Welcome to our new Deputy CEO

Meet our new Deputy CEO and member of the Nordic Executive Committee, Jérôme Garand.

We are delighted to welcome our new Deputy CEO, Jérôme Garand, to the Nordics. He brings to the company great international experience thanks to his previous positions in the Group (during 11 years) with international responsibilities including two expatriations; the first in Italy, and latest as Deputy CEO at BNP Paribas Personal Finance Bulgaria.

We met Jérôme and had a sneak peek into his management tool box, which includes the ability to listen, take decisions and adapt to local culture.

Welcome, Jérôme, would you share a few words on your background with us?

Yes, absolutely. To summarise my career path in short, I often refer to it as a lucky path. Originally I studied law, and I entered into the banking industry as a Litigation Agent in Crédit Agricole. Thanks to my willingness to develop and to be open for opportunities, combined with meeting the right people, I managed to make 8 positions in 10 years. I was specialised in collections and recognised for being what you could call a firefighter in crisis situations, and for that reason I got headhunted by BNP Paribas Personal Finance.

One the benefits of working at BNP Paribas Personal Finance which is important to me, is that we are people oriented. Of course we need performance, of course we need to deliver results, but we take people into account. Secondly, it is a Group that allows people to develop themselves and encourages internal mobility. I am an example of that.

And I am not the only one, there are plenty of similar examples. My approach is to act in a positive and energetic way, but I am actually quite humble.

The success you enjoy as a manager is a success thanks to the accomplishments of the people in your teams. As a manager, you are just part of that success thanks to your position.

So when I refer to luck in my career path, it is because I have been lucky to work with the right people. And if you keep an open mind, new opportunities may arise.

What are you looking forward to mostly in your new position?

I am here to help and contribute to the development and success of BNP Paribas Personal Finance in the Nordics. My goal is to collaborate and to succeed, which I am looking very much forward to.

In terms of geography, I have never visited the Nordic region before. However, I am very pleased to discover the local culture; the way Nordic people work in a structured manner, and the positive and kind approach you meet. People smile at you on the street, guide you if you need assistance, I am quite taken by it.

I am not a stranger to different cultures, though. As it is not my first assignment, I know that local culture means everything. I need to adapt, make an effort, and I of course I should learn Danish as soon as possible, as I am living in Denmark. The language is a fundamental tool to integrate yourself into a country.

What will be your first move, and what do you think will be your primary challenge?

My first move is to integrate my self, align with Annika’s expectations [our CEO] and listen to people and understand the current situation. A manager can have many skills and qualifications, but I believe the two most important are the ability to listen and the ability to take decisions. Therefore I start by listening to what is needed, and then I intend to make decisions and deliver.

The parameters are similar to my previous experiences as a Deputy CEO and working with IT transformations, and I need to make sure that people are on-board. We need to do it together.

An ideal transformation is a path that we build together. We walk together, we move forward together – while taking into consideration the reality we encounter on our way.

My primary challenge will be to listen and understand while – at the same time – I need to run and deliver an IT transformation. That is the tricky part.

Any final words, perhaps something about yourself as a private person?

Sure, when it comes to my privacy, I can cover it very shortly as it composed by two big pillars: My family and sports. And as I am really into sports, I am excited to learn that many Danes are too. You see people running in the streets everywhere, and that is another uplifting factor about living here.