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Le 10 avril 2020

Xu Xiaolan in Shenzhen: at first I was anxious & full of anger but I've learnt to be more optimistic

Xu 'Laurence' Xiaolan (EIBM 14) is a senior consultant at Ernst & Young (China) in Shenzhen. She has been back at work for several weeks now and sees the Covid-19 sitation as having helped her to gain a more positive and optimstic outlook on life in general. How was the situation managed in Shenzhen? In Shenzhen we've been back at work for a few weeks now. People around us are still wearing masks, and, in my opinion, we have to some extent got the situation under control. To a point we have conquered coronavirus. What measures do you think worked the best? Staying at home is the best way to avoid infection. When it’s necessary to go outside, to buy supplies or to get a breath of fresh air, it's good to wear masks and gloves but also to try not to go to crowded places or meet friends and family face to face. When you get back home, remember to wash your hands with soap and put your clothes by an open window to let the air circulate. Plus, prepare some medication for fever or cold, if you don’t feel well, take some pills and drink a lot of hot water firstly. Only go to hospital when it’s really serious. How did you keep in touch with your family and friends during confinement? Internet is best way for us to talk to our family and friends, we could chat with wechat or other apps. It's very important to keep in touch, because talking to our family will make us more calm. What advice would you give to fellow alumni in France who are coming to the end of their fourth week of confinement? I hope fellow alumni don't underestimate this virus or take any unecessary risks. It’s not deadly disease, but the more people get sick, the more others will get contaminated. It's not only the elderly who get sick, middle-aged healthy people get infected too. If you catch the virus, you risk passing it on to others. What did you learn about yourself during this period? I was anxious and full of anger at first during confinement, I was afraid of losing my job or getting infected, but as time went on, I started to realise that I focused too much on daily news about coronavirus, about bad news. When I switched off the news for a few days, I felt better and started to use the time I had to learn some online course. I've learnt to be optimistic about life but also be prepared for the worst. Are there any new habits that you gained during your confinement that you will continue to use? I definitely didn't learn know how to cook, but thanks to internet, I could get all my food online. I guess I didn't gain any good habits but I now will have to start watching my weight!

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Le 9 avril 2020

Sylvia in Shanghai: reduce your anxiety levels by being selective about what you read on Covid-19

Mathilde Sylvia Bouboutou graduated from Audencia's Grande Ecole programme in 2006 and has worked in Asia (Hong-Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai) ever since. She is currently living and working in Shanghai as Operations & Expansion Manager for Dunho Marketing. She looks back on the Covid-19 situation and reminds us that it is not over yet. How was the situation managed in Shanghai? Measures were clear and swiftly implemented in Shanghai: we received clear information in several languages on the symptoms and where to go if an infection was suspected. People limited their movements to the essential and wore masks when going out, the city government reassured early as the quantity of food supplies at a reasonable price, quick identification of infected people and of the people they had interacted with, etc. If I’m not mistaken, during that time, Shanghai registered around 350 cases (and unfortunately 3 deaths) for a population of 23-24 million (probably less since many people were out due to Chinese New Year), so I believe the situation was effectively controlled. It's not over yet, so we should remain cautious. What measures do you think worked the best? I think the home confinement + social distancing and quick identification of suspected cases helped a lot. How did you keep in touch with your family and friends during lockdown? Since living abroad, I’ve used social networks to speak with them, so no changes there, I probably spoke more with family and friends during this period if anything. What advice would you give to fellow alumni in France? To be selective about what you’re reading on covid-19: it’s important to stay up to date, but it’s a case where too much information can cause lots of anxiety. And to look for silver linings despite the difficulties they might experience during this period, it does help to look for the bright side. How are you preparing to return to work/or going back to the office? We’ve been working remotely since early February, luckily, our industry enables us to do so. And we’ve been back in the office since mid-March, except for the team members in quarantine. Are there any new habits that you gained during your confinement that you will continue to use? I took more time to reach out to people I care for, and I plan to keep those conversations going.

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Le 8 avril 2020

Ayush in Paris: being at home totally changes your work-life balance

27 year-old Ayush Chandel is from India and he is coming to the end of his studies on Audencia’s MSCPM programme. He is currently on an internship with PSA, the French car manufacturer, in Paris. Ayush shares his experience of being on lockdown. “There is a saying by Anthony T. Hincks that ‘When you work from home there is no such thing as a holiday.’ I must admit that this is how I feel since the breakout of COVID-19, as every business and employee works from home or remotely. When you’re equipped with high tech resources, it’s become simple to be on the same page as what you were while being at work.” For Ayush, like all other workers in France, it has been three weeks since the beginning of the lockdown. He says that being at home has made him robust, productive and efficient. “There are more meetings but working hours don’t seem as long as it’s you who decide when to log in and log out.” He goes on to say that the positive aspect of being at home is being in control of your agenda and shaping every hour with an activity whether it is to do with work, a meeting or something home-related. Being at home changes the work-life balance and the time spent working or with family definitely goes off track. The best thing to do is to schedule each hour with dedicated activities. “For me, my morning starts at 6am with one hour of cardio followed by spending another hour on breakfast. After that, I start working until around 5pm and after that, I usually spend another couple of hours consulting other businesses or getting news updates. The remaining time is with family.” Ayush’s main piece of advice is to change activities regularly. “Don’t stick to one thing for too long, involve yourself in many activities and keep to a schedule. Use all of your living space for a bit of variety. I have started gardening, cooking, playing soccer in my backyard and a lot more.” Keeping busy is positive and refreshing says Ayush. “It’s spring so sitting in the sun at the weekend won’t make you sick!” He also recommends reconnecting with relatives who are far away. How are you keeping in touch with your family and friends during lockdown? Communication tools were all in place before lockdown but Ayush has noticed that connection times are longer. “You cannot hang-up your mum’s call when she is telling you the same news which you have already heard 10 times before,” he jokes. “The funny thing now is that you work and cook all together with family. Your mom becomes your boss, dad is CEO and other relatives and friends are co-workers.” But all at a distance for the time being. What advice would you give to friends and alumni in India who are preparing to go into lockdown? Avoid going outside for the coming weeks! “I know we all need food but we can be smart and stay out of contact with anything which might have been touched by someone else. Remember, all this is for our health and safety,” he adds. Ayush also reminds everyone to make sure they have the basic essentials to work from home – laptop (AND adaptor!), headphones for meetings, VPN access, external drive/hard disk, contact details of IT support and HR. Ayush has a special message for those who will be on their own: be enterprising, get involved in as many activities as you can and discover your hidden talents! “When you find yourself on your own, you become the hero and the boss of your life; no one’s going to be there for any kind of physical support. Use your time to network and make new connections that will lead you to the many solutions once you are out in the real world again.” What have you learnt about yourself so far? I discovered, to my surprise, that I am capable of being productive and efficient while being at home! Are there any new habits that you are gaining during your confinement that you hope to continue to use? regular Cardio training spending time in the garden or close to nature to understand its beauty cooking – I’ve become an expert!

