Olivier Daheron, Unit Manager Start People, Nantes (France)
“I’ve worked for Start People for nineteen years now. I started as a salesman and after three years I became Agency Manager. A decisive moment in my career was when Start People took over the small agency I worked for. My boss at the time asked me if I wanted to join him on a new venture outside the company. Not an easy decision to make.
I was curious as to which opportunities I would be offered if I stayed on at Start People. It was a bigger company, with a larger client base, that clearly had an ambition for growth. That’s why I decided to stay on. It turned out to be the right choice, even after all these years I’m still able to continue to grow and develop further within the company."
Managing managers
"I’ve never had a career plan in the past and I don’t have a clear plan of what I will be doing in ten years’ time. The opportunities that are offered along the way allow me to move forward and develop. After nine years at Start People, I was offered the opportunity of taking up the position of Sector Manager. I was confident about my managing skills, but managing managers was something completely new. So, I applied for the job and Start People decided to support me. From then on, I’ve never looked back.
It’s essential to have moments to relax and give your mind some space in order to be effective and productive at work.
I’ve flourished in this position, and in all these years I’ve never had the time to get bored. The business sector has evolved considerably and our services have improved immensely. My job is challenging and I love it. I like the prevailing mentality in my team. I’m lucky to be able to rely on people who are involved, competent and positive."
Peaceful moments
The Diagonal of Fools?
"I’ve got another passion: sport. One of my dreams is to hike the GR20 Corsica, or possibly the Diagonal of Fools, which is a mountainous hiking trail of about 163 kilometres diagonally across the island of Reunion. I think the first dream will come true. But I’m not so sure about the second.
Finding the right balance is also important to me. In my opinion, it’s essential to have moments to relax and give your mind some space in order to be effective and productive at work. These moments can be found doing different things: spending time playing with your children, having a drink with friends, playing sports. In those moments I can relax mentally after a productive day at the office.”
