Personal experience:  Nathalie Passavent, a graduate of KEDGE’s ISLI continuing education programme

A graduate of KEDGE’s ISLI continuing education programme Nathalie Passaventtells us about her career, the training she received at KEDGE, and, in hindsight, what it has allowed her to achieve. An inspiring journey resulting from getting a new perspective through additional training.

Hello Nathalie. Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Would you please tell us briefly what job you held before you took KEDGE's continuing education programme and what that position entailed?

Hello, before taking this course, I was Supply Chain Manager at Schlumberger, in the energy sector. My responsibilities included coordinating the purchasing, procurement, logistics, and distribution activities for two global operational divisions. 

You decided to pursue further education and attend KEDGE Business School’s ISLI continuing education programme. What motivated you to take this decision? Did you feel that you needed to progress, deepen your knowledge, or did you want to specialise?

My company has a very robust mobility policy. After having spent almost twenty years in management and technical support, being in charge of the supply chain was a radical change. I wanted to gain more in-depth skills in the area so that I could maximise the return on investment of the projects I wanted to implement. My employer immediately recognised the benefits of doing this training. 

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What direct benefits do you feel you gained from completing the programme? Did it help you access new career opportunities (job advancement, new responsibilities, etc) in the short- or medium-term?

The course modules and the interactions with my instructors and fellow students were instrumental in my successfully completing the professional project I had been assigned. The most significant thing I gained was knowledge in international logistics, which gave me the ability to implement holistic strategies – an approach I continue to use today, even though I’ve moved on to other fields outside the supply chain since I received my diploma. 

How was the course conducted? What are the main experiences/memories that left their mark on you? Looking back, would you do it again?

First of all, the even pace of the course meant that I was able to continue with my professional commitments and have time for my family. For me, this balance was fundamental in order to remain motivated throughout the course.

The programme consisted of a combination of lectures, group work, simulations, readings and, finally, the writing of a personal thesis.

The course modules as well as the discussions with the lecturers and my fellow students were determining factors in the success of the professional assignment I was given.

The professional world is increasingly changing, which demands making a constant effort to acquire new knowledge and keep skills up to date. What type of profile would you advise taking KEDGE's continuing education programme? How does this type of training programme factor in personal and career development?

I would definitely repeat this experience, especially because of the quality of the discussions and the opportunity to learn about other issues, approaches,  and economic challenges. This programme is suitable for all candidates who are interested in deepening their skills in the extended supply chain or who would like to specialise in transversal approaches.

After each question that arose, a new one would inevitably surface, requiring a personal investment to think further, not only during the course but also afterwards!

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