What triggered your change of trajectory from multinational corporations to the non-profit sector?

"For some years now, I've been asking myself what I wanted to do with the last 10 years of my professional life, and what meaning I wanted to give to them.

In 2013, after 28 exciting years, I left American Express. At the same time, personal events led me to look at things differently. I took care of sick relatives, and I couldn't see myself returning to a multinational company. Of course, I had been involved in various associations, as a fund-raiser for the ESCP Foundation and others, but I felt that it was time to change and devote my skills and time to something else: I thought I could be more useful by devoting myself to the associative world, and I wanted to give back what I had received.

My upbringing had a lot to do with it, my whole family was involved in voluntary work, and so were life's circumstances: when I was a child, my father went blind and my wife's brother is autistic. Around me, I began to see more and more examples of this feeling of "giving back what we've been given". In retrospect, the choice became obvious. It just took me a while to understand it. "

What did you rely on to bring about this change?

"I relied on my network and my family.

The most important thing for me was to develop my knowledge of the non-profit world, and I met a lot of people to do that: employees, beneficiaries and volunteers. I needed to select a cause that was a good fit and that would grab me by the guts. I had to find a balance between my skills, my desires and what touched me, but not too much: I would have had trouble with an association for guide dogs, for example, as it would have brought me back too much to my own family history.

What's more, some professionals convinced me that my profile could be of interest to non-profit organizations, if I added a volunteer component to my career path, as volunteer management is a very specific field.

I then got involved in two associations, one in France, 1001fontaines, and one in the UK, to support the creation of start-ups in developing countries. I carried out missions in Cambodia, India and Morocco, and realized that my skills could be put to good use. Working with volunteers and salaried staff in the humanitarian field really appealed to me. 1001fontaines was also very professional in its approach. I was happy to see that my talents could be used in other ways. Volunteering was very rewarding, but eventually I was looking for a salaried position, as I was only 57.

I had to shed my international executive suit, my corporate profile. It was crucial for me to know how to listen to people with different cultures and a very strong emotional involvement. Basically, the difficulty lies in understanding each other. You need to be a good listener and empathetic.

My family also played a key role, as it meant a certain change in my life. But it seemed obvious to them that this was what I had to do."

How does this new project fit in with the person you are?

"In retrospect, this project seems obvious to me. delighted. There's a common thread running through my different professional and personal experiences. They all serve me well. My experience as a carer for my father and brother-in-law enables me to understand the desires and needs expressed by the familiesof people weakened by illness. My experience as a General Manager in different countries in service companies with different cultures is also key.My experience as a volunteer is also key, as I understand the sensitivity and need to belong, and sometimes even the need for recognition.and sometimes even recognition for some people.. "

What advice would you give to people looking for a change?

"Think carefully, then don't hesitate!

Find the association that matches your values, where you'll feel at home, where you can get fully involved with employees and volunteers, and where you can be an ambassador. There's bound to be an association for you among the multitude: 12% of GDP, 14% of jobs with 2 million jobs.

The associative world still needs to become more professional. Profiles from outside this world have skills that can be transposed to it. Even if the approach to human resources is different, the know-how remains the same. For a general manager, if you have the will, the professional and human qualities, with a certain sensitivity, there really is something to be transposed from the private sector to the associative sector.

A surprise for me: the hours aren't the same in an association. You have to be available for the volunteers, who are only available "outside office hours". So you may have to work more in an association than in a company. There's also such a high level of involvement that you can forget to set limits. An employee is often also a volunteer. This can be a problem, and you need to know how to set a barrier.

To make the decision to work in the third sector, you need to talk it over with your family and friends, as well as with people who are familiar with the voluntary sector. It can be difficult to return to the private sector. Some people in the corporate world still don't understand this type of approach, even though, in my opinion, experiences can be transposed in both directions. There are several of us who have worked in both worlds and are trying to build bridges.

As salaries rise in the non-profit sector, the choice becomes less difficult.

But I understand that not everyone wants to change. I'm 60 now, I think I've proved myself, I'm not looking for recognition and my financial needs are less. When I was younger, I might not have taken this step.

However, the world is changing, and even at Harvard Business School, today 10% of graduates go on to work in the social economy, and the school helps them financially: if young graduates spend 3 years in the social economy, the school reimburses their tuition fees. I think it's an excellent idea and a real recognition of the importance of changing mentalities!