Many thanks to Jérôme Bourgine, editor of the mondedesgrandesecoles.fr website for interviewing KEDGE Alumnus Fabien Bourrely (Class of 2008) and Executive Director at Starcom. You can find the full article here.

Publicis Media is the media division of Publicis Groupe. It’s a strategy and advertising space purchasing consultancy that supports brands in today's complex world of media and data. Publicis Media has several agencies, including Starcom, the second-largest French agency in terms of volume of publicity investments. The Starcom network is also present in some 100 countries around the world.

We work for all sectors: luxury goods, retail, mass consumption, etc.... from L'Oréal to La Poste via McDonald's and Samsung. But even though the sectors are different, most of today's brands face the same issues related to varied changes, including our uses and expectations. CSR and data issues, for example, have become crucial!

At first, I promised myself I would change jobs as soon as I got bored. I've changed agencies several times, but despite having worked in the digital industry for 13 years, I've never changed sectors! It’s simple. In ten years everything has changed. It's a constant intellectual challenge at the very heart of our lives, because everything, everywhere, is becoming digital. And obviously, the youngest ones love it.

When I first started working here in 2016, I immediately liked the challenges, the work environment. and the atmosphere. Having previously worked for smaller companies, I was afraid that I would lose my independence if I worked for a larger agency. Ironically, the opposite happened. I was just as independent as I had been, but had greater leeway and responsibility! Not only were these responsibilities in my field of expertise but also in the communication and management of my work. And so my career progression took place quite naturally.

Of course. There are more positions, more brands, more contacts... . We learn faster and interact with other divisions. Additionally, we have a dedicated platform, Marcel, that connects our employees around the world. And as a large company, there are obviously more opportunities for advancement.

For a long time, life was generally easy in our sector. For the past two years, connections have become overstretched and we’ve had to invest a great deal of time and effort in bringing life to the company. This doesn't just mean through parties. It also means identifying our employees expectations ( in particular through satisfaction surveys) and adapting our company plan to meet them. For example, with telecommuting (of course) and, since this year, the Work Your World programme which allows teams the ability to work six weeks a year from abroad.

Confidence in myself. My final entrance exam didn't go well and I barely got in. Ironically, overcoming this obstacle at the very beginning is what made me want to believe in myself. The school's philosophy of not limiting you but rather entrusting you lent itself perfectly to this aim. As a result, I formed a band, met a wonderful woman, and found a job as soon as I got out!

• Groupe Publicis Media: 900 people
• Agence Starcom France: 250 person
• Contact: fabien.bourrely@starcomww.com 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabien-bourrely-53846336/