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I loved writing code and there ’ s a point in the journey where , as a technical leader , you stop writing code . That took me a few years .
I got more involved with sales and marketing , which I honestly believe helped make me a better leader in understanding how our technical decisions impact customers . But as I had to spend more time on defining and driving the vision , focusing on growth and execution at scale , I had to trust in my VPs and other leaders and be able to delegate to them .
What is the biggest security challenge you believe the C-suite needs to keep their eye on , in the next few years ?
Cyber threats are growing , but a lot of leaders still see security as a cost center , like a tax . Customers , especially with all the recent software supply chain attacks , just want to work with vendors that are secure . I really believe in the future ; every company will have a kind of security score and people will consider it seriously before they do business with you .
The challenge is to switch from a mindset where security is seen , as I said , as a source of cost and maybe as an insurance policy to it being a selling point and key differentiator . It ’ s really a change of mindset .
You encourage the use of AI tools by your employees . What do you think is the most important thing corporate leadership should keep in mind about the adoption of AI in their company ?
It ’ s not only giving employees the tools . Anybody can use ChatGPT . What we miss is training employees how to use the tools to improve their productivity . It ’ s not easy , to be honest , because the leaders need to believe in the AI revolution , then learn to use it themselves before being able to really make sure that they can spread it to the rest of the company .
Then you have to identify champions . It ’ s not just about creating an internal document . You need to have champions of the technology to evangelize and help train people in it internally : docs , videos , lunch and learn sessions . Get employees actively engaging with the technology and help them learn best practices .
Your headquarters are in Paris , what is one distinctly Parisian thing a visitor to your city should make sure they try ?
For me , and it ’ s pretty personal but it also ties into my views about culture : the French lunch break . Go with some of your co-workers and just have a great lunch at a bistro , enjoy a good moment , eat some great food together , get to know each other , exchange ideas , debate and enjoy . p
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