07.16.2018

Sandrine talks about her role as Personal Assistant in our Geneva office, from moving abroad to her career at Rémy Cointreau.

Your career path to Geneva?
I was an assistant in an insurance company for 15 years. It was time for a change, as I didn’t want the same role my whole career, so I landed a temporary assistant position with Rémy Cointreau in Paris: my port of entry. I arrived in February 2014, before our Geneva office opened. The Group needed to recruit an assistant for our Senior Vice President for the EMEA Zone, and while I didn’t have much seniority, they asked me if I was willing to go to Switzerland to help open our Group’s EMEA headquarters.

The transition was quick but smooth. My colleagues were helpful in our hunt for housing and a school for my son. Rémy Cointreau was also generous, accommodating trips, hotels, etc., throughout my transition to a more fixed-term role abroad. Moreover, timing was super, because my husband and I had been wanting to leave Paris for several years.

Opening the Geneva office?
We arrived in boxes and started unpacking! There were seven to eight of us putting everything in place for daily operations, down to cleaning services and minute details. Little by little, the team started arriving. There’s now 14 of us in the Geneva office. Our goal was to find an office where we could access the airport by foot (We can get there in 5 minutes). You see our building; you see the airport.

Your day to day?
You enter the office, and it’s me you see! I handle various tasks, such as greeting visitors, managing agendas, coordinating meetings, travel, communication, company cars… so my role requires lots of organization. General operations can often stretch your realm of expertise, so you have to be creative! It’s finding solutions when someone misses a flight, has a stain on their shirt or can’t find their phone. I never know what awaits me each day, and that keeps things exciting!

What do you like most about your role?
It’s a fun challenge! I love being able to help, so I take it to heart to resolve problems. It could be waking up early to fix a connection problem at the office, but when things don’t work, you find a solution.

Working with Rémy Cointreau?
Rémy Cointreau is a great Group. I love showcasing the liqueurs and spirits portfolio, introducing my friends to the products via cocktails, etc. It’s also a family Group for which I am very happy to work and maintain a great sense of pride. With my friends, I say, “Voilà, that’s the Rémy Cointreau difference!” And this distinction is something people recognize.