Sitting down with talented folk from the agency to discuss their careers to date and what makes them tick.
What’s your background?
I was born and grew up in Nantes on the West Coast of France. I moved to Paris when I was 20 and got a Masters in General Communications. That led me to getting an internship at Grey Paris, which is where my agency life started. It took me to London and Milan, and then back to London, working on a multinational corporate. Along with the locations, the work exposed me to so many different cultures and ways of working.
What brought you to Coley Porter Bell?
After a few years back in London, I wanted to gain more experience across different sectors and was really drawn to the world of branding and design. I joined Coley’s as it started working with Tesco and to head up that account.
You’ve been at the agency for 6 years, what’s been the best highlight?
The first project I worked on was massive and was a real labour of love. Tesco’s core range redesign. It was the biggest UK retail packaging rebrand ever, covering 9000 SKUs. Because of the scale of the work, we formed really close-knit partnerships within the team and with the client. It was great, and my proudest achievement.
Tell us something people may not know about you.
I used to be a fitness instructor. It was a technique coming directly from Sweden, mixing both cardio and core muscle building to high beat music . I stopped after the birth of my second child. Looking back, doing it really complemented my role at work. I’m passionate about guiding people and finding the right balance between being firm and being gentle, and in a nutshell, helping people. I’m very lucky with the team I have. They’re all absolutely fantastic.
What are your hobbies now?
Hobbies? I have two small children…
Joking aside, a lot of what I love doing centres around cooking and interior design. My home feels very French.
What was the most recent exhibition you went to?
I love feeling connected to what’s happening in the world, and culturally too. It’s hard when you have children as you can sometimes lose this connection. So I’m trying to force myself to get to as much as I can, with the kids as well. We went to the BBC Earth Experience in London recently. It was highly immersive and narrated by David Attenborough. The kids loved it.
What music are you into?
I like a mix. Anything from Toto to Dolly Parton. The last thing I listened to was ‘From Gaza, with love’ by Saint Levant.
What piece of advice would you give to younger self?
Listen more. Be more flexible. Back yourself.
