Alumni

Your experience in management consulting with Advancy will offer you a number of professional opportunities.
In retail, industry and tourism alike, our past employees hold high-level positions with former clients or in other companies.
Our alumni have maintained their entrepreneurial spirit: 25% of Advancy’s former employees left to start their own company!

Read more about their experiences

Julien FAURIE

Managing Director, Trosman Corp (Argentine)

« Consultancy combining a high-level business vision
with an obsession for tangible results »

I have lived in Buenos Aires for a little over five years, heading up Trosman, a fast growing luxury brand company with 25 employees. I am confronted with a stimulating twofold challenge: transitioning from a more individualised structure to streamlined and automated management, without compromising the brand’s luxury positioning or the quality of its finished products; developing international sales with a specific focus on the capitals of the luxury world (Paris, New York, Hong Kong, etc.) and high-growth regions (Brazil and China).

The seven years I spent at Advancy are a constant source of inspiration, helping me meet this challenge. Drawing on its entrepreneurial culture, Advancy continuously combines a high-level business vision with an “obsession” for concrete, tangible and measurable results. Advancy not only teaches intellectual discipline and high standards, but also the “real world” of business. When I took up my position as CEO, this twofold contribution gave me the tools I needed to do the job. Today, it gives me a larger perspective on the day-to-day operations of the company and the strategic decisions that need to be made.

In my seven years as a consultant, I had the opportunity to spend over two years on assignment abroad. This not only helped me progress even faster, but it was also an enjoyable experience! My international profile played heavily in my favor during my recruitment by Trosman and continues to serve me every day in acclimating to my new cultural environment.

Cédric Gauchet

PDG, Discac

« Invaluable tools for the management of my own company »

I am now the Chairman and CEO of Discac, an SME with 90 employees that manufactures kitchen and bathroom furniture. Our business is exclusively BtoB, targeting wholesale and retail clients. I joined the company as Sales Director before taking the helm in 2011.

Before that, I spent seven exciting years with Advancy, during which the firm went from a “management consulting start-up” to a leading player in the sector. This transition validated a concept that, in my mind, is Advancy’s trademark: a vision and a high-level analytical standard aimed at serving the real issues facing its clients. “If I were the client”: that is the cornerstone of the Advancy approach. It calls for a pragmatic results-driven culture, one that helped me seamlessly make the transition into the much more operational, down-to-earth world of SMEs.

On a personal note, the wealth of experience I gained with the high-level managers of Advancy’s client companies, as well as with their teams, provided me with invaluable tools for the management of my own company. A management style and method is developed individually over time, but every Advancy client I met is a reference point guiding me along my own path.

Julien Guiu

Head of Industrial Marketing, Bayer, MaterialScience CAS (Chine/Asie Pacifique)

« An international environment, an entrepreneurial experience »

My work in China has taught me just how much I learned from Advancy and how much this experience prepared me to succeed in a totally international environment.

Beginning with my very first projects with Advancy, which took me all over Europe to redefine the service strategy of a leading steel manufacturer, then to Asia and the Middle East to redevelop the strategy of a major global building materials group, my professional experience has always been international in scope. Later, given my interest in working abroad, it was a natural step for me to oversee the opening of the Advancy office in Shanghai. This truly entrepreneurial experience helped familiarize me with this fast-growing market and paved the way for Advancy to more effectively address the challenges of developing in Asia for its historic clients.

The greatest success of the Shanghai office is that flows are now reversing and clients which have developed through the Shanghai office are now steered towards the Paris office for their European development needs.

After participating in Advancy’s development in Asia for over two years, I joined one of our clients (a leading international group based in Germany) to head up Marketing Strategy and Development in Asia for one of its business units. In fact, I recently turned to Advancy to help me successfully launch our new product offer on the market.

David Marchadour

Finance Manager, Pernod Ricard Pacific – Travel Retail

« A unique team atmosphere »

I started working with the Sydney Advancy team as a summer intern and ended up spending the 5 most amazing years there. I have witnessed the growth of the Sydney office, as when I joined, we were only 3, including myself! The work then was quite focussed on large Government projects. Then, the growth in private equity transactions gave us to opportunity to position ourselves for commercial due diligence engagements, and build a leadership position in Australia with large and mid-size investment funds. Transactions eventually slowed down, but we were able again to evolve and came back to the founders’ skills in FMCG and Retail.

We developed a particular expertise in beverages, and after a number of successful engagements with Pernod Ricard, I was offered to join the Group in Business Development. Advancy supported my decision and a smooth transition was arranged with our client.

Advancy is fostering a passion for learning and having fun at the same time. I have been exposed to a variety of CEO level issues across a range of industries and geographies, something which I believe wouldn’t have been possible in any other environment. Most importantly, the unique team atmosphere at Advancy Sydney has allowed me to make lifelong friends.

