“I’m not assigned to any one programme: I'm involved in several programs or bids – currently between 5 and 10 – at various stages of development. Discussions with our customers are technical, and focus on very concrete aspects. No two discussions are alike; the content is always specific. We touch on different topics, depending on the nature of the programme, and on whether the goal is to build or to maintain. With my teams and upstream of the bid process, we engage in lots of dialogue with the customers in order to understand their needs and respond to them in the best possible way. Once we are well aligned, the standard bid and program management processes take over.
Before joining Naval Group, I was based in the UK for several years, working on a British programme alongside British, American and Israeli teams. That experience makes it easier for me, today, to understand and work with our English-speaking – Australian for example - colleagues and customers, but also with other cultures. I like the culture of the English-speaking world and its pragmatic and constructive aspects, without arrogance or preconceptions.
The international dimension of the group offers many opportunities today. An international assignment is an enriching experience on a professional and human level. If you think and act like an entrepreneur, if you are autonomous, then work on an international level is for you!”
Jean-Manuel Erades, Naval Group