Tell us about your job and its role within the organisation. 

Within the Advisory department, my operational role as Advisor consists in providing advice to a portfolio of clients on their investments. I am also in charge, alongside Marie Delesalle, of managing the Explore Advisors. I support them in their tasks, manage the department’s day-to-day activity and ensure that the Group’s investment strategy is implemented locally. I think the job of an Advisor has become an equal combination of men and women’s intelligence. In general, the market finance industry has evolved, particularly thanks to digitisation. Women now have a more prominent role to play.

 

What is your career path? How have you managed the different developments in your career?

I did my schooling between London and Casablanca and then continued my studies in France where I joined EDHEC. After graduating from the business school, I worked as a broker for 7 years, mostly at Newedge, a former Crédit Agricole subsidiary. After a brief journey in London, I joined CFM Indosuez Monaco Private Bank, which allowed me to capitalise on my experience and knowledge of the markets gained in the brokerage sector. However, having worked mainly with institutionals, I had to acquire the Wealth Management industry’s specific codes and standards as most clients are individuals. In 2018, I made an internal mobility, joining Advisory at Indosuez France in Paris. One year after my arrival, my superiors offered me a Supervisor position, which I gladly accepted.

 

Was being a woman an asset or handicap in your career? How do you manage your personal and professional life?

During my years in brokerage, I worked with an 11-man team, all from the auction markets. I, too, had to work on a daily basis in these male-dominated markets. Being a woman in this sometimes misogynist atmosphere was pretty hard. Today, it seems to me that being a woman Advisor is clearly an advantage. I think that even though men and women are equal, they are still different. It is up to each of us to turn these differences into strengths. Being a woman in this business requires great versatilily with three roles to carry out simultaneously: being a mother, a woman and a professional with a demanding career. This entails a lot of organisation, little time for oneself, and high mental workload, which can be hard to manage every day.

 

In concrete terms, what initiatives do you and your teams take on a daily basis to make progress in the area of gender diversity?

On a daily basis, I try as a woman manager to take into account parenting for both genders in the team’s management. If an employee needs flexibility due to parental duties, I try to be understanding because it can be difficult to combine a mother/father life with a professional life.

 

What advice would you give to the younger generation?

I would advise younger generations to always focus on collaboration, on collective work and to keep in mind that we all work together for the same establishment. We just have different positions or personalities, but with multiple ties that bind us, both men and women. Let us therefore work together to remain human-centred on a daily basis. We will all emerge stronger.