Agnès Roquefort

Directeur de projet, Accor

« Advancy = methodology, efficiency, cross-business experience and agility, which are the tools for success in any professional environment »

I am now Project Director for Accor’s Global COO, after 10 years of experience in consulting, 7 of which I spent with Advancy.

I made the transition to this post very naturally, in fact. At Advancy, I developed a real passion for the tourism sector, I knew Accor very well and already enjoyed working with its teams. Accor is undergoing a major transformation and was looking for profiles capable of managing projects on an international scale. I am in charge of several cross-business projects, such as the organization of Accor in Europe, the roll out of the hotel reservation system worldwide, etc.

The experience I earned at Advancy is a major advantage in my current job. The four factors that I use the most today are: methodology, efficiency, cross-business experience and agility.
Methodology to make progress on complex issues,
Cross-business experience to make the most of the expertise of each team member and to prevent the “silo effect” characteristic of large groups,
Efficiency because in consulting we learn to work quickly on a wide variety of subjects,
Agility is a question of survival in a large group, especially when you come from a smaller, more entrepreneurial company like Advancy!

Damien Schmitz

Fondateur, Our

« A very entrepreneurial corporate culture »

Consulting leads to everything, even to kebabs! After spending five years at Advancy, I launched the first high-end kebab restaurant, “OUR”. After a successful test run in 2010 at the Forum des Halles in Paris, we opened a new restaurant in the 8th arrondissement.

I attribute much of OUR’s success to the experience I gained during my years as a consultant. Advancy taught me not only about the high standard of results and striving towards excellence typical of the management consulting sector, but also taught me a very entrepreneurial corporate culture which perfectly matches my own aspirations. That is why I think that being an Advancy consultant is a great way to speed up development, for clients who receive results-oriented recommendations and for consultants who find a demanding yet motivating working environment.

Philippe Sung

Etudiant MBA, INSEAD

« Experience that is highly valued by the job market »

After my management consulting experience, I wanted to pursue my career with an MBA at INSEAD. As an engineer, I felt the business school would complement my education and improve my business skills in order to successfully reach my career goal as an entrepreneur.

My experience at Advancy was very intense and fun. It really provided the foundations of consulting skills, extremely important to any business profession. In addition, the entrepreneurial spirit at Advancy gave me the opportunity to not only contribute in business development but also work with some brilliant people in several projects. It was definitely a valuable experience in a high level consulting environment and helped me enter the INSEAD MBA program.

Julien Faurie

Julien FAURIE

Managing Director, Trosman Corp (Argentine)

« Consultancy combining a high-level business vision
with an obsession for tangible results »

I have lived in Buenos Aires for a little over five years, heading up Trosman, a fast growing luxury brand company with 25 employees. I am confronted with a stimulating twofold challenge: transitioning from a more individualised structure to streamlined and automated management, without compromising the brand’s luxury positioning or the quality of its finished products; developing international sales with a specific focus on the capitals of the luxury world (Paris, New York, Hong Kong, etc.) and high-growth regions (Brazil and China).

The seven years I spent at Advancy are a constant source of inspiration, helping me meet this challenge. Drawing on its entrepreneurial culture, Advancy continuously combines a high-level business vision with an “obsession” for concrete, tangible and measurable results. Advancy not only teaches intellectual discipline and high standards, but also the “real world” of business. When I took up my position as CEO, this twofold contribution gave me the tools I needed to do the job. Today, it gives me a larger perspective on the day-to-day operations of the company and the strategic decisions that need to be made.

In my seven years as a consultant, I had the opportunity to spend over two years on assignment abroad. This not only helped me progress even faster, but it was also an enjoyable experience! My international profile played heavily in my favor during my recruitment by Trosman and continues to serve me every day in acclimating to my new cultural environment.

Cédric Gauchet

Cédric Gauchet

PDG, Discac

« Invaluable tools for the management of my own company »

I am now the Chairman and CEO of Discac, an SME with 90 employees that manufactures kitchen and bathroom furniture. Our business is exclusively BtoB, targeting wholesale and retail clients. I joined the company as Sales Director before taking the helm in 2011.

Before that, I spent seven exciting years with Advancy, during which the firm went from a “management consulting start-up” to a leading player in the sector. This transition validated a concept that, in my mind, is Advancy’s trademark: a vision and a high-level analytical standard aimed at serving the real issues facing its clients. “If I were the client”: that is the cornerstone of the Advancy approach. It calls for a pragmatic results-driven culture, one that helped me seamlessly make the transition into the much more operational, down-to-earth world of SMEs.

On a personal note, the wealth of experience I gained with the high-level managers of Advancy’s client companies, as well as with their teams, provided me with invaluable tools for the management of my own company. A management style and method is developed individually over time, but every Advancy client I met is a reference point guiding me along my own path.

