"At 22, Veolia Water showed its confidence in me by sending me to China as a process engineer."
The day-to-day involvement of trained employees with a variety of skills and backgrounds is one of the cornerstones of Veolia Environnement's success.
Veolia Water promotes employee training and professional mobility, both geographical and functional. Here are a few personal stories.
Alexandre Quinton
A native of Mayenne, in northwest France, Alexandre Quinton studied in Brest and Limoges. In 2007, he earned a professional master's degree in Resource Management and Water Production. "My diploma in hand, I was lucky enough to be hired immediately by Veolia Water in Arras, in the north of France, as a design technician in the technical department. I held that position from October 2007 to August 2008, knowing that it wouldn't be long before it provided me with an opportunity to work on assignment in China."
Alexandre's mobility project came together quickly. "I had the opportunity, before I left, of completing a session introducing me to Chinese culture, which helped me to familiarize myself with the country's customs and culture." After this preparation, Alexandre left France in September 2008 to work as a process engineer at the treatment plant for Handan, a city of one million people 400 kilometers from Beijing. Just 22 at the time, he managed the plant's operation and determined the necessary changes that needed to be made, to each step of the water treatment process.
"My Chinese colleagues were a little surprised at first to see how young I was. But they didn't judge me on that basis, because what's most important to them is the quality of my work. Usually, in China, it is true that senior employees are highly respected for their many years of experience." In Handan, Alexandre discovered a company quite different from the one he came from. "The Chinese, whose language I'm learning, are very calm people. They take life as it comes. Before, I was more the type to rush in. They've taught me to think before I act.."
As for the future, after his experience in Handan, Alexandre hopes to take advantage of other opportunities for mobility offered by Veolia. "I'm thinking about working on other projects in China, and maybe even other Asia-Pacific countries later on. It's such a huge region!"
Hélène Devignot
"Mobility satisfies my need for change and experience."
"I come from a very nomadic family and mobility seemed like a natural part of my life. Before I left Switzerland, where I worked as Veolia Environmental Services' Financial Director, I felt like I needed a change and maybe also to keep working in an operational job." So Hélène set off for Sweden, where she strove to stay in regular touch with her supervisors and the Human Resources department in Switzerland. In July 2007, after Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies acquired Anox Kaldnes and Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Sweden was created, she was appointed Financial Director for Sweden and Norway.
She did not receive any particular training for her transfer to Sweden. When the Norwegian Financial Director left Veolia, Hélène replaced him at a moment's notice. "Finding skilled personnel in small towns can be tricky. I had to immerse myself in French, Swedish and Norwegian works, to provide financial reporting, monitor projects and keep the books." Indeed, when she set her bags down in Vellinge, Hélène found herself all alone at the Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Sweden head office. "As someone who considers personal and work relations very important, it was pretty tough for me. Luckily, the Human Resources Director arrived after nine months and I welcomed her with open arms, I can tell you!"
Ultimately, Hélène—now 48—learned a lot from her transfer to another country. "I've taken advantage of several mobility opportunities over the course of my career. Sweden taught me how important it is to be responsive and able to quickly transition between two jobs, to know other languages and, lastly, to make full use of your internal network of contacts."
Dominique Bresson
"Veolia Water's international reach provided me with a springboard for professional advancement."
Dominique began his career in 1999 as a supervisor for the Veolia Water subsidiary Sade, in Perpignan in the southwest of France. After a few years on the job, he started thinking about a change that would take him on assignment outside France. "I joined Sade's international division in 2008 so that I could go work in poor or developing countries. I started with an assignment lasting a few months in Mauritania, as a works supervisor. Then I took a new position in India in early 2009."
To prepare himself for the assignment, Dominique took an intensive English class to upgrade his language skills. In the expectation of a later management position, he also received management and financial management training. "For me, at the age of 48, this international experience was a real springboard to positions I never would have been able to reach in France." Dominique is now CEO of Sade Envirox Network Private Limited.
On a personal level, Dominique's experience had a real impact on him by teaching him about what he calls "The nomadic lifestyle inseparable from mobility assignments. You know that you're there temporarily and you adjust, all the while knowing that you won't be there tomorrow. As for life in India, no one leaves that country totally unscathed. The daily sight of streets lined with the bodies of desperately poor people is hard to take."
Professionally, Dominique learned several things. "Mobility gave me a chance to tackle a variety of situations, which I probably wouldn't have experienced if I'd stayed in France. Adapting to the requirements of countries like Mauritania and India strengthened my experience and ability to understand issues in the field. Ultimately, mobility is a good solution for raising your profile and challenging yourself. An excellent antidote to inertia!"
