My career began as a generalist in the HR department of a small IT company and later in training and recruitment at a U.S. biotechnology firm in France. These experiences ignited my passion for working with people. After a few years in these roles, I wanted to find a company with global opportunities to support my career ambitions. Allianz was a natural fit.

I started in a France-focused role at Allianz Partners, an entity of Allianz group, but I knew I wanted a position with broader reach. So, when an opportunity arose at our Paris headquarters, I applied. I knew I wouldn’t get the job as I was underqualified, but my strategy was to get noticed by a team that could help me secure a more international role in the near future. My determination paid off: two months after the interview, they created a new job for me!

For a year I worked part-time as a program manager at HQ, while continuing as a training and recruitment specialist for the French entity. It was a great way to grow my skills and I eventually got promoted to Learning & Development Specialist. When a similar role opened up at Allianz France, I went for it. There, I worked my way up before joining Allianz Trade as Global Head of Learning & Development in early 2023.

Certainly – I think working in multicultural and multilingual environments requires a particular dose of confidence, resilience and trust.

One memorable incident from early in my career illustrates the importance of these qualities. Joining Allianz Partners’ headquarters was a bit of a learning curve, especially with an Australian boss. One time, he gently pointed out that my demanding via email that he do something wasn’t quite appropriate. It turned out that I had mistranslated the French "demander" to "demand" rather than "ask"! Fortunately, my boss was seasoned in navigating multilingual environments, transforming it into an educational moment that taught me how to lead a cross-cultural team.

Today, as a manager, I strive to be attuned to cultural differences and linguistic divides and support my team's autonomy. My career has shown me that time zones and language differences can easily be assets rather than hurdles when they're leveraged rather than ignored. 

Look for opportunities – and dare to aim high! I hadn't applied for a job that I wasn’t completely qualified for early in my career, none of the great things that happened since would have been part of my story.

Growth and development require stepping outside your comfort zone and tackling challenges head-on. Mobility offers ample opportunities to do both. It also opens doors to unparalleled professional and personal development when done at a global and supportive organization. I urge individuals to view mobility not just as a career step but also as a transformative journey.