“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.”
Peter Drucker
Contents
1. Introduction: #AlwaysLearning
My main expertise consists in managing international marketing, media and/or digital projects across different functions, ICTs, creative sectors, countries, languages and cultures by coordinating, recruiting and/or training transnational, cross-cultural and cross-functional teams in large/medium/small agile matrix organizations often involving multiple internal and external stakeholders to drive international growth.
My job is to adapt to any situation, any technology, any team, any organization, any industry, any market, any culture, any language, and any country – like a chameleon, to never stop learning as a lifelong student, to solve complicated problems and unexpected crises in a collaborative way, to be a digital evangelist by making sure that the proven best practices are known, understood, appreciated, valued, shared, implemented and assessed throughout the organization and to conduct change smoothly so that things flow seamlessly in a demanding, challenging, ever-changing, highly uncertain and globalized competitive environment constantly disrupted by new technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics.
The main lesson I taught my students: “Never stop learning!”
2. Global Manager
“Hic et ubique terrarum”
“Ici et partout sur la Terre”
“Here and anywhere on Earth”
Motto of the University of Paris (c. 1045).
2.1 A Triple Culture
I am Eurasian. I was very lucky to have been imbued with a double culture since birth, with one foot in Western Europe (my father was born in France) and one foot in Southeast Asia (my mother was born in Vietnam). Moreover, I have always had a strong affinity for American pop culture since childhood – I grew up with US superhero comic books, toys, video games, music, movies, television series, television shows and cuisine – therefore becoming one of the most “americanized” French citizens. My high school friends even called me “L’Américain” (“The American”)! Although I am equally fluent in British English (taught in France) and American English, you may have noticed that this website is deliberately in American English.
I believe that my triple European-Asian-American culture is an advantage for large cultural and creative organizations, fast-growing digital and tech startups, artistic talents or influencers willing to go global.
2.2 Foreign Languages
I am familiar with some of the most spoken languages in the world, 5 out of the 6 official languages of the United Nations:
– French (native),
– English (fluent),
– Spanish (advanced),
– Chinese (false beginner right now),
– and Russian (false beginner right now).
I learned Mandarin Chinese for 3 years in Madrid (2005-2006), London (2007-2008) and Shanghai (2008-2009). And I studied Russian in 2013-2014 at INALCO (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales/National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations) in Paris, where more than 120 nationalities are represented among its faculty and students.
Source: data from the Ethnologue 200 and infographic of the Top 10 most spoken languages in 2024 by Lilata.
French could become the world’s most-spoken language by 2050 because of the rapid population growth in Africa (source: Natixis investment bank). By 2050, one in every four humans will be African. At the end of the century, about 40% of the world’s population will be African according to the UN.
2.3 International Training
2002-2005: I was trained at the Sorbonne by Max Peyrard (1932-2023), ad personam Jean Monnet Chair of the European Union awarded by the European Commission, Professor Emeritus at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (UFR06), Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Harvard University and MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972-1973, founder of the Sorbonne Master’s degree in International Business Management in 1989 (ranked number one or number two among the best master’s degrees in international management in France for many years, including in 2025), and eminent French scholar of management, international management, international marketing, international strategy, finance, international finance, international trade, tax, international taxation, economics, international economics, geoeconomics, EU geoeconomics, international affairs and European integration since the 1960’s and his doctoral dissertation: “Proportion des facteurs et spécialisation internationale” (Paris, 1962). A leading figure in the academic fields of international finance and international management in France, he is one of the great professors who changed my life. The Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, a founding member of the Paris School of Economics (PSE), has been ranked as the best university in France for economics (QS 2024 and QS 2025) and also as the best university in France for social sciences & management and third overall after the two private business schools INSEAD and HEC Paris (QS 2020, QS 2022, QS 2023, QS 2024 and QS 2025).
2005-2006: I studied business and internationalization at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (where all classes were taught in Castilian Spanish), thanks to the Erasmus student exchange program of the European Union. My professors at UCM included two alumni of the Instituto de Empresa/IE Business School in Madrid, one of the best business schools in Spain, in Europe and in the world. I was trained in international business management by Tomás Arrieta Carrillo (senior executive and Honorary Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, engineer from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Licenciatura and PhD from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and 1994 Executive MBA from the Instituto de Empresa/IE Business School) and in international marketing by Ricardo de Cala Castillo (former marketing executive, marketing consultant, lawyer and radio host, Licenciatura and PhD from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 1986 MBA from the Instituto de Empresa/IE Business School, and further training in international strategy at the London Business School in 1986 and in management research at the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard University).
2006-2007: I received the international business certificate of the French Foreign Trade Advisors (Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France/CCE) and I hold a Master’s degree in International Strategic Management from the Sorbonne School of Management (Université Paris 1), where I was trained in international strategy by Alain Ducray (former Director of Strategy and International Development of the Lagardère Group, global media conglomerate, President of AFPLANE/the French Corporate Strategy Association and alumnus of the HEC Paris Executive MBA/CPA) and by Gérard Coulon (General of the French Army, expert in “intelligence économique“, former Special Advisor of the French Prime Minister and alumnus of the prestigious Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, of the prestigious engineering school, les Mines, and of the prestigious defense institute, IHEDN), who were both also teaching at HEC Paris, the best private business school in France and one of the best business schools in Europe and in the world.