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Le 7 avril 2020

Jasmine in Guangzhou: I’m back in the office now and I cycle to work instead of taking the subway

Jingyu ‘Jasmine’ Wang (IMM 15) experienced the lockdown in the Chinese city of Guangzhou where she works as a senior consultant for Cornerstone Global Partners (CGP), a multi-industry recruitment firm. It is now safe for her to return to her office and she would like to share her experience with alumni around the world as they begin the confinement process. How was the Covid-19 situation managed in Guangzhou? The government took strict confinement measures so we all had to stay at home. All public events were cancelled, and even places like restaurants were closed. Only some supermarkets remained open. What measures do you think worked the best? I think the confinement policy was definitely very necessary at that time. It worked very well and quickly and now our city has recovered. How did you keep in touch with your family and friends during confinement? Through internet of course, WeChat, Facetime, etc.! What advice would you give to fellow alumni in France who have just begun their period of confinement? Be patient. In China, we think that confinement is the way to fight coronavirus. Think of it as not only for yourself but also for human beings’ sake. For sure, Chinese people buy into community spirit more than people in the west do, but coronavirus is a fact and it’s something that we cannot change just with willpower. We must take the most efficient action to figure it out. What did you learn about yourself during this period? I learnt two things; 1 - save money and 2 - keep learning! In my opinion, these are the best ways to resist risk and keep your ‘value’ in the human resource market. What has it been like going back to the office? Actually, I have been back in the office for quite a few days now. I go by bicycle instead of taking the subway. Are there any new habits that you gained during your confinement that you will continue to use? Cooking for sure and taking online training. Jasmine concludes with this message for her French friends and fellow classmates, “You guys take care. France is a lovely country with lovely people, hope you will figure it out soon too. Feel free to contact me if there is anything I can do to help.” This is the Pearl River and Canton Tower in Guangzhou with a full moon. It is a famous tourist attraction in Guangzhou and it always has a lot of tourist boats on it just like La Seine. It was very quiet during the period of confinement. I took this picture at the corner of one of the most crowded underground shopping areas in Guangzhou during the confinement period. This is a shopping mall; you can see everyone is still wearing face masks after the confinement has ended.

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Le 6 avril 2020

Audrey Martinez, étudiante (MS SMED 20), partage ses astuces pour s'occuper pendant le confinement

Audrey Martinez a intégré le Mastère Spécialisé® SMED (Stratégies Marketing à Ère Digitale) en septembre dernier. A la suite de l'annonce officielle du prolongement du confinement, elle partage ses cinq tips pour s’occuper intelligemment pendant le confinement. Audrey s'explique "Encore une fois, le digital est notre meilleur allié pendant cette période !" Entre autres, on y retrouve ses podcasts préférés dont: Le gratin par Pauline Laigneau Génération Do It Yourself par Matthieu Stefani Dans La Tête D'un Coureur par Guillaume Centracchio Une vie plus saine & sereine par Chloé Bloom Pour continuer la lecture des recommandations d'Audrey, suivez ce lien vers son blog Digi & Healthy Bonne lecture!

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Le 3 avril 2020

Olivia in Seoul: I have become more grateful for the small pleasures of everyday life

Jihye 'Olivia' Jun (IMM 15) lives and works in Seoul, South Korea where she is ambassador of one of Audencia's newest alumni communities. She works as a data manager for Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol and has shared her experience of social distancing and confinement in her home city. How did Korea manage the Covid-19 situation? Firstly, the national and local governments made the following recommendations: 1) Encouraging social distance and working from home 2) Using a mask 3) Avoiding places with large crowds 4) Washing hands regularly Secondly, the government shared the detailed update status of each coronavirus case in order to prevent public anxiety, informing us via text message (a coronavirus emergency alert message) and the internet in real time. The message contained information on infected person/s in the locality and the routes or places he/she has been. On top of this, the government controlled the sale of masks to public by adopting a system where you purchase masks on specific days of the week based on your birth year. You could go and buy up to 2 masks for yourself according to your birth year. Furthermore, hand sanitizers are available everywhere. In the subway, restaurants, even the public bicycle parking lots, almost every place that you can think of. What measures do you think worked the best? I think that each measure was complementary to the other rather than there being only one best measure. If I had to choose one, I think the system of informing the public of the latest status via text messages and the internet was quite effective. How did you keep in touch with your family and friends during confinement? I kept in touch with my friends by telephone, messagin or video calls. I was trying to respect the rules and people around me are being really careful and also trying to stay at home. Most people if they can, work from home and the schools have closed. Currently, Korea has no compulsory confinement for everyone unless infected by the virus. However, I cancelled meetings and events then returned home immediately after work. What advice would you give to fellow alumni in France during this period of lockdown? In Korea, many people who were recommended to stay at home or who self-isolated voluntarily reported lack of exercise and eating too much as being their main problems. Therefore, I would like to suggest to my French classmates and friends to have simple and easy ‘home workout’ and keep a healthy eating habit. What did you learn about yourself during this period? To be honest, at the beginning I didn't take the outbreak very seriously. However, now I’ve realised that I need to be more cautious and make sure we take care of each other. Furthermore, I have become more grateful for the small pleasures of everyday life. How do you feel about going back to the office? I just want to return casually, but wearing a mask. Are there any new habits that you gained during your confinement that you will continue to use? In order to do social distancing, I voluntarily stayed at home. So far, I cooked and read a lot and I wrote the writings and shared with friends through emails . I would like to continue these as my habits even in the future. Also, I watched a lot of movies at home that I had been missed due to heavy schedules. Furthermore, I was able to contact with my family members, friends more often via phone and messengers. I hope the situation will improve and everybody is safe and healthy. 3 photos showing omnipresent hand sanitizers in public places

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Le 2 avril 2020

Xi Jin in Shanghai: I've become a very good cook much to my parents' delight!

