Class of 1984: 40 years on, a reunion full of memories...
This Kedger competed in the hardest triathlon in the world!
Discover Pierig Bouret and his incredible background. A KEDGE graduate and Marketing Director for Haier Europe, he completed an out-of-the-ordinary feat: 4km of swimming fjords, 180km of mountain biking, and 42km of running!
After taking management classes at Vannes in Brittany, Pierig entered into the Grande Ecole Programme at KEDGE, at its Bordeaux campus (Class of 2005).
"My goal was to leave behind a very academic path for a path of excellence based on professional involvement and networking. I wasn’t disappointed," said Pierig.
During his first year, convinced that the rich associative fabric of the school was an asset, he campaigned to sit on the "Dare d'Art” BDA (a type of student board). He won the election and sat on the board during his second year.
"Many would have bet on my participation in the BDS, as I was already involved in a lot of sports (athletics, water sports, etc.), but I decided to challenge myself, get off a comfortable path already mapped out for me," he explained.
While at KEDGE, he had the chance to organise, amongst others, the “Expression at Bombannes” – a soiree for new arrivals. He also worked on developing theatre, dance, music, and arts events, both within and outside the school with classmates who became and have stayed friends for years afterwards.
After an internship in sales with L’Oréal, and a gap year working for Head of Sector for Gillette (which purchased by P&G), he finished his studies with a Marketing internship at Rip Curl Europe, first in Hossegor, then in Brighton, England.
In 2006, Pierig went to work for the Indesit Company in Paris where he advanced in his marketing positions: Product Manager, then Brand Manager, and finally Marketing Manager for the Indesit and Hotpoint-Ariston brands.
In June 2011, the group signed a partnership with Paris St Germain, a few weeks before it was purchased by QSI.
“I had the chance to bring this incredible partnership alive for two years to develop the value of the Indesit brand and the commercial dynamics, driven by the overwhelming results of the team and a new era - that of “Qatar”, Zlatan, Beckham, etc.,” he added.
In 2014, Pierig joined Haier Europe as its Business Unit Manager. In particular, he developed the Chinese giant's new range of refrigerators for Europe, and spent three years going between Asia and the major European markets to adapt this powerful industry to suit local specificities and tastes.
It was during that time that he developed his love for triathlons and prepared for his first Ironman challenge. He did a lot of training in hotel gyms and swimming pools to reach a good enough level!
In June 2017, a new director took the helm of the Haier French subsidiary. Pierig joined the team as Marketing Director and was tasked with building the entire marketing strategy in order to pivot the brand towards premium segments of the market and get away from the “made in China” label.
"I tackled the task of creating brand awareness and preference for our brand, building new experiences at points of sale and in temporary locations, recruiting brand ambassadors, and capitalising on the Group's technological innovations," he said.
In 2018, after three years of trying, and when he was at the point of giving up, Pierig won his ticket for the Isklar Norseman Xtreme! "I got my loved ones together and received the support of my colleagues to help me organise it during a particularly busy time. I limited my preparation for the race (which as taking place at the beginning of August) to the period between February and July, while working at the same time. I regularly went swimming on my lunch break, and had a second sports session in the evening, either running or cycling, sometimes until very late. I’m lucky to have an incredible, patient companion, and who gives me support every day,” he explained proudly.
Last 4 August, he reached the summit of Mount Gausta at 9 pm after 16 hours of an unforgettable race that consisted of:
- 4 km of swimming in the fjords;
- 180 km of mountain biking; and
- 42 km of running under particularly difficult climatic conditions.
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READ PIERIG'S ACCOUNT OF THE RACE
In early 2019, his department launched an unprecedented marketing campaign with two big very TV ads, a digital campaign around wine, and a co-branding with specialist distributors and numerous influencers to make Haier a unbeatable high-end brand.
Haier France recorded a double-digit growth and has continued its transformation, which has even accelerated since January by its acquisition of the Candy Group - another market heavyweight.
Lastly, 2019 is also a very special year for Pierig: "I’m getting married at the end of the year, and before that my future wife and I will have our first child at the end of August – one year after the insane Norseman challenge".
Congratulations to this Kedger for his jaw-dropping path!
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Antoine MONTIER (EUROMED Programme Grande Ecole / ESC, 2017) 02 July 2019 à 09h54
Bravo Pierig, j'avais regardé le documentaire Stade 2. Respect pour ces athlètes hors-normes. D'autant plus si l'on arrive à gérer sa vie pro et perso à côté..! Merci à l'auteur pour l'article.