Hugues Denissel

Expatriation the goal

In 1995, after just having graduated from ENSAM (the French National Engineering School), Hugues Denissel answered an advertisement placed by a research company. "The mission, concerning glass fibre and composite materials, was very interesting - particularly because of the frequent contacts with the production plants, most of them abroad." This international context was perfectly in line with his goals. "There was no question of me working 40 years in Chambéry! I was aiming for an expatriate position and wanted to become bilingual. Acting as an interface between development and production, I was able to forge a special relationship with our plant in Texas." This turned out to be a winning strategy, since two years later, he was offered a position there. He was subsequently given a rapidly growing stream of responsibilities from quality control to managing a product line, followed by a second one which he was able to make efficient again. "Four jobs in six years - that wouldn't be possible in France!" he observes with satisfaction. Looking back over these years spent on the other side of the Atlantic, he states, "I learned how to assert myself as a leader, while living and working in a different cultural environment." And at the same time, finally acquiring a "perfect" command of English!

From production to CEO

His third position, in Poland, was to give him the opportunity of extending his skills to include the management of a whole unit. "Saint-Gobain has a powerful industrial culture and appreciates production people for this kind of mission," explains Hugues Denissel. This was how he became CEO of a small plant (with a workforce of 80) producing glass fibre veil - which he described as "a real in-the-field job." This was where he was able to extend the scope of his activities to include human resources and finance, as well as - of course - starting to learn Polish. "You're on the front line of everything at small sites like this," he comments, "from negotiations with unions to purchasing energy at a local level, and you very quickly learn how an organisation really works."

Mission accomplished

At the end of the year, the capacity of the factory at Gorlice will be multiplied by 2.5. For Hugues Denissel, the objectives will have been achieved and it will be time to think of moving onwards and upwards. " This happens quite naturally within the Group via the annual assessment interviews and discussions with superiors. You just have to make sure you don't put too many obstacles in your own way." He will also already be thinking about his next expatriation, managing a bigger factory, and this time with the possibility of becoming more involved in the marketing aspect of his position…