Alain Dimanche
Meet Alain Dimanche, Consolidation Manager at Richemont. After he was initially supposed to start working for another big, well-known company in Geneva, the opportunity to join Richemont Europe’s Finance team came up and he knew it was the right move to make! With a considerable interest in watches & jewellery, the decision to join the Group then became inevitable.
My career journey
In the beginning, our Finance team was small and we only consisted of two people, which made our work challenging especially because Richemont Europe's scope includes several markets. I had a lot of new information to learn, but every day was different and very insightful. The greatest thing for me was witnessing how our team has grown from two people to eight currently. I have been present with all the new members joining and have had the privilege to guide them through their starting process since I was the “old man” in the team.
I started as a Junior Accountant when I joined Richemont and was promoted to Accountant after one year. Just when I was getting used to my position as an Accountant I was moved up to Senior Accountant which was a very big achievement for me. My adventurous journey in the Accounting team lasted for more than eight years. Who says Accounting can't be fun?!
After my path as an Accountant, I got the chance to integrate the Richemont Europe Controlling team which made me acquire new skills in Finance, because after eight years in Accounting, I felt that I have learnt almost all the tasks related to the field. For me, Controlling and Accounting are directly linked even if technically it is two different jobs. I was excited to learn how Controlling exactly works so that I could become an expert in both. This enabled me to help our Business Partners with questions involving the Accounting and Controlling functions. I am the type of person who wants to come to work every day to learn something and my job has enabled me to do this. Going out of your comfort zone is the only way for you to grow and this is the philosophy I live by. *Since this article was written, Alain has now moved on to become a Consolidation Manager at Richemont.
“Always strive to be a leader rather than just a boss.”
My biggest learning
Richemont is a big company so