Deploying leadership skills and the ability to adapt to different cultures

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  • Le 20 février 2017
Name: Jacques Thebault
Current position: Managing Director Asia, Sopexa Group
About my company: Food and beverage 300 employees
Degree earned at Audencia: GE 88
Nationality: French  
Residence: Shanghai - China
 
“Pick up your bags and look for a job in a country that makes you dream.”

My work
My role: Managing Director of Asia.
Coordination and Management of marketing and communication agencies in Asia, with a focus on China.

Soft skills: Leadership/excellent language skills/adaptability to learn and adapt to different cultures.
Hard skills: Finance/analytical mindset/ business management. 360 Marketing & communication, digital marketing.

My company: We have a truly multicultural culture and we are very focused on managing and identifying talent, maintaining mobility programmes, and employing international professionals from all around the world.

How it started: My key starting point was my training in France and the US which provided me with a competitive advantage. I was almost trilingual when I started my career. Later on, I developed my Spanish as well, I can assure you that language skills are very helpful. Also, I let my management know very early on of my motivation to work abroad.

My world
Culture shock: Leaving the first few times was a no brainer: VIE in Zurich, then a dream come true: working in New York. It was then more of a real decision to move back to Europe (Barcelona, then Paris). Moving to Asia was for me more of a rational decision than an emotional one.

Fun fact: Being introduced by a colleague in Barcelona to the Provincial Government as "not normalised yet", because I spoke Spanish and did not speak Catalan yet. Having to organise a seminar on a sensitive subject in the USA (sexual harassment) because of an incident with clients: the issue would have been treated differently at the time in Southern Europe but needed to be addressed swiftly in the USA. Eating jelly fish and chicken feet in China and dealing with the Chinese business culture (where alcohol in business dealings is still very present).

Why choose an international career?
The business world seems to be moving faster in North America and Asia than in Europe.
 
Jacques' advice
"I highly recommend that students apply on our company website. We also have a dedicated person who maintains the international talent development in the company. For networking, I recommend the French Chamber of Commerce, as well as the industry group for events, Lao Wine group of professionals and the CCAFC agro-food club."
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