How guest speaker talks provides unfiltered market insights?
Eloi Foulon, MSc in Global & Sustainable Business student, shares his reaction to the recent EDHEC guest speaker talk held by Michel Vincentelli, Executive Vice President of Global Sales at Michelin.
What do you like about EDHEC’s guest speaker talks?
The talks are unmissable events for me. They allow students to interact directly with high-level executives and get unfiltered information directly from the source. The talks give us the opportunity to engage with speakers on key issues. For me, they are an extremely enriching, valuable experience. I would like to thank Michelin and Mr. Vincentelli, as well as EDHEC Business School, especially Professor Bastiaan van der Linden, Director of the MSc in Global & Sustainable Business, for making such a meaningful and worthwhile event possible.
What did you gain from the talk on a personal level?
Mr. Vincentelli outlined his own career path, giving us concrete, useful advice, and answering questions openly. This made the event truly informative and inspirational. Memorably, he said the ‘best’ career path was the one that allowed you to realise your professional self. Ideally, this should be 50% based on what you are passionate about and 50% based on a short-term (2-5 year) strategic view. As things can change quickly, your passion needs to remain at the heart of your career path.
How did this talk change your perception of the automotive industry?
The event was a fantastic opportunity to gain key insights into the automotive industry and question a senior executive on key issues facing Michelin right now. It certainly deepened my understanding of the industry and changed my view of it in certain respects. We knew Mr. Vincentelli planned to give us insights into Michelin’s broader vision of future mobility and how the company plans to leverage opportunities in the field. However, he was unexpectedly candid in his explanations and the information he shared with us helped us to better comprehend the big issues the automotive industry is facing, especially with regard to adapting to environmental challenges.
How did the talk help you to understand the changes that automotive companies need to make to survive in the green economy?
Mr. Vincentelli’s insights completely changed my perception of the tire industry. Whereas I had always viewed rubber as a polluting and non-biodegradable substance, I learned that Michelin’s tires were made of a far more complex combination of materials designed to reduce both noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and to be fully repurposed. Michelin is at the forefront of research and development efforts to make the tires more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
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