2007-2008: I studied media and globalization at LSE – The London School of Economics and Political Science, the school of Lord Anthony Giddens. With more than 190 countries represented among its community, the LSE is one of the most international institutions in the entire world, even more international than the United Nations, and was ranked 2nd in the world for the highest percentage of international students (over 70%) for many years. I hold the unique LSE-Fudan MSc/MA Double Degree in Global Media and Communications. The LSE has been ranked as the best university in the world for communication & media studies after the University of Amsterdam and for social sciences & management after Harvard University by QS.
2008-2009: I studied international communication and international marketing at the Fudan School of Journalism and international economics and international trade at the Fudan School of Economics. Fudan University in Shanghai (where all the classes I attended were taught in English) has been ranked as the best university in mainland China for communication (Shanghai Ranking 2025), for marketing after Tsinghua University (QS 2025), and for economics after Peking University (Shanghai Ranking 2025).
2012: I was trained in global consulting and international project management by Accenture (Core Analyst School) in Chicago in the United States. Accenture is by far the largest consulting firm in the world by number of employees (779,000 employees in 2025). Accenture has been ranked by Vault in 2025: in the Top 10 for Prestige, in the Top 5 for Strategy Consulting, Management Consulting and Operations Consulting in North America, and number one in the world for IT Strategy Consulting and IT Operations Consulting. The Accenture Communications, Media & Technology (CMT) practice, where I worked, has been ranked #2 in North America after McKinsey, #3 in Asia-Pacific (APAC), and #4 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for Technology, Media & Telecommunications after the Big Three or MBB: McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Bain & Company.
2.4 International Experience
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
Confucius
I worked in nine countries on four continents: North America (United States), South America (Chile), Western Europe (France and United Kingdom), Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Bulgaria) and Asia (China).
Based on the 2024 rankings of the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC), it seems that I spent most of my life so far in some of the most important global cities in the world: London (Alpha++), New York (Alpha++), Beijing (Alpha+), Shanghai (Alpha+), Paris (Alpha+), Chicago (Alpha) and Madrid (Alpha).
According to Kearney’s 2025 Global Cities Index, New York, London and Paris, where I lived/studied/worked, are respectively ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd on this planet. And I lived in more than half of the Top 10 Global Cities (New York #1, London #2, Paris #3, Beijing #6, Shanghai #8 and Chicago #10).
According to the 2024 Global Power City Index (GPCI) published by the Institute for Urban Strategies at The Mori Memorial Foundation (Japan), London, New York, Tokyo and Paris, are the most powerful and magnetic global cities on earth. Madrid, Shanghai and Beijing are also in the Top 20.
I had the unique chance to study or work with people from over 50 countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Oman, Congo, Senegal, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, etc.
3. Functional Expertise
“To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.”
Confucius
3.1 Strategy and Marketing Skills
- Strategy, International Strategy, Corporate Strategy, Business Strategy, Functional Strategy, Operational Strategy and Strategic Management*,
- Strategic Intelligence, Organizational Intelligence, Competitive Intelligence, Marketing Intelligence, Market Intelligence, Business Intelligence**,
- Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Competitor Analysis, Benchmarking,…), Business Model, Strategic Objectives and Business Analytics,
- Marketing Strategy, Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning, Branding, Brand Strategy and Digital Strategy,
- Market Research, Marketing Studies and Surveys (quantitative and qualitative), Marketing Analytics, Consumer Behavior,
- International Marketing, Marketing Mix, Marketing Plan, Customer Experience (CX), Customer Loyalty,
- Marketing Management, Product Development, Innovation, Portfolio Management, Offer Pruning,
- IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications), Multi-Channel Marketing, Omni-Channel Marketing,
- Marketing Communications, Marketing Campaign Management, Media Management, Paid/Owned/Earned Media (POEM), Radio and TV Ratings, Return On Investment (ROI) Monitoring, Ad Spend Audit, Radio and TV Programming,
- Branded Entertainment (or Branded Content), Brand Content, Product Placement, Sponsorship and Celebrity Marketing***.
*I hold the Master’s degree in International Strategic Management from the Sorbonne School of Management (ranked 2nd among the best Masters in Strategy and Consulting in France for many years). I was trained in strategy by Alain Ducray, former Director of Strategy and International Development of the Lagardère Group (international media conglomerate), President of AFPLANE/the French Corporate Strategy Association and Professor at HEC Paris.
**I was trained in strategic intelligence, organizational intelligence, competitive intelligence and business intelligence by Gérard Coulon, General of the French Army, alumnus of the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, Les Mines, IHEDN, and one of the leading experts in “intelligence économique” in France.
***I was trained in marketing and communication at the Sorbonne by Jean-Marc Lehu, the French authority on branded entertainment and celebrity marketing and author of: “Origins, foundations and modes of use of celebrities by advertising” (his thesis at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University in 1993) and “Branded Entertainment: Product Placement & Brand Strategy in the Entertainment Business” (his 2007 book in English published by Kogan Page).
