“There is no success more beautiful than another; success should only be internal.”
Nice Premium: Introduce us to the company you work in and your role within it?
Nathalie Reynier: SIAE Microelectronica S.A. is an Italian family business, specialized in the manufacturing and selling of microwave links. Ranked 6th internationally, SIAE remains the only one still designing and manufacturing its core business in Milan, that is, microwave modules. I am responsible for the LATAM region, which is a new market, and there’s everything to set up. We acquired a company in Brazil (August 07) and recently opened an office in Mexico. I manage these two subsidiaries and also work on establishing a network in Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela. My work has several facets, including management, sales, and marketing.
NP: How long have you held this position?
NR: I was hired in April 2006.
NP: What have you done since graduating from school? What is your professional background?
NR: Throughout my career, I have experienced very diverse roles. I started in the smart card industry, moving through Marseille, Santiago de Chile, and Paris before going to live in the Canary Islands where I worked in a company that manufactured wind turbines and sold renewable energy. I developed cooperation projects to secure funding from international organizations. At the same time, I also worked for the University of Las Palmas to implement a cooperation project between three universities (Pau, Las Palmas, Agadir) funded by the European Commission. Until the day when Asca stopped paying employees, and the university project concluded, it was a good time to return to France and seek professional stability (an impossible concept in the Canary Islands).
NP: Have you always wanted to work in this field, or is it the result of opportunities?
NR: I’ve always had roles in sales, often as a market opener, a hunter…
NP: What is your educational background, and what degrees have you obtained?
NR: I attended IPAG Nice and completed my studies with a DESS in “Business Management” at UBO (University of Western Brittany).
NP: What is the perception of students from your former school in the professional field you work in?
NR: I must admit that IPAG is not well-known in Italy; business schools don’t exist here.
NP: What advice would you give to students considering a career in your sector? Do you think it’s better to start in SMEs or large corporations?
NR: I’ve experienced both, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. I don’t have a stance for or against; I think the best is to experience both.
NP: Why did you choose to work internationally?
NR: I didn’t choose; it’s in my nature, and I’m speaking about the international domain, of course!
NP: What are your current career prospects and professional aspirations?
NR: I would like my market to take off and stabilize so that it can become more significant (in terms of revenue) and be equivalent to what Europe is today for SIAE.
NP: What are the specific characteristics of your industry?
NR: It is a technological sector, hence very dynamic; it constantly requires us to stay on the cutting edge. It is also a complex product that requires establishing a whole network for installation and after-sales support.
NP: Would you like to add something?
NR: There is no success more beautiful than another; success should only be internal!
