An engineer's career at Kosmos - Axel, Project Manager

Can you tell us about your background?

I followed the general curriculum at IMT Atlantique to gain a broad vision of engineering and the dimensions of business. This training enabled me to acquire not only a broad "technical varnish" on the components of an information system, but also an overall view of how a company operates. overview of how a company operatesIt also gave me an overview of how a company works, i.e. organizational management, project management, accounting/finance, law, marketing, strategy...

During my end-of-studies internship and then my first job, I joined a consulting firm. I worked on an AMOA mission, assisting the steering committee for the Pays de la Loire Region, the County and the Regional education authority, on the e-lyco project. That's how I came to know Kosmos, which was acting as prime contractor. It wasn't long before I was offered a job with the company.

I joined Kosmos as a project manager and was involved in various activities (SaaS and specific projects). Gradually, I took charge of larger projects and my activities became activities have expandedIn particular, I took on more and more pre-sales assignments. As I became more autonomous in my activities, and because I was interested in the missions associated with the position, my progression to Project Manager came quite naturally..

This role implies other responsibilities. The project manager is more responsible for Kosmos' commitments, is involved in contractual matters, manages risks and changes that occur during the project, and supports the project managers in their work. This development has also brought with it greater responsibility for the pre-sales side of the business, as well as managing the sales of my activity.

After a while, I became manager of a team of project managers. I'd always been interested in management, but for me it represented a major responsibility and a complex mission. The opportunity presented itself at a time when I felt ready to give it a try.. From my point of view, the challenge of management is to to support development by identifying the Skills and strengths of each employee, so as to help them progress in the best possible wayAt the same time, we have to reconcile the aspirations of each individual with the constraints of the company. It's both an in-depth and a daily task. You have to challenge yourself and do better every day. A vast program, but very interesting.

You recently joined the Executive Committee. What does that mean?

Yes, I've added a new string to my bow ! Being a member of the Executive Committee means participate in making important decisions for the company, reporting on the scope of your activities and contributing to the Group's strategic Group's strategic orientations.. I've been with Kosmos for 10 years. I've done a lot of different things and made a lot of progress.

I appreciate the cross-functional nature of my job. Before starting my career, I wanted to be involved in all aspects of a company. In the end, my career at Kosmos gave me that opportunity: team organization, operations monitoring and strategic vision.

What advice would you give to students considering a career path like yours?

You have to go step by step. If you've set your sights on something, don't rush it and do things gradually.. My advice would be to encourage progression within a structure, so that it's natural, and not to evolve by changing companies, which can propel you overnight to new missions in a completely different context.

If you aspire to take on responsibilities, you need to be a driving force, and not hesitate to let your manager know, but you mustn't be in too much of a hurry (or be in too much of a hurry), and you mustn't be afraid of a challenge.

Last but not least, whatever your career path or progress, you must always remain curious, open-minded, a good listener, and be careful not to get stuck in your certainties.