On 22nd October WIL invited twenty of its Emerging Talents to participate in a communication skills training session led by Corinne Got-Camard, General Manager, and Thierry Derrien, Senior Account Director at Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

In the afternoon, after the luncheon and the debate hosted by Claude Bartolone, President of the French National Assembly, the group visited Orange Innovation Gardens.

Nathalie Wright, Director of the Enterprises and Partners Division at Microsoft France and WIL role model, chaired a discussion with U.S. Federal Trade Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen, WIL President Thaima Samman and Orange women executives: Elisabeth Belois-Fonteix (Orange Labs Networks & Carriers’ HR Director), Claire Paponneau (Senior Vice President International Operations WECA), Nadine Foulon-Belkacemi (Orange Labs Networks & Carriers, Senior Vice President Transformation) and Brigitte Bourgoin (Chief Compliance Officer). The exchange focused on career milestones and work-life balance management.

A brief presentation of new technologies in healthcare and 3D imaging developed in Orange Labs completed the program of the session.

We asked our Emerging Talents to give us feedback on this all-day event.

Delphine Girod Roux, Head of Orange France point of sales Performance Department

"The organization of overall event was very good, with good timing, nice conference rooms, comfortable transport, and an exquisite meal. Our communication skills training session was rich in situational exercises, and highly instructive. It focused on the importance of look, tone of voice, and breathing for the image we create when speaking. The luncheon at the French Parliament, hosted by Claude Bartolone, was sumptuous. The speakers shared their thoughts on the fine line between transparency and privacy in a world where the role of social networks is increasingly important. The mode of discussion fit well with the core theme of our debate. We had the privilege of hearing Delphine Ernotte speak about the challenges of Cloud Pro Orange. Our visit to Orange Labs also went very well".

Virginie Dominguez, Sales Director for Orange shops in Paris Ouest sector

"The communication skills training session was very interesting, first and foremost because the level of the trainers was very good. Practical cases were relevant, and they illustrated some theoretical questions raised and presented in the morning. My only regret is that we had such tight time constraints. Had the training been longer, we could have derived even greater benefit from it. I was in the English-speaking group. Even though I could understand everything, I think I would have been more at ease if I had been able to do the same exercises in French; it is easier to exercise one’s voice, gestures and exchanges with an audience when one uses one’s mother tongue. The luncheon-conference at the French National Assembly was clearly a high point in the day. The venue was exceptional. The moment of informal discussions and networking during the aperitif was appreciable, as it always is. The quality of speakers was once more excellent; I only regret that the meeting at the Hôtel de Lassay was more a conference than a debate. Last but not least, I really appreciated the exchange of experiences with women executives at Orange Labs. It was very enriching to listen to successful women who explained their choices and described their career paths".

Pauline Henaff, Account Manager at Orange Business Services

"The communication skills training session held in the morning raised my enthusiasm, and I think that I am now on the right track to progress. I plan to use these new skills next week during an important client presentation. The atmosphere was very constructive when we were put into different situations during the training. The possibility to observe others doing the same exercise allowed us to confront ourselves, and to identify our own areas for improvement. The luncheon was also great. As far as the debate on the right balance between the public and the private in the Internet age is concerned, a variety of perspectives presented by the speakers raised thoughts about this issue. It is a pity that there was no time for the audience to ask questions and discuss the theme. The last part of the WTP session – a discussion with WIL role models – was fascinating. It was very interesting to listen to them share their experiences, and tell us about what allowed them to succeed, as well as the difficulties they had to overcome".

Cristina Hoffmann, Lead Designer, Group Design & User Experience at Orange

"What value do we get from the Women Talent Pool program? Connection. At the heart of what I have been doing at Orange for the last seven years is contributing to put people – and not just technological possibility – at the center of our innovation process, which is something I feel passionate about. What I had not realized over these last years is how much, even at the beginning of one’s career, we end up living in the world of our company and its concerns. What Women in Leadership has done, was to remind me that the world will always be much richer than what I know. Through WIL and the training sessions it organizes, I feel reconnected to this richness. Doors are opened to whole new realities, environments, tools and influences. And what is very successful about the Women Talent Pool is the part that role models play in this connection process. These are authentic women, with important roles and real lives, who dare to do things differently, and strive to contribute to society and live by their convictions. Thanks to them we get this rich palette of experiences that demystify how their careers have unfolded and provide us with alternatives of what it means to be successful. This is of real importance to me, because it is a great source of confidence and inspiration. I feel like we are being given some of the material we need to better invent our careers and ourselves".