For me, logistics was a coincidence that turned into the obvious choice. It was during a training placement in 'factory shipment' that I first became involved in the field. I was a beginner, in the middle of a warehouse surrounded by trucks and pallets of cheese. It hardly sounds like the most attractive way to begin but I have very good memories of my arrival at the Thiais site, just south of the Paris area. I met some very welcoming people who very quickly integrated me into their teams and from whom I learnt a great deal.
Tell us about your Lactalis Group career so far.
My 'Lactalian' journey began 3-and-a-half years ago at Thiais. I had a degree in Agro-Food Engineering and the only professional experience I had was a few placements !
The first stage was to learn 'the job' at the regional distribution headquarters, the heart of operations. My tasks included : working out delivery rounds, guaranteeing clients' deliveries and managing the team of drivers.
Then I became involved in the reception of goods, which taught me about the warehouse, stock management and preparing orders. I was later entrusted with coordinating the site's projects, a position for which my knowledge of the different jobs proved very useful. When I left Thiais, I was much more experienced and took many new skills with me. My current job is at Logistics Headquarters at Laval and is a more cross-cutting position. I am now a Logistics Project Engineer.
What does your new job consist of ?
Although I have no hierarchical relationship with my colleagues, teamwork is the rule and inter-personal relations are at the forefront of everything we do. Projects aim for concrete improvements in organisation, traceability, safety etc. My involvement covers an extensive area : more than 10 warehouse sites and distribution platforms. I also regularly have to travel to the various sites in France. The word 'logistics' incorporates the idea of 'perpetual motion' – and I'm certainly never bored ! The job requires reactivity and flexibility, but also the ability to make a decision quickly, having weighed up what is at stake and minimised the risks !
And the future?
I'm constantly learning new things and I'm sure I will want to continue my Lactalis journey, perhaps abroad to work on particular projects, or perhaps even to another job within the Group. Some of my colleagues have already successfully transferred to other jobs, so I certainly wouldn't be breaking any new ground.
