WE ARE ESBE, BENOIT DUCATEL
2022-05-17
What are your areas of work as Managing Director at ESBE’s subsidiary in France and Italy?
“Like oil circulating in an engine, my function consists in facilitating teamwork to deliver our best in a long-term perspective. The keyword is then the daily motivation because you must transfer your energies all around you until your customer. And this is a marathon run because it doesn’t consist in being fully motivated each second day, but daily, weekly, monthly, yearly… The only way to reach that goal is to always keep faith in what you do, in your company, in your colleagues.”
What does your background look like? What was your profession before you started working at ESBE?
“My school path was very classic until having done preparatory class for high scientific school. I became a plastic engineer and started my career in the R&D of the automotive tiers 1 Valeo. Afterward, I decided to complete my skills by an International Sales & Management Master specialized in Sport Segment and worked for Lafuma, Hiking & Outdoor clothing company, as Product Manager for Technical Underwear. This makes me understand what’s behind sales. I naturally moved step by step to sales, either in Industry or Services companies where I practiced several aspects of this job towards many types of customers as Thales or Eads.”
Why did you apply for the job at ESBE?
“I was looking for a challenge in the industrial sector, in a buoyant market in which I can contribute at my humble level to change mentalities and behaviours to prepare for tomorrow’s world.”
How long have you been working at ESBE?
“I started working for ESBE at the beginning of 2009”
What does a normal day at work look like?
“Days are very different depending on spending it in the office or in business trip. However, with the new mobility tools, there are often a lot of interactions with the ESBE teams, our customers, and partners. It’s a challenge to stay available while being focused on the present moment. It is important to always leave a free space in the diary for unforeseen events that daily happen.”
Can you make a short reflection of how the Pandemic affected your work and the situation for ESBE S.a.r.l. & ESBE Srl ?
“In a job we want as close as possible to our customers, of course, we have been obliged to reinvent our ways of working. However, we keep focus on delivering support and services to all of them.”
How would you describe the corporate culture at ESBE?
“I would like to sum it up in two typically Swedish words: Lagom & Livsnjutare
‘Lagom’ might be understood as “neither too much nor too little”. The word goes against the excesses of modern life and that’s why we love it. It is an ethical, measured, minimalist and fulfilling lifestyle that can be used in almost all aspects of our daily life.
‘Livsnjutare’ because we also try to be addicted to life and enjoy it to the fullest, and even face the routine with joy and be able to marvel at the most insignificant things of everyday life.”
What characterizes ESBE as an employer?
“ESBE attaches great importance to people, believes in each personality before their professional skills, their network or their diplomas. ESBE immediately trusts its employees and encourages them to be autonomous by taking initiatives. We accept to make mistakes as long as we are able to understand why in order to bounce back better afterwards. This is a management based on consensus which aims to be efficient and pragmatic. For example, it is inconceivable to work a lot of hours just to be seen as a good employee by its boss, as is often the case in France.”
What is the best thing about your job?
“Definitely the people! What makes me wake up every morning with a smile is always the people I’m going to meet. Working together in those teams of diverse cultures but common values is as pleasant as it is enriching.”
What do you think ESBE customers could see as enticing when taking in information about ESBE?
“Customers who have chosen ESBE have understood the importance of not neglecting quality, even for products that may, at first glance, seem futile. They know how essential these products are often in installations where energy savings, safety and sustainability are desired. Others are sometimes tempted to save a few euros, but this often allows them to experiment at their expense the risks of this alternative choice.”
In what way can you see that ESBE is taking a big responsibility regarding sustainability?
“ESBE is a company created at the time of our great grandparents. It went through the whole of the twentieth century, its wars, its crises, its technological revolutions by adapting each time to changes. This is only possible if a company has a very strong anchoring to its roots, which each generation passes on to the next one. ESBE doesn't just want to go high, ESBE wants to go far. This is reflected in our products but above all in each woman and man who makes up our teams: focus on the long term!”
Where do you think ESBE will be in 10 years?
“ESBE has built a solid foundation by collaborating for decades with all the largest OEMs in our industry. The creation of our subsidiaries in Europe has established our reputation with specialized distribution. Today, many installers daily discuss with us, and this helps us to improve our approach and our products. We are also finding that more and more homeowners are contacting us to use our systems. In ten years, I am sure we will therefore be even closer to the users of our products, and this will allow us to offer solutions that are even more suited to the environmental challenges of the future.”