From polytechnique to luxury houses, discover Mathilde's career path

Nowadays, more and more professionals are deciding to become independent, in order to enjoy freedom of choice for their customers, leave a significant mark on the development of their business and take control of their schedule to pursue their passions: entrepreneurship, travel, training...

Within the WEEM community, we're celebrating the arrival of our 3,000th independent talent. Behind this impressive figure are 3,000 individuals with whom we have interacted, each with a fascinating life story, sharing a common quest for freedom, commitment and excellence to impact their customers.

The career of Mathilde, our 3,000th talent, is both singular and representative of the many members of our community. Her insatiable curiosity, humility and high standards are values shared by all our talents. We believe in the power of encounters that resonate on both human and professional levels. That's why we're delighted to present Mathilde's inspiring story.

Training inspired by the beauty of mathematics

WEEM: Can you tell us about your training?

Mathilde: In high school, I had a math teacher who passed on his passion to me. I found mathematics beautiful and quite fun. I was lucky enough to be able to continue my studies at the École Polytechnique, knowing that I didn't want to become an engineer, but rather use this training as a springboard to do something else. I really enjoyed my studies there, but I realized that they didn't fully prepare me for life in the corporate world.

WEEM: And how did you start your career?

Consulting as a second school

Mathilde: I joined McKinsey in 2006, and for me it was like a second school. I learned methodologies, how to present complex issues to senior management and I made friends. My first assignment was in the steel industry, and I went on to work in many other sectors. As the assignments progressed, I realized that I had a preference for the consumer goods sector. I then felt the classic frustration of a consultant: I wanted to work in a sector that I liked, and to be able to follow the implementation of the strategies I was proposing.

Luxury: the first chapter in a long story

I was drawn to the luxury sector because of its emphasis on creativity and aesthetics. In 2009, I joined L'Oréal's luxury division as product manager and then group manager, in operational marketing for Lancôme skincare, then marketing development at Saint Laurent.

A break from entrepreneurship

In 2014, I decided to turn to entrepreneurship. After years spent in large companies, I was considering joining a small structure, creating one or buying one. I worked in three start-ups. I first went to Shanghai to join a friend in a creative agency, then to France, to work for Bacsac, specializing in outdoor design, and finally to Lignereux in London, where a friend is reviving an 18th-century decorative arts brand. In each of these experiences, I worked hand-in-hand with the founders, sharing their daily lives and tasks. It was a magical and enriching time, which also demystified the ideal image I had of the small business.

"A lot of things in my career have been done

through encounters.

Back to luxury

I decided to join a family business and return to luxury goods, more specifically fashion, as I was very attracted to craftsmanship. Many things in my career have come about through encounters: with a human resources manager at LVMH, who suggested I become Céline's right-hand woman, and then with Marco Gobbetti, the brand's CEO. I spent some very entrepreneurial years with them, totally sharing their vision. I dealt with all aspects of a fashion house, from a strategic, operational and organizational point of view, and I also worked on formulating our values and culture with a philosopher. We were always trying to take a step back. Later, I took on a position as head of collection merchandising, acting as a link between the market and the studio: finding the right balance between creative and commercial aspects. It was a translator's role that I enjoyed, combining rational and more creative dimensions. After six years, I decided to leave to pursue my entrepreneurial spirit.

A thirst for enterprise

I was offered a position as general manager of a fashion house, but the circumstances didn't align. That's when I decided to set up my own company. I spent some time in the WILLA incubator, but in the end decided not to take my idea any further. An independent friend contacted me and asked me to accompany a perfumer who was starting up his own business. I hadn't considered going back into consulting, but I did it out of friendship, and I liked it again.

‍"What's great about WEEM is that I can have my customers come directly to me.

while benefiting from WEEM's surprise offer of my profile.

This commercial complementarity is interesting.

WEEM: What do you like about being independent?

Mathilde: I like being independent, because I'm thirsty for change and novelty. I enjoy having the freedom to adapt my methodology, drawing on what I've learned at McKinsey and in the incubator. I also like being able to learn about the subjects I'm passionate about, such as digital technology and sustainable development.

Things change very quickly in our world, and being independent allows me to keep up to date and develop my skills.

My independence has also enabled me to seize unexpected opportunities, such as lecturing at the Institut Français de la Mode, coordinating a fashion feature for the Polytechnique magazine or giving a lecture on luxury to Chinese industrialists.

I love seizing these opportunities on the fly to experiment. I also love creating my own brand, managing my company's Instagram account(@drogueriegenerale), I've found this exercise a lot of fun.

I'm driven by the idea of helping people realize their vision. As a curious person, I don't like to be confined. I like to evolve in different fields and make progress as I go along.

WEEM: Why did you join WEEM?

Mathilde: WEEM contacted me and I had a chat with Marilyn from the WEEM Talent team. One of the difficult aspects of being independent is managing a portfolio of assignments. What's great about WEEM is that I can have my clients directly, while benefiting from the surprise aspect of WEEM, which offers my profile. This commercial complementarity is very interesting.

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