I joined Groupe SEB at the beginning of 2009 to manage operations at the Canonsburg site in Pennsylvania (USA). That’s where All Clad cookware is manufactured. All Clad is a high-end brand which is extremely well-known in the United States.  I already had a solid experience in industrial management behind me as I had worked in Europe, China and the United States.  Groupe SEB’s offer appealed to me because of the exciting challenge it represented: to help move this manufacturing facility to become world class. I took this challenge seriously and endeavored to involve the teams as far as possible as I am convinced that the human factor makes all the difference. Communication and safety were key concepts from the start and I employed the 5S method which is the standard in industry. Productivity increased by more than 20 % during this first year and is still going up. I must admit I enjoy working with such prestigious products.

Plus the Canonsburg area is a really nice place to live, which is important for my family.

I arrived in France from China in 2005. I had a diploma in automation and wanted to further my education. I spent a year learning French then was accepted at the National Institute of Applied Sciences in Lyon to study electrical engineering. My end-of-study internship took place in the Purchasing Division of the Group. They were in the process of integrating the Chinese company Supor and I conducted a comparative study of Supor and Group electronic components suppliers with a view to cutting purchase prices.  The Group subsequently offered me the job of Market Buyer at Ecully, first for electronic components then for plastic parts and subassemblies. Being Chinese makes it a lot easier to communicate with the teams at Supor; I’m in contact with them practically every day.

But my job isn’t limited to China, I’m also in touch with all the industrial sites in the world, I study their needs and provide them with the information they need about suppliers. I perform the supplier follow-up and keep abreast of market trends. I enjoy my job enormously and I feel at home working for Groupe SEB where I fitted in straight away thanks to the support of my colleagues.

After graduating from the National Engineering School in Saint-Etienne, I took a Master’s Degree in international industrial management at the HEC Business School. This led on to a work placement in 2006 as assistant project leader where it was my job to improve the procurement of components from Asian suppliers. During my internship, I jointly headed a multidisciplinary working group and managed to finalize proposals to reduce deadlines, perform logistical audits and set up a dedicated IT system. I enjoyed being able to run a project from start to finish, with plenty of freedom in a climate of trust and open-mindedness. The Group then offered me the chance to join the team as International Logistics Coordinator for Linen Care. I consolidate sales forecasts for irons and steam generators in Europe, validate them with the strategic marketing team then calculate the production volumes for the plants and finished product stock levels. I also deal with the logistics related to product launches and discontinuations for steam generators worldwide.

It’s an interesting job because it gives me an overview of how the Group functions as a whole.

I have had a number of different industrial jobs since I joined Groupe SEB in 1998. I first worked in France as Production Manager of the Is-sur-Tille site before being promoted to Managing Director of the Vosges site where I was in charge of rationalizing and merging the two plants. Then the Group sent me to Brazil to manage the four Brazilian industrial sites. It was an amazing experience from both a professional and personal point of view. Here again, I addressed the challenge of merging plants, increasing productivity and developing products. It is very motivating to work in a different culture in lots of ways. In 2007, I became Managing Director of the industrial sites of Rumilly and Tournus. Rumilly is the Group’s biggest site. What I particularly appreciate about being a Groupe SEB site director is that your role isn’t restricted to production; you are responsible for product development with strong links to research and marketing. It is great to have a wider picture especially as innovation is one of the Group’s priorities. Since September 2010, I have been promoted to Vice President Industry, Cookware.

Again, a great challenge offered to me in one of the largest business units of the Group, with a network of more than 10 industrial sites worldwide.

In 2009, I took a Group SEB University course entitled « Finance for non financiers ». As Vice President of an Industrial Business Unit, I’m used to managing finance, juggling with costs, profit margins and operating statements but I knew very little about the purely financial side of things. In addition to explaining the basics of financial analysis and risk management, this seminar teaches you how to evaluate the financial performance of a project – calculate the return on investment, prioritize projects, etc. Today I am in a better position to take into account the financial aspect in the overall evaluation of a project; I understand the obligations we have to respect.

As a result, I am on a better wavelength with my colleagues in the finance department which helps us work more efficiently together.