Xi 'Mako' Jin (MBA 19) looks back fondly on his MBA year at Audencia as being formative and exciting. He won a place on the first learning expedition to Las Vegas and San Francisco in 2019, fully funded by alumni of the school. When asked about his experience of the Covid-19 situation, he says that although unplanned, he was not in Shanghai, but in his hometown, a small city near the seaside. He followed news of the developing situation in Shanghai from a distance, via friends and media platforms such as Tencent News. In nearly all parts of China, Mako feels that the virus is under control. Initially he felt that time as wasted due to bureacracy but that ultimately the government and the Chinese people overcome the difficulties. What measures do you think worked the best? Our government had the power to relocate the necessary goods for the war against the virus. When the virus broke out, it was the Chinese New Year, nearly all the factroies were closed, and people were returning to their hometowns. The government laid down strict rules, blocked travel and kept people at home. In this waythey prevented the virus spreading. After that, doctors and nurses in other provinces (nearly 30 provinces, over 40,000 people) went to Hubei province and built new hospitals in very short time (the first one was set up in 10 days). All aspects of the medical supply chain were called back into manufacturing process. New technologies were used everwhere. Infected people were tracked so we knew who may have touched them and then gave the priority to identifying them. Another example is that, some big internet companies like Alibaba and Tencent helped the government to set new system to separate the healthy from the sick. So in recent days, the healthy people are allowed to work. Infrared devices and IOT technology helped to increase the effeciency of detection. The Chinese people reacted well to the crisis. 99.99% stayed at home for at least 3-4 weeks and when they had to go shopping, they wore masks. I think this is the most important. The way of spreading the virus was totally cut off. This worked not only in Shanghai but all the parts in China. How did you keep in touch with your family and friends during confinement? I was lucky that I went back to my hometown on 19 January so I spent the period of confinement with my family. With my friends we used Wechat, so keeping in touch was easy. We also used new tools such as Dingding and Tencent Meetings to work and study. 4G and even 5G is fast enough to keep the connection running smoothly and quickly. What advice would you give to fellow alumni in France during this period of confinement? Stay optimistic, humans can beat this virus! Adopt as healthy a lifetyle as possible and try to increase yor levels of immunity since there is no reliable vaccine right now. Store some canned food, biscuits, etc... Reduce outings and gatherings. Prepare masks and hand sanitisers (someone said that in western countries, wearing a mask means you have got the illness, but it's really a good way to avoiding the virus when you have to go out). What did you learn about yourself during this period? For me, it was interesting, as before the confinement I preferred staying at home rather than going out, so it didn't affect me too much. But now I would like to increase exercise to keep healthy. I ate too much staying an home, so now I have to lose some weight...! How about work? I am job-seeking at hte moment so I had a few interviews online and I'm hoping for a good opportunity soon. I am glad that the recent crisis has meant that some companies have started to interview online instead of face to face. Are there any new habits that you gained during your confinement that you will continue to use? During this period I read books about IT, programming and cloud management to increase my understanding of the IT industry and new technology. I also became an expert cook which made my parents very happy. I made this cake with a small pan because I don't have an oven at home It has red beans inside and is called " 红豆饼" This square cake is made with nuts and fruit and is called “枣糕”

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Le 1 avril 2020

Katherine in Shanghai: I could use my night-owl habits to the full while I worked from home

