Getting to know two M2i teachers who work in the field: Anne Augier-Pommey and Alexis Bem
The M2i Master not only provides students proficiency in two foreign languages, but also the technical skills required to be prepared for the modern workplace. Three students from the 2017-2018 class interviewed two of their teachers to get a deeper understanding of why they were drawn to teach in our course and their views on the course curriculum.
Anne Augier-Pommey
Strategic management teacher in the M2i since 2016, Anne had a prolific career before becoming a teacher. Her enthusiasm and optimistic views on our master motivates the students and instils them with a positive outlook for their future.
Anne Augier-Pommey had her first encounter with intercultural marketing issues early during her studies as her research project focused on marketing and advertising policies for French cheese in France, England and Germany. From there, she developed an interest for the way marketing messages have to adapt to cultures and consumer behaviours.
Firstly, she worked for almost 3 years in London as a consultant in international business in an advertising company. She had the opportunity to work on several projects for British firms who wanted to develop on the continent or foreign firms who wanted to set up in the UK.Back in France, she worked for 3 years as a senior consultant, then 8 years as key account manager in different French companies.
Even though she had the opportunity to tackle international issues, she felt everything was “extremely French”. That’s why she then worked, for a global professional services firm where she managed projects with American, but also British, German and Swiss people. However, when her firm shifted strategy in 2007, she decided to get freelance work. Among other things, she started teaching and training people in intercultural and marketing issues.
Her diversified work experience is ideal for the M2i Master. She has faced many different multicultural issues and acquired experience on how to analyse and evolve in this ever-changing environment. That’s why she has been sharing her experience with the M2i students for 2 years. She provides them with a wide range of views of different aspects of business life, giving a “quick dive into a comprehensive range of issues through dossiers”. This format gives the students tools to develop their own analysis and be aware of the complexity of such issues.
“I’m very impressed by the M2i students,” Anne says. “I’ve trained and taught various courses since 2009, but I have never enjoyed it as much. If I was still in a company I would be glad to hire all of [the students]. Because [they] are an incredible mix between pleasant, curious, intelligent, skilled, eager to learn, to share and discuss. Something that I come across very rarely.”
Alexis Bem
Auto-entrepreneur’ since he graduated, Alexis has been teaching accountancy to the M2i students for almost 10 years. For him, the master is different from other management programs: it puts emphasis on soft skills and openness to difference.
Alexis Bem graduated in 1997 in order to become a certified public accountant and auditor. At first, he chose this field because it was a stable job with a secure revenue.
In June 1998, just before graduating, he created his own company, and started to acquire small clients right away. The minute he learnt he graduated, he ran to register at the trade tribunal and has been working ever since. Today, the firm involves six people including himself for an annual total turnover of around €600,000 before tax. The firm provides expertise on accounting, payslips, and tax return requirements to about 100 clients.
Alexis Bem has a unique way of seeing business. He refuses to specialize his company’s activities. This is so that he keeps learning and meeting different types of clients with different needs. As a result, his client base goes from small and medium sized firms to multinationals with more than 100 collaborators.
Although some may see accountancy as tedious, it is what allowed him a door into multiculturalism, and to see the impact of cultural differences on business. For example, to meet all of his customer needs and widen his range of expertise, he chose to study on his own American and British accountancy.
This open-mindedness and will to share with the other may be what led him to teach. He has been teaching accountancy for more than 15 years in several business schools and in the M2i for almost 10 years now. Accountancy plays a major role in the master as it is also an international language that has its own codes, vocabulary, and culture. It is essential to understand it, because it grants access to a new range of information. Information that doesn’t lie – information that will enable the students to take major decisions in their business life.
“I consider the M2i as a University degree which is really different from the others,” says Alexis. “I like the diversity of the origins of the students, their opinions, and the fact that they are ready to question themselves to find the best solutions. It’s much more involving than traditional business schools.”
This article was written by:
Laureline Vaux-Perrier
Claire Velicitat