WARNING: as a global marketing executive, I do not master Photosphop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. I usually manage graphic designers, visual designers, UI designers, motion designers, video editors and content producers in my marketing team.
3.2 Digital Marketing Skills*
Source: Gartner Digital Marketing Transit Map
My main expertise in Digital Marketing / Online Marketing / Web Marketing / Internet Marketing is called Inbound Marketing.
- Content Marketing, Video Marketing, YouTube Marketing, Live Streaming, Twitch Marketing, Podcasting, Audio Marketing, Blogging, Copywriting, CMS (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal,…) and Canva,
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Voice Search Optimization (VSO),
- Social Media Marketing (SMM), Social Media Optimization (SMO), Community Management, Online Reputation Management (ORM), Conversational Marketing or Conversation Marketing, Influencer Marketing or Influence Marketing and Affiliate Marketing,
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Emailing or Email Marketing and A/B Testing,
- Marketing Automation, Customer Acquisition, Lead Generation, Lead Development, Lead Nurturing, Lead Scoring and Lead Management,
- User Experience (UX), Customer Journey Mapping, Customer Journey Optimization, Landing Page Optimization (LPO),
- Data Analytics, Digital Analytics, Web Analytics, Google Analytics, Mobile Analytics and Social Media Analytics,
- E-commerce, Conversion Funnel, Purchase Funnel, Perfomance Metrics, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and Churn Management,
- M-commerce, Mobile Marketing and App Store Optimization (ASO).
*I am a Google Certified Professional in Digital Marketing. I hold a Specialized MBA in Digital Marketing (ranked 2nd among the best Masters in Digital Marketing and e-Business in France for many years). And I was an Adjunct Professor of Marketing, Digital Transformation, Digital Marketing, SEO and KPIs.
WARNING: I am familiar with Performance Marketing, Performance-based Advertising, PPC (Pay Per Click), Paid Search / Search Engine Advertising (SEA) / Google Ads, Display Advertising, Banner Ads, Social Ads, Retargeting, AdTech, Programmatic Advertising and RTB (Real-Time Bidding) indeed but this is NOT my core expertise. I rather hire and manage digital advertising agencies, consultants or freelance experts for paid media campaigns because I am not sufficiently competent and experienced in this area.
3.3 Digital Transformation and Management Skills
- B2C, B2B, Request for Information (RFI), Request for Proposal (RFP), Business Proposals and Service Level Agreements (SLAs),
- Business Requirements, Functional Specifications, Gap Analysis, Problem Solving, Decision Making and Crisis Management,
- Negotiation and Conflict Management*,
- Technological Transformation – selection and implementation of a new MarTech / marketing technology (CRM, e-CRM, Social CRM, e-commerce website, mobile app, marketing automation tool, campaign management tool, social media management tool, social listening tool, online reputation management SaaS, conversational marketing SaaS, big data software, predictive analytics software…),
- Recruitment, Team Building, Team Management**, Delegation Management, Performance Management and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),
- Project Management**, Priority Management, Time Management, Planning, Budgeting, Organizing, Leading and Reporting.
- Change Management**, Transition Management, Recruiting, Training Design, Knowledge Management and Corporate Training.
*I was trained in negotiation and conflict management at the Sorbonne by Alice Le Flanchec, a leading scholar in this academic field and disciple and intellectual heir of the great Jacques Rojot (1941-2020), the French authority and reference in negotiation and conflict management, author of the seminal work “La Négociation” (1994) and former Director of the Sorbonne School of Management (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) for many years.
**I was trained in team management, project management and change management by Accenture.
3.4 International Management Skills*
- Cultural Awareness and Cultural Differences,
- International Coordination and Virtual Team Management,
- Cross-Cultural Communication and Cross-Cultural Management,
- Globalization, Glocalization, Internationalization and Localization.
*I received the international business certificate of the French Foreign Trade Advisors (CCE), I hold a Master’s degree in International Strategic Management from the Sorbonne School of Management, I studied internationalization at the Complutense University of Madrid, I studied globalization at the London School of Economics and Political Science and I studied international trade and foreign trade at the Fudan University School of Economics in Shanghai.
4. Soft Skills
In the age of AI (artificial intelligence), I believe that nothing is more important for human beings than soft skills. My technical skills listed above in international management, strategy, digital strategy, marketing and digital marketing should not be considered more important than these soft skills, which are/will be so important in the 21st century:
- Strong work ethic and integrity,
- Personal development and lifelong learning mindset,
- Leadership and strategic thinking,
- Creativity and creative thinking,
- Problem solving and decision-making,
- Emotional intelligence (EQ) and resilience,
- Adaptability and flexibility,
- Active listening and empathy,
- Client focus and customer-centric approach,
- Results-oriented and critical thinking,
- Data-driven and analytical thinking,
- Detail-oriented and rigorous.
5. Industry Expertise
Since 2004, I have been working in the cultural and creative industries (described in detail on the next page) and more specifically in:
- the music industry,
- the broadcasting industry (radio and television),
- and the digital media industry (social media and streaming media).