Katherine Ying Mei Jiang graduated from the IMM programme in 2015. After 4 years in Beijing where she was ambassador for the alumni chapter there, Katherine relocated to Shanghai where she is currently Innovation Product Manager - Automotive Innovation Center at Allianz Partners. She shared her analysis of the Covid-19 situation. How was the situation managed in Shanghai? For a better understanding of how the situation has been in Shanghai, I would like to share basic information firstly: Shanghai population: 24.28 million (2019) Confirmed cases as of 29 March (14:30 local time): 492, including 153 imported cases First confirmed case in Shanghai: 16 January Confirmed case number stable at around 300 since mid-to-late February National holiday (Spring Festival / Lunar New Year): 24-30 January (most people travel for family reunion nationwide) This is a map of confirmed cases in Shanghai on 29 March (bing.com/covid) As you might have already noticed from the basic information, in a mega-city with a population bigger than some European countries (population in Shanghai would rank No.9 in European population ranking by country), when there is a massive nationwide travel about to happen due to Spring Festival, it could be catastrophic. While the situation has been relatively under control with the measurement as well as people’s reaction. Measurement examples: Public area being closed start from Spring Festival, more specifically, places very crowded or where one might need to remove masks, such as touristic area, gym, most restaurants and bars, etc. (started to ease since March) Temperature check/record all people entering Shanghai since end-of-January (recently announced 100% Covid check when entering Shanghai from country/area with high confirmed case numbers) Residence compound: Strict control of non-residence by issuing temporary entrance permit card (valid 1-day) whenever getting outside, need to submit card when back into the compound Ask to wear mask when leaving residence Compulsory temperature check entering shopping mall / indoor area Health QR Code (wechat and alipay) which is created based on your travel history (green, yellow, red) – if stayed in Shanghai for the past 14 days, the QR code is green (otherwise 14-day self-confinement needed) Recommend to work from home if possible People’s reaction: Staying indoor almost all the time (possible partially thanks to online in-time delivery almost 24/7 available without extra cost) Wearing masks whenever staying outside (I personally have not found anyone without mask since late January) The above picture dates from 23 January; an empty gym, the evening before shutdown, Shanghai Tower (I was the only person at the office and at the gym. The Spring Festival holiday is due to start on 24 January) What measures do you think worked the best? I would consider “wearing mask all the time” as the most effective measure even though it is still not considered as common in Europe. Besides, other measures including shutdown of most public area during critical weeks (mostly covering February), recommendation for work from home, etc., have been favourable to control the situation. In fact, as a newcomer (in Shanghai for less than 1 year), I was surprised by how self-disciplined people are, to keep “stay at home”. Except for a few people, there has been no friend of mine who asked for gathering, or posted outdoor pictures during critical weeks (or maybe I have too less friends here…). I was once at the riverside nearby my apartment for a walk and found out there were still not many people, even though it was already late February. This is a picture of me by the river during a weekend, it was a sunny day but still not many people outside How did you keep in touch with your family and friends during confinement? As a person who has been living alone for years, I am used to being connected with people via SNS (heavy user of Wechat, Instagram, LinkedIn). But this time, it raised to a new level. I started to have daily call with family in South Korea (probably because I just came back from there, and luckily not be stuck within South Korea, my flight was before the massive outbreak in South Korea). Besides, the situation was “helpful” to be re-connected with old friends worldwide. Some challenges on Instagram was fun, for example I was happy accepting challenge of 100 push-up (which I consider as nice way of encouraging people to exercise, interacting with friends, as well as "showing-off" your apartment new decoration). What advice would you give to fellow alumni in France who are in their third week of lockdown? The first thing comes to my mind is: It is okay to be a bit lazy and pause for a while, just relax and try to stay positive while focusing on yourself, things you normally do not have time to consider. I found some people used to complaining about being busy outside all the time are now complaining the opposite (me included). While as the situation is a rare chance of having sufficient reason to “be disconnected” for a while, why not do something relaxing at home, or “introspect” the past and “plan” the future – which seem to be the lifelong to-do list for most people? What did you learn about yourself during this period? I started to “introspect” and “plan”, or at least started to have some new perspectives. Except for usual news/trend monitoring, there were some topics raised my curiosity, which I was not interested in before, “How is the vlog / relevant social media working in China, and what are the business models?” “What are the new product and service being successful these days?” It was also interesting that most of gyms started to have their free live-stream courses. I heard a few people taking benefits from free online university courses, unfortunately I was not hyper enough to try everything. Due to the influence of previous and current work in automotive industry, my usual focus was mainly on the industry itself plus learning German. During this period, I had enough “excuse” and time to check other topics, which will be eventually helpful for my work as well, in terms of building innovative business models in the future. And an obvious finding: I am a typical “owl” person who has high productivity at night, if there is no enough reason to wake up early in the morning. How has it been going back to the office? Always wearing mask as usual, having enough disinfection tissue and handwash liquid, etc., washing hands as frequent as possible seems to be a global rule of thumb. People are encouraged to have lunch by isolating themselves (or at least keep enough distance), which I do not see much difficulty. In fact, most companies started to get back to office (while required to wear masks all the time). As of this week (29 March), I was at the office for 1 day. Lack of oxygen when wearing mask was indeed "problematic" - for example, I forgot to add attachment when sending an email, a mistake I have not made for years. For me the most difficult part would be to re-adjust “owl” body schedule to “early-bird”. Thus, I bought a soymilk machine, which I can pre-set its “cooking” time for the next morning. Coffee machine would be more effective, but the cafe at the company building offers better quality. Are there any new habits that you gained during your confinement that you will continue to use? I consider this time as a perfect chance to get back to one’s old hobbies, or something one was good at during childhood. Even though there are not many things I did, there are still a few to mention: Re-start of reading Korean books, both literature (old-time “expertise” which I neglected for more than 10 years) and non-literature (I chose art and psychology related one). Simple cooking, which I stopped after leaving France in 2015. As well as something I planned while not yet started – drawing. For gym and other sports such as archery, I will have to restart from now on, as those places were closed before. As a daily user of global SNS to interact with friends worldwide, people’s reaction from different countries has been reachable. Even though under confinement - an unusual situation that all of us are feeling uncomfortable from time to time, I found most of us still remaining positivity and make full use of the time as enjoyable as possible. Just like the picture, currently locked in different parts but eventually will be united at one point when the situation gets better. Another picture of the riverside during weekend Stay safe and best wishes from Shanghai, Katherine 29 March 2020

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Le 31 mars 2020

Eugénia in Shanghai: We are lucky to be in 2020 as our loved ones are just a message or video away

Eugénia Lao (IMM 12), is from Portuguese Macao. Since 2014 she has been working in Shanghai, most recently for luxury brand Qeelin where she is currently eCommerce & Digital Project Manager. Eugénia lived through the Covid-19 confinement in Shanghai and has been back at work since early March. We asked Eugénia to share her thoughts and experiences. How was the Covid-19 situation managed in Shanghai? Apart from the basic hygienic measure such as wearing a mask and washing our hands frequently, we were required to fill out an online health declaration form to declare our travel history and individuals who had been to certain areas were quarantined. Other travellers were advised to self-quarantine at home for 14 days. The rest of the residents practiced confinement. All public places closed down for over a month. Thankfully, things have been getting back on track since early March. At the moment, we are all required to show a code before entering any public places to indicate that we are 'healthy' and have not travelled out of Shanghai in the past 14 days. If you cannot prove you are healthy, you will not be allowed onto the site. In your opinion, what measures worked the best? Quarantine and confinement have definitely helped avoid any cross-infection especially when we were running low on masks and disinfectants. How did you keep in touch with your family and friends during confinement? We are lucky to be living in 2020 as our loved ones are just a message or a video call away! What advice would you give to fellow alumni in France who hare in their second week of confinement? Start your day by a short morning workout with a Youtube video. Create a new routine, work schedule, and screen time and try to stick to it as much as you can. Change your clothes and wash your hair often. The worst thing you can do is to stay in front of your laptop the entire day in your pyjamas with a bag of nachos (sound familiar anyone??) Fill up that usual apero time by making alternative plans for the rest of the year because it looks like there won’t be much travelling! Stay upbeat and positive but also reflect on the life style we led before the lockdown. Consider if it could have been more sustainable and nature friendly. If the answer is yes, then plan the change! What did you learn about yourself during this period and how did you feel about returning to work and the office? We are already working full time at the office after 3 weeks of rotation in order to keep the social distance. To my own surprise I was very happy to be back to the office; it felt like it was the first days of school. Are there any new habits that you gained during your confinement that you will continue to use? The confinement definitely interrupted my fitness routine of training 5 days a week. Since I have a sweet tooth and life is too short to skip dessert, and I wasn't prepared to come out of confinement with an extra 10 kilos, I decided to try making the healthy version of all the desserts I love with recipes I found online. Some of them are actually pretty easy to make! I am not the most patient person and meditation seemed like an impossible task until I tried out the app Calm to start my morning with a daily dose of wisdom. They have this “Daily Calm” that takes about 10 minutes per day - light and easy for beginners. On my way to grocery shopping Home workout! Having my temperature taken and contact info recorded before getting in the office (same practice for any restaurants and public places) My chocolate mousse made with, wait for it, ripe bananas (to replace sugar), avocado (to replace egg), unsweetened cocoa powder, and just a dash of almond milk.