Julien Guiu

Julien Guiu

Head of Industrial Marketing, Bayer, MaterialScience CAS (Chine/Asie Pacifique)

« An international environment, an entrepreneurial experience »

My work in China has taught me just how much I learned from Advancy and how much this experience prepared me to succeed in a totally international environment.

Beginning with my very first projects with Advancy, which took me all over Europe to redefine the service strategy of a leading steel manufacturer, then to Asia and the Middle East to redevelop the strategy of a major global building materials group, my professional experience has always been international in scope. Later, given my interest in working abroad, it was a natural step for me to oversee the opening of the Advancy office in Shanghai. This truly entrepreneurial experience helped familiarize me with this fast-growing market and paved the way for Advancy to more effectively address the challenges of developing in Asia for its historic clients.

The greatest success of the Shanghai office is that flows are now reversing and clients which have developed through the Shanghai office are now steered towards the Paris office for their European development needs.

After participating in Advancy’s development in Asia for over two years, I joined one of our clients (a leading international group based in Germany) to head up Marketing Strategy and Development in Asia for one of its business units. In fact, I recently turned to Advancy to help me successfully launch our new product offer on the market.

David Marchadour

David Marchadour

Finance Manager, Pernod Ricard Pacific – Travel Retail

« A unique team atmosphere »

I started working with the Sydney Advancy team as a summer intern and ended up spending the 5 most amazing years there. I have witnessed the growth of the Sydney office, as when I joined, we were only 3, including myself! The work then was quite focussed on large Government projects. Then, the growth in private equity transactions gave us to opportunity to position ourselves for commercial due diligence engagements, and build a leadership position in Australia with large and mid-size investment funds. Transactions eventually slowed down, but we were able again to evolve and came back to the founders’ skills in FMCG and Retail.

We developed a particular expertise in beverages, and after a number of successful engagements with Pernod Ricard, I was offered to join the Group in Business Development. Advancy supported my decision and a smooth transition was arranged with our client.

Advancy is fostering a passion for learning and having fun at the same time. I have been exposed to a variety of CEO level issues across a range of industries and geographies, something which I believe wouldn’t have been possible in any other environment. Most importantly, the unique team atmosphere at Advancy Sydney has allowed me to make lifelong friends.

Agnès Roquefort

Agnès Roquefort

Directeur de projet, Accor

« Advancy = methodology, efficiency, cross-business experience and agility, which are the tools for success in any professional environment »

I am now Project Director for Accor’s Global COO, after 10 years of experience in consulting, 7 of which I spent with Advancy.

I made the transition to this post very naturally, in fact. At Advancy, I developed a real passion for the tourism sector, I knew Accor very well and already enjoyed working with its teams. Accor is undergoing a major transformation and was looking for profiles capable of managing projects on an international scale. I am in charge of several cross-business projects, such as the organization of Accor in Europe, the roll out of the hotel reservation system worldwide, etc.

The experience I earned at Advancy is a major advantage in my current job. The four factors that I use the most today are: methodology, efficiency, cross-business experience and agility.
Methodology to make progress on complex issues,
Cross-business experience to make the most of the expertise of each team member and to prevent the “silo effect” characteristic of large groups,
Efficiency because in consulting we learn to work quickly on a wide variety of subjects,
Agility is a question of survival in a large group, especially when you come from a smaller, more entrepreneurial company like Advancy!

Damien Schmitz

Damien Schmitz

Fondateur, Our

« A very entrepreneurial corporate culture »

Consulting leads to everything, even to kebabs! After spending five years at Advancy, I launched the first high-end kebab restaurant, “OUR”. After a successful test run in 2010 at the Forum des Halles in Paris, we opened a new restaurant in the 8th arrondissement.

I attribute much of OUR’s success to the experience I gained during my years as a consultant. Advancy taught me not only about the high standard of results and striving towards excellence typical of the management consulting sector, but also taught me a very entrepreneurial corporate culture which perfectly matches my own aspirations. That is why I think that being an Advancy consultant is a great way to speed up development, for clients who receive results-oriented recommendations and for consultants who find a demanding yet motivating working environment.

Philippe Sung

Philippe Sung

Etudiant MBA, INSEAD

« Experience that is highly valued by the job market »

After my management consulting experience, I wanted to pursue my career with an MBA at INSEAD. As an engineer, I felt the business school would complement my education and improve my business skills in order to successfully reach my career goal as an entrepreneur.

My experience at Advancy was very intense and fun. It really provided the foundations of consulting skills, extremely important to any business profession. In addition, the entrepreneurial spirit at Advancy gave me the opportunity to not only contribute in business development but also work with some brilliant people in several projects. It was definitely a valuable experience in a high level consulting environment and helped me enter the INSEAD MBA program.