he published his first novel, “L’absence”. We look back on a rich and diverse career, shaped by decisive encounters, in which writing eventually took centre stage.

 

Could you tell us a little about your career?

I started work in an advertising agency, Twist Image, in 2001, before gaining my university diploma. There were 6 of us at the time. Six years later, the agency had no fewer than 125 staff! Over the years, we fine-tuned our range of services and specialised in the digital field. I learned a great deal on the job, by reading books. Twist Image is today part of the WPP group and has been renamed Mirum. I then joined the digital team at SidLaee, where I also stayed for 6 years. We upgraded the agency’s range of services by diversifying it and proposing more digital experiences, whether on the web or in sales outlets, including through the use of tablets or interactive projections, etc.…

 

You witnessed major changes back then, such as the arrival of smartphones…

Exactly. And this changed both the way people surfed the Internet and our approach to it, including new factors such as small screens or data caps, etc. We had to reinvent ourselves. Following this experience, I worked Freelance and 3 and a half years ago I joined CloudRaker. At that time, the agency was at a strategic turning point and was looking to reconsolidate its range of products and services.

 

Tell us a bit about CloudRaker

CloudRaker was founded in 2001 and has always been specialized in the digital industry, also adding consultancy work and content production over the years. CloudRaker has also launched its own paper magazine Cloud & Co.

 

What was your key challenge when joining CloudRaker?

This was to refocus on interactive aspects and experience design. In particular, the agency developed the Action Shot application, aimed at the general public. The principle involved is to capture several moments of action in a single picture. More than 2.6 million people use this app worldwide! When CloudRaker joined the Altavia Group a year and a half ago, we naturally focused on the retail sector.

 

Could you tell us a little about yourself and about your love of writing?

Between the ages of 12 and 16, the two great loves of my life were drawing and the guitar. A little later, for financial reasons my parents suggested that I should look at a career in graphic design and that I should keep the guitar playing as a hobby. At the same time, while still at high school, I developed a growing interest in the humanities thanks to my philosophy and French teachers .  This new interest gave me a new way to express my creativity. It’s highly complementary. Writing is a more tangible and more long-lasting medium than music, for example. And it requires more thought. At least that’s been my experience of it.

 

How did the idea come about to write a book?

I’d been writing short stories since school and I wanted to set myself a challenge and to find out if I was capable of seeing a project through to completion. The mental ability of finding just the right words is one which is quickly lost…

 

Could you present your book?

It’s called “L’absence” and it came out 4 years ago. I intended it to be a very personal book and I deliberately chose to write in the first person. I also wanted to give it a philosophical aspect, without it becoming pretentious however. I set about designing it in the same way as I do in my day-to-day work, when I’m designing websites. I drew up a plan, a sort of “user experience map” using two rows of post-it notes. Each post-it note represented an event. The top row symbolised the psychological development of the character and the bottom one the key moments from their life.

 

Little by little, at a rate of a chapter a month on average, my book took shape.

 

It then required proofreading and revision, not an easy task when you’re working alone. I therefore got several people to read my book, which gave me some perspective: even if writing is a very personal experience, you should never forget that the end goal is to share the results with others.

 

What is “L’absence” about?

It’s about understanding that we experience death at different times in our life. As an example, the first chapter adopts the point of view of a 5-year-old child. The second explores the thoughts of a 16-year-old teenager.

 

How was the book published?

The Société des Ecrivains proposed an arrangement to me, halfway between traditional publishing and self-publishing, with them handling the editorial work, from proofreading to printing, while I had to manage the promotional side by participating in events for example. During the launch in Montréal, I realised that I certainly wasn’t a “pro” when it comes to organising events!

 

Have your colleagues read “L’absence”?

Most of my colleagues have read the book and almost all of them liked it. They particularly appreciated the fact that the viewpoints change as you progress through the chapters, creating a wide variety of atmospheres.

 

Do you have any plans for a second novel?

Yes, definitely! For the time being, the draft is called “Le Duel” and it explores the idea that each of us wants to leave their mark on history and to find their raison d’être. A serious subject which once again I seek to develop in a not-to-serious way.

 

Nathalie Lemière

Nathalie Lemière: heart of a finisher, a story of resilience

Nathalie Lemière: heart of a finisher, a story of resilience 2560 1440 Altavia

Nathalie Lemière took part in the Paris Marathon with her colleagues from Altavia.