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Le 27 mars 2020

Coronavirus : le quotidien d’une française à New York

Guide touristique et maman de deux enfants, Laurène Hamilton (GE 09) nous raconte sa vie de française à New York, à l’heure du Coronavirus. Pour être prévenu(e) de la publication d’un nouvel article, inscrivez-vous par le lien ci-dessous: Suivez le quotidien de Laurène ! En entrant votre adresse e-mail sur cette page et cliquez sur « Je m’abonne » Dimanche 15 mars : fini les brunchs au restaurant ! Dimanche 15 mars 2020, 10h du matin : il est déjà trop tard pour trouver du pain ! Rupture de stock dans mon petit supermarché bio… Même constat dans l’épicerie du coin de ma rue. Mon dernier espoir : le magasin de bagels en face de l’arrêt de métro. Bingo ! Les cageots sont pleins. « 6 bagels s’il-vous-plait ». Finalement une très bonne option pour un brunch maison, en période de coronavirus. Miam ! Autres articles en rupture de stock : les médicaments. Les New-Yorkais se préparent à devoir se soigner chez eux en cas de coronavirus. Manque de chance, j’ai surtout de l’ibuprofène à la maison. J’essaierai d’acheter du paracétamol lors de mes prochaines courses. Cette petite sortie matinale sera la seule de ma journée. Certaines personnes ont des gants mais pas toutes. La fermeture des écoles n’a pas encore été annoncée… Et puis le couperet tombe. A partir de lundi, les écoles publiques de New York seront fermées pendant 30 jours. Restaurants et bars suivent, sauf pour les livraisons dès mardi 17 mars. Lundi 16 mars : un nouveau rythme à New York Les réunions de classe virtuelle : testé et approuvé ! Sur le groupe Whats’App des parents d’élèves, une maman propose une rencontre virtuelle avec Zoom. J’habille mon fils en vitesse et à 10h, nous voilà devant l’écran. Après avoir chanté la chanson du matin de son école, place à la lecture de Docteur Seuss (un classique pour tout enfant américain). Mon fils retrouve des visages familiers et une bonne ambiance s’installe. Bilan plutôt positif pour un premier début de classe virtuelle. En tous les cas, ce groupe me fait du bien ! Surtout quand un parent envoie une photo de son stock de vin pour supporter le confinement avec ses enfants. L’humour fait un bien fou ! Nous en avons besoin plus que jamais. Branle-bas de combat sur Internet Sur les groupes Facebook de mon quartier, des offres de séances en direct atypiques fleurissent : session de musique en ligne, séance de dessin à distance, séance de yoga en ligne, programme pour occuper ses enfants. Je commence à me dire que je vais devoir moi aussi structurer les journées de mes deux enfants. Une autre maman envisage même d’apprendre à son enfant de 9 ans à coder… La sieste : l’allié de tout parent en télétravail 14h : les petits couchés, j’en profite pour répondre aux membres de notre groupe Facebook Destination New York. Depuis 5 jours, les questions affluent et toute l’équipe du site CNewYork est sur le pont pour vous aider. Un conseil sur un report de voyage ou encore une recherche dans le Code du Tourisme pour répondre au mieux à vos questions. Je suis contente de me sentir utile, surtout dans ce contexte si particulier. Rester serein Le confinement va durer 30 jours, du coup j’ai décidé de rester optimiste. Mettre à profit ce temps pour lire un nouveau livre sur New York City ou encore faire de la peinture avec mes enfants. Nous avons la chance d’avoir accès à l’information et vivons dans un monde ou la science est bien plus avancée qu’à l’époque de la grippe espagnole. Ici aux États-Unis, on nous recommande de suivre les recommandations du CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, l’agence de la santé américaine. Nous allons tenir, tous ensemble !

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Le 16 mars 2020

Report des événements Audencia

Lundi 16 mars, le Président de la République française, à l’occasion de son allocution télévisée, est revenu sur la crise sanitaire que traverse actuellement notre planète. Les mesures prises impactent bien évidemment l’ensemble des activités d’Audencia, et les événements de la communauté Alumni ne sont malheureusement pas épargnés. Afin de protéger le plus grand nombre, et notamment les publics les plus fragiles, l'Ecole annule l'ensemble des événements, réunions ou déplacements jusqu'à la fin du mois d'avril. Résolument tournés vers l’avenir, nous continuons de préparer les grands événements prévus au second semestre : IDxA, Homecoming Day, les 10 ans de la Fondation... Around The World va s’étaler sur toute l’année ! Nous travaillons actuellement sur le prochain numéro du Mag. Dès que possible, nous vous tiendrons informés des nouvelles dates des événements qui ont été reportés. L’activité d’Audencia Alumni ne s’arrête pas et l'ensemble de l'équipe Alumni reste joignable par mail pour répondre à toutes vos sollicitations. Les consultants et coachs du Career Center sont à votre disposition si vous souhaitez un entretien d’accompagnement. La prise de rendez-vous se fait on-line via le Career Center de Together. Les activités de mentoring vont également se poursuivre. Nous souhaitons maintenir toutes ces actions pour garder le lien entre étudiants et diplômés à un moment où beaucoup ont des questions et souhaitent préparer l’avenir. Des actions concrètes vous seront proposées dans les semaines à venir. Nous vous remercions par avance pour votre compréhension. Prenez soin de vous-même, de votre famille et de vos proches.

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Le 14 février 2020

The Mag#12 est en ligne !

Dans cette 12e édition du magazine des Alumni, vous partirez à la découverte du marché du Luxe en France. Au sommaire du magazine : "Objectif Luxe" : Nicolas Arnaud, Directeur des programmes, lève le voile sur le virage que prend l’Ecole en matière de formations dans le secteur du luxe et de l’art de vivre à la française Les témoignages de Marie-Caroline Gaumerais (GE 19) et d’Alice Poupard (MDC 19) sur leurs débuts dans ce secteur et leur point de vue sur ce marché : "Les jeunes diplômés à l’assaut du luxe" La France continue de dominer le marché du luxe : pourquoi ? Début de réponse avec Fany Gardes (étudiante Audencia SciencesCom) et Guillaume Rué de Bernadac (GE 12) dans l’article "Le luxe à la française fait écho dans le monde" L’éclairage de Florence Touzé, titulaire de la chaire RSE d’Audencia, sur les enjeux de l’éco-responsabilité dans le secteur du luxe : "Les dessous du luxe sont-ils verts ?" Bonne lecture !

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Le 5 février 2020

Cérémonie de remise des diplômes 2020

Samedi 8 février a eu lieu la cérémonie commune de remise des diplômes à la Cité des Congrès de Nantes ! Cette cérémonie a symbolisé l'aboutissement de plusieurs années d'études à Audencia et le début ou la poursuite d'une carrière professionnelle prometteuse ! A cette occasion, la Fondation Audencia a mis à disposition des étudiants et de leurs familles la Cuvée de Promotion 2019 : un souvenir épicurien d'Audencia un magnifique vin rouge produit en agriculture biologique par Mathias Levron et Régis Vincenot (Saumur-Champigny) une bouteille achetée = 6€ reversés à la Fondation Audencia pour le fonds Class Gift par l’entreprise Monsieur W, créée par Florentin Cugnot et Valentin Bros (GE 19) et bénéficiaires d’une bourse de la Fondation en 2018. Merci à tous ceux qui sont soutenu la Fondation Audencia et l'entrepreneuriat étudiant en commandant une ou plusieurs bouteilles ! Cette cérémonie représente un moment attendu avec grande impatience par tous les Alumni de la Promotion 2019, ainsi que leurs familles. Félicitations à nos 1711 nouveaux Alumni ! Photos cérémonie matin : https://www.phototheque.audencia.com/?AccessCode=bgykxudv Photos cérémonie après-midi : https://www.phototheque.audencia.com/?AccessCode=iek0cf6y Tous les renseignements sur la cérémonie sur le site dédié audencia-graduation.com

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Le 5 février 2020

MBAs past and present enjoy an evening of networking

Last Friday's MBA networking session was a fitting end to the week as it was an opportunity for those who participated in Daniel Porot's masterclass on networking earlier in the day to put advice and ideas to the test. With over 40 participants from different class years, professional backgrounds and nationalities, the networking evening proved to be a lesson in making connections. For Juliet Ewelike (MBA 2016), it was her first time back at Audencia since graduating. It was great to be "on the other side" and talk to current students about their MBA experience. "It made me nostalgic for my student days" she continues. Guillaume Pidou (Exec MBA 2011) enjoyed catching up with former classmates and seizing the opportunity to return to Audencia. "I'm about to leave the region for an entrepreneurial (ad)venture so the timing was perfect for me" he says. The discussions went on late into the evening and the final word was the following day from Sonia Geay (MBA 2018) who declared "I was so sad not to be there". Rest assured Sonia, there will be more occasions like this, so watch this space! TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS follow this link

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Le 5 décembre 2019

"Go abroad!" au sommaire de The Mag #11

C'est déjà le dernier magazine de 2019 ! Nous sommes fiers de vous présenter le onzième numéro de The Mag avec une rubrique thématique sur le thème "Go abroad!". On y évoque des notions chères à Audencia : L'international, avec Christophe Germain, Directeur Général d'Audencia L'interculturalité avec Guilherme Azevedo, Professeur à Audencia, de nationalité brésilienne, canadienne et lituanienne, il en a fait son domaine de recherche Et puis nous parlerons expatriation : nous voyagerons de New-York à Madrid, de l'Australie à la Suisse et de Bombay à Paris avec nos alumni qui ont tenté l'aventure : Mélina Boudot (GE 14), Pelak Desai (MBA 14), Estelle Marie (GE 04) et Olivier Papon (GE 14) entre autres... Lire The Mag #11 Découvrez vite la nouvelle édition de votre magazine des diplômés, avec les dernières nouvelles d’Audencia et du réseau des alumni en France et partout dans le monde. Bonne lecture !