She is from Normandy. She loves sailing. She is always looking for the next challenge to tackle. Nathalie Lemière, who joined the paper purchasing division at Altavia two years ago, has suffered from a heart defect since 2005. To strengthen her heart, she runs marathons. Her endurance and performance are constantly improving. In her blog, Coeur de finisher (Heart of a finisher), Nathalie writes about her life, her struggle and her wanderlust. Her next challenge? Trekking through Japan with her friend Marc Vettard. Read on for our interview with an inspiring woman who can move mountains.

 

Tell us a bit about your story…

In 2005, I underwent a routine varicose vein operation. I got a golden staph infection and went into a coma. I remained in that state for 2 weeks. Two heart attacks, pulmonary oedema and kidney failure all followed in quick succession. Staph destroys the body little by little. Even the doctors didn’t like my odds. But I made it out alive. I remember that during my coma, I dreamed of boats.

 

What happened when you awoke from the coma?

I had to learn to walk again. I quickly discovered that my heart was worn out, having lost 40% of its capacity—heart attacks cause necrosis of the muscle. But I never gave up. After 3 years, I started setting personal challenges for myself, like taking up running. My cardiologist encouraged me, even inviting me to run the marathon or the 100 km de Millau. It was his way of teaching me that endurance running was the way to strengthen my heart. I had to run as long as I possibly could, without setting time goals, maintaining a manageable pace. The goal is to overcome the heart failure, which leaves you breathless after expending the slightest effort, and learn to live with it. It’s been 12 years now that I’ve been setting annual challenges for myself.

 

What was the last challenge you overcame?

The Tour du Mont Blanc, in July 2017. It’s 170 kilometres, 10,000 metres of ascents and descents, 2,700-metre hills… After those 10 days, I was completely transformed. I decided to share my adventure and my struggle in my blog, Heart of a finisher. And to share my passion for travel with as wide an audience as possible.

 

How have you benefited physically?

I cut down on my medication by a factor of 8, thanks to working out, building endurance and cultivating a mind-over-matter mentality.

 

We hear you also love sailing?

Absolutely. I sailed to the Le Havre with a club. I also took on communications for a project led by Damien Seguin. He medalled in the Athens Special Olympics, and he is out there fighting to sail alongside athletes without disabilities on his boat, dubbed Des Pieds et Des Mains (Feet and Hands). At the time, it was radical. Nobody wanted to sail with him. So he joined forces with a friend of mine, Denis Lemaître. That’s how I got involved in the project. I took care of creating the brochure, Denis Lemaître’s website, etc.

When I saw Commeunseulhomme, I was immediately onboard. As a sailor, I am always on the starting line or the finishing line with my fellow sailors.

When I arrived at Altavia, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the group sponsored his boat for the Vendée Globe.

 

Tell us about your Japan plans…

I want to travel to the “Japanese Alps” with Marc Vettard, whom I met during the Tour du Mont Blanc and subsequently befriended. I heard about a trail in Japan known as the Temple Pilgrimage, sort of like the Camino de Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage. And of course, there’s Mount Fuji with its 3,776-metre summit. My goal is to report back on what I see there and on my inner journey.

I’m currently looking for a sponsor or donor. I submitted a request with Altavia, and they also got involved during People-with-disabilities Week by printing T-shirts.

 

Are you training in the interim?

I never stop training, otherwise I’ll lose all of the benefits. I run a lot of marathons (I’m on my tenth!) but I also do 90-km stage races. Plus, I do 6-hour endurance challenges. I’m preparing to shift my training focus to trekking.

My cardiologist advises me to always run endurance and, most importantly, to prevent injury at all costs in order to avoid having to take it easy during convalescence.

 

What is your favourite marathon memory?

The Paris marathon and the 40,000 people I ran it with. When you hit kilometre 30 and run past the Eiffel Tower, and the spectators are pressing in on both sides of the course and they’re screaming “Don’t give up!” —it’s an extraordinary experience.

 

For more, visit  http://coeur-de-finisher.org

 

 

Agency merger: how to unite different company cultures

Agency merger: how to unite different company cultures 2098 895 Altavia

Anne-Catherine Trinon, CEO of Altavia ACT*, shares how she steered the successful merger of her Belgian marketing services agency.

 

 

In the life of a company, whether in marketing communications, advertising or any other sector, a fusion constitutes a special moment. And it’s only after settling all the administrative red tape, that the work really starts: getting your employees on board of this new project, with a unified vision.

 

In 2015 my company ACT*, which I founded in 1997, was acquired by Altavia Group. As we were both marketing services companies specialised in retail, the merger was a logic step and over the past years I’ve had the pleasure of leading the newly formed Altavia ACT*.

 

A merger is never easy, but following the principle of collective intelligence, firmly embedded in the DNA of our agency, here are a few key steps to facilitating the process.

 

Anticipate change to transform early

One month before the announcement, the management held a seminar where we worked thoroughly on the positive consequences as well as the pitfalls of the merger. This allowed us to get a head start on any fears, doubts and blocks we would be confronted with by both workforces. Needless to say that the day of announcement was prepared with care, to already lay the foundations of the transformation this radical shift would entail.

 

Announce with confidence and care, then listen

After having announced the merger separately to both companies, every employee received an FAQ in which they would find the answers to the bulk of their questions. We also put a safe zone into place, where everyone could come and anonymously write their questions or doubts on the wall. Every day, I personally went through them and treated the answers with care together with the entire management team.

 

Come together and get to know each other…

Since I was already managing ACT* but was new at Altavia, I saw every single employee separately to discuss our mutual future. Everything could be said and would be kept between us. Shortly after, we united the teams and had them work together on how they could collaborate more closely, how their skills could be complimentary and what they could do themselves to facilitate the process.

 

…then get to know each other more to start collaborating

Let’s not forget the regular drinks, diners and lunches we shared to strengthen our bonds. Particularly successful were the speed dates in which the paired employees had three minutes to introduce themselves and see how they could forge a connection. The goal? Readying them even further for the next big step: moving house and sharing one single office. It was the undeniable full-force launch of our new agency, with new teams, skills, goals and ways of working.

 

Stay vigilant, keep listening and evolve constantly

Organising joint breakfasts, mingling the different teams, having weekly inter-departmental statuses, daily stand-ups and timely steering committees, helps us to keep our finger on the pulse of our company, as well as boost employee involvement and participation. The advantage? By eliminating the fear of being challenged internally and opening up the future of our company to every single employee, we keep evolving and getting better in what we do. As should be the purpose of every company.

 

mise en intelligence collective

Collective intelligence – When the employee takes on responsibility for the business

Collective intelligence – When the employee takes on responsibility for the business 2048 1365 Altavia

The Belgian BU Altavia ACT*  is unique. What is special about it? An innovative management based on collective intelligence. From the initial motivation to the business impact, Anne-Catherine Trinon, CEO of the Brussels agency, tells us all about this management model which is gaining more and more momentum.

But first of all, what is collective intelligence?

It is a process that lets us develop teams from obedience to independence and co-responsibility. Each employee therefore takes on more responsibility in the business.

 

Why give more independence to employees?

In a SME, a company director spends most of their time putting out fires, going from team to team to solve their problems. Giving each individual more independence means that they have more responsibility for what they do. So teams manage their own problems, with the aim of creating a more collaborative environment, while the company director is free to focus on their main task: developing the business and their vision, and finding new clients to expand the organisation.

 

Anne-Catherine Trinon

Anne-Catherine Trinon,, CEO d’Altavia ACT*

Rely on people, a winning decision

“I made the choice to rely on people”, explains Anne-Catherine. “What I wanted was for my teams to be just as happy to be working for the business in 5 years time.” And the least that we can say is that it works! Altavia ACT* has a very low staff turnover compared with other companies in the market.

 

“People are the driving force of a company.”

 

A way of thinking that goes against the mainstream

The concept was surprising at first. For centuries, the work model has not changed very much: the lower workers worked for their superiors by following and applying their instructions to the letter and without question. So a change in thinking really needs to happen at all levels. It is necessary to learn how to work independently and with confidence. This change takes time: at least 5 years to implement this process and change the company’s DNA.

 

And the return on investment in all of that?

Even though this model requires time and money, it will gain it too. We have seen that when teams are given independence, the managers are free to work on developing the business. As for the employees, they are equipped to identify and solve any problems that arise, so internal management runs more smoothly. More clients and potential clients are likely to be seduced by this way of operating. Clients become real partners. They are included in the discussion and can follow the progress of their projects in real time. The latest collaborative tools also contribute to this special and transparent relationship between Altavia ACT* and its clients.

 

Values or nothing

Before embarking on this journey, the company must have a clear vision, based on values determined collectively by the entire team. We must also be aware that once the process has begun, there is no going back: freedom given cannot be taken back, says Anne-Catherine.