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Le 28 novembre 2019

Portrait de diplômés : France Degenne (Bachelor 94)

"J’ai eu un baccalauréat S, puis j’ai intégré l’Université de Sciences Economique. Cependant comme le cursus ne correspondait pas à mes attentes, je me suis dirigée vers une école de commerce. Mes critères de choix ont été les suivants : Un programme regroupant toutes les spécialités permettant de gérer une société : de la comptabilité-gestion, du droit, du management, du marketing Un programme international était également important A l’époque mon objectif professionnel était de travailler dans le luxe et plus particulièrement dans la bijouterie. Lors de ma sortie d’Audencia et pour suivre mon objectif professionnel, j’ai réalisé une spécialisation dans le marketing de luxe et des études de Gemmologie (je suis diplômée de ces deux cursus additionnels). En parallèle, et pour financer mes études, je travaillais en tant que Chargée de Relation Clients chez Teleperformance (n°1 des centres d’appels). Teleperformance, me proposant d’évoluer, j’y suis restée 12 ans en tant que Chargée de Relation Clients, Chef d’équipe (Superviseur), puis Responsable de Business Unit, puis Account Manager International, puis Directrice de Clientèle. Après 12 ans chez Teleperformance, très spécialisé dans le télémarketing, j’ai décidé d’élargir mes compétences et de rejoindre une agence marketing NetPartnering (Groupe Expandi) me permettant d’apprendre l’ensemble des techniques marketing. J’ai démarré en tant que Responsable de Programme pour le plus gros client de l’agence française pendant 3 ans. J’ai ensuite dirigé pendant 5 ans la filiale française et depuis 4 ans je suis Global Account Director, je manage toujours le plus gros client de l’agence au niveau EMEA. Je garde un très très bon souvenir d’Audencia car le programme alliait théorie et pratique, les promos étaient limitées en nombre d’élèves, les « professeurs » étaient des avocats, chefs d’entreprise, comptables, … et donc pouvaient partager avec nous leur expérience de tous les jours. J’ai également rencontré des personnes extraordinaires et mené une vie d’étudiante bien remplie ! J’ai gardé le lien avec mes collègues de promo, nous nous sommes d’ailleurs tous retrouvés en juin dernier pour fêter nos 25 ans de diplôme !"

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Le 21 octobre 2019

Etienne Reynaud, gardien de la biodiversité

Etienne Reynaud (MCI 08) œuvre pour une meilleure prise en compte de la biodiversité dans les projets d'aménagement. Il nous explique son rôle et les difficultés qu’il rencontre sur le terrain. Participer à protéger efficacement l’environnement dans lequel il vit. C’est le leitmotiv d’Etienne Reynaud, 45 ans, géologue de formation. Après un passage chez Total et Amnesty International, et une fois son Mastère Spécialisé MCI en poche, il intègre la direction de l'Association pour le développement de la Baie de Bourgneuf (ADVBB) dont les objectifs sont l’amélioration de la qualité des eaux et de la préservation des milieux naturels. Voilà 8 ans à présent qu’il a rejoint Biotope, un bureau d’études de plus de 300 collaborateurs spécialisé dans l’écologie aquatique et terrestre. Lui pilote l’agence Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne qui regroupe une quinzaine de personnes. Un retour aux sources pour ce natif de Lyon. Ses clients ? Des aménageurs et des collectivités. Sa mission ? Faire en sorte que ces porteurs de projets intègrent au mieux la problématique écologique (faune et flore) dans leurs projets d’aménagement tout en faisant respecter les exigences réglementaires. Parmi les opérations accompagnées, figurent notamment le tunnel transfrontalier du projet Lyon-Turin ou encore la mise en place du réseau Natura 2000 en Serbie. Transformer une contrainte en atout Un métier qu’il doit concilier avec un cadre réglementaire sans cesse renforcé. « C’est le premier moteur de la prise en compte des problématiques de biodiversité par l’ensemble des acteurs. Ce cadre réglementaire a connu diverses évolutions depuis les années 70 pour une application de plus en plus précise qui concerne un champ toujours plus grand d’activités », indique Etienne Reynaud. Dans la mise en œuvre, ces obligations sont respectées, dit-il, bien que la prise en compte de la biodiversité soit « complexe ». Une contrainte qu’il faut savoir transformer en atout positif. L’idée est donc de travailler avec les porteurs du projet sur « comment le projet peut être adapté afin qu’il soit le moins impactant possible voire qu’il profite des atouts écologiques du site », poursuit-il. Avant de constater que le problème de la disponibilité du foncier se pose aujourd’hui en France à l'heure où la consommation d'espaces agricoles et la compensation des espèces protégées font débat. >> Lire The Mag #10 sur le climat <<

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Le 16 octobre 2019

Audencia Homecoming Day : une première réussie

Samedi 12 octobre, Audencia organisait un tout nouvel événement à destination de ses diplômés : Homecoming Day. Une journée spéciale, ponctuée d’une soirée de gala, pour permettre aux alumni de célébrer leurs anniversaires de promo et de se replonger dans leurs souvenirs d’étudiants avec émotion. Samedi dernier, Audencia accueillait plus de 200 diplômés pour une journée qui leur était dédiée : le tout premier Audencia Homecoming Day. Rythmé par des challenges pour découvrir ou redécouvrir l’école, cet événement était placé sous le signe de la célébration des anniversaires des promotions 1964, 69, 74, 79, 84, 89, 94, 99, 2004, 2009, 2014 et 2018. Suite à une présentation plénière animée par Antoine Lambert (GE 06) de La Belle Boite, les participants ont assisté à 4 mini tables-rondes évoquant des évolutions clés d’Audencia avant d’être répartis en équipes pour la fin de journée. Audencia, d’hier à aujourd’hui Dans l’Amphi Edit de Nantes 4 tables-rondes se sont succédées après le discours de Laurent Métral, Président d’Audencia : « Les projets passés marquants et les ambitions futures de l’Ecole » présenté par Christophe Germain, Directeur Général d’Audencia, et Flavie Lorre (GE 98), Présidente d’Audencia Alumni. « Du premier ordinateur à l’ère digitale » présenté par Nicolas Minvielle, professeur à Audencia et directeur du Mastère Spécialisé Marketing Design et Création, et Emmanuelle Bernardin, professeure associée et responsable du département management. « D’un programme unique aux profils multi compétences » présenté par Nicolas Arnaud, Directeur des Programmes, et José Gonzalez, ancien directeur des études à Audencia. « De l’Ohio State à Shenzhen » présenté par Desi Schmitt, Directrice des Relations Internationales, et Dave Read, ancien Directeur des Relations Internationales d’Audencia. Plongée au cœur d’Audencia À leur arrivée sur Atlantic Campus, au cœur du pôle universitaire de Nantes, les alumni n’avaient plus qu’à suivre la ligne bleue peinte au sol, adaptation "made in Audencia" du Voyage à Nantes. Au programme : une visite immersive et animée de l’école, en compagnie de celles et ceux qui font Audencia aujourd’hui. Regroupés en équipes, les alumni se sont affrontés lors de défis pour tenter de remporter le plus de points possibles : Dégustation de vin à l’aveugle réalisée par l’association étudiante Le Banquet Blind Test réalisé par l’association étudiante le Bureau des Arts Quizz sur les alumni à l’international Quizz sur Nantes Challenge sportif dans le gymnase d’Audencia Tri des bio-déchets réalisé par la startup Ouivalo, incubée au start-up lab de l’école Concours d’éloquence réalisé par l’association étudiante Isegoria Animation de réalité virtuelle Et c'est la promotion GE 09, emmenée par son ambassadeur Pierre Castelain, qui a remporté le Trophée du Challenge Promo ! A 19h30, la soirée s’est poursuivie sur l'île de Nantes. Le rendez-vous était donné aux Machines de l’île et le célèbre pachyderme nantais a accompagné nos diplômés jusqu'à la HAB Galerie où s'est déroulé la soirée. Après une arrivée sur tapis rouge et un cocktail en musique, les alumni ont eu le privilège de déguster un dîner gastronomique, imaginé par le chef étoilé Jean-Yves Guého, un grand nom de la cuisine nantaise. Pour les plus audacieux, la soirée s'est poursuivie sur le dance-floor. Le rendez-vous est pris pour l'année prochaine ! Retrouvez toutes les photos : - de la journée - de la soirée

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Le 11 octobre 2019

Audencia Homecoming Day : infos pratiques (pour les inscrits)

J-1 avant Audencia Homecoming Day, nous avons hâte de vous retrouver ! Pour organiser au mieux votre venue, voici quelques informations pratiques sur la journée/soirée : Rappel des temps forts de la journée 13h30 : Accueil sur le campus principal d’Audencia, Route de la Jonelière à Nantes. 14h/16h : Audencia, d’hier à aujourd’hui : une série de flashbacks à vivre confortablement installés dans l’amphi Edit de Nantes. 16h/18h : Plongée au cœur d’Audencia : une visite immersive et animée de l’école, en compagnie de celles et ceux qui font Audencia aujourd’hui. 19h30 : Soyez à l’heure, une surprise vous attend aux Machines de l’ile (Boulevard Léon Bureau) ! Stationnement Nous vous invitons à vous garer sur le parking gratuit, face au parvis de l’école, Chemin Censive du Tertre. Pour la soirée, vous pourrez vous stationner aux parkings payants des Machines de l'Ile (10 Rue Arthur III) ou Wilson (quai président Wilson). Dress code Une tenue décontractée est recommandée pour la journée afin de profiter pleinement des activités qui vous seront proposées. Pour la soirée, changement d’ambiance, tenue chic recommandée. Fondation Audencia (uniquement à la soirée) Avec un don de 50€ minimum pour la prochaine Learning Expedition CES/Silicon Valley, la Fondation Audencia vous offre une excellente bouteille de vin. Nous vous remercions par avance pour votre soutien. Bonne dégustation ! Retrouvez l’ensemble du programme et des informations d'Audencia Homecoming Day sur le site web de l’événement. Au plaisir de vous retrouver samedi, L'équipe Audencia Homecoming Day Pour toute question complémentaire, écrivez-nous à audenciaalumni@audencia.com And if you need an English version of this message, please drop us a line at audenciaalumni@audencia.com

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Le 7 octobre 2019

Lou Botherel : « La pollution des mers m’a vraiment interpellée »

Actuellement en 3e année à Audencia SciencesCom, Lou Botherel vient de terminer son stage de Master 1 chez Surfrider Foundation Europe, l’ONG devenue la référence dans le combat pour la protection de l’océan et de ses usagers. Comment avez-vous trouvé ce stage ? L’avez-vous choisi par conviction ? Lou Botherel : À vrai dire, je cherchais quelque chose autour du sport, un secteur qui me plait depuis longtemps. Mais je voulais aussi trouver un stage qui avait du sens pour moi, et si possible dans la protection de l’environnement. J’ai trouvé cette offre sur LinkedIn et j’ai foncé. Surfrider était la combinaison idéale ! Certes, ce n’est pas une association sportive, mais le sport est dans son ADN. Elle a été créée en 1990 par des surfeurs qui ont constaté par eux-mêmes, dans leur activité sportive, la dégradation des mers. Ils ont décidé de se lancer dans le combat pour la protection de l’océan et de ses usagers. Surfrider Foundation Europe compte une quarantaine de salariés répartis sur sept sites et 46 antennes qui regroupent environ 2000 bénévoles dans onze pays européens. Et Surfrider est également présent dans de nombreux autres pays dans le monde ! À quand remonte votre sensibilité à l’environnement ? Lou Botherel : Je suis née et j’ai grandi en Bretagne, près de la côte. L’océan, ce n’est pas anodin pour moi. Mais je crois que l’élément déclencheur remonte à des vacances en Espagne il y a quelques années. J’étais sur la côte méditerranéenne, à la plage. J’y allais pour me détendre mais je n’ai pas pu me détacher de la vision de ces centaines de déchets pris dans la laisse de mer. Je me suis vue les ramasser pendant des heures ! Ça m’a vraiment interpelé. Savez-vous que 80 % des déchets proviennent de l’intérieur des terres ? Cela concerne tout le monde, même lorsqu’on habite en ville loin de la mer ! Comment s’est passé votre stage à Surfrider Foundation Europe ? Lou Botherel : Basée à Biarritz, au siège de la fondation, j’étais assistante relations presse et communication. Je participais à l’élaboration des stratégies de communication de l’ONG, à l’organisation d’événements, à la rédaction des communiqués de presse… Ce qui m’a plu, c’est que Surfrider organise certes de nombreuses animations de ramassage des ordures sur les plages, mais va plus loin en tentant de faire évoluer la prise de conscience de l’impact humain sur la vie aquatique, notamment via le fléau du plastique. Surfrider fait rimer action avec prévention. >> Lire The Mag #10 sur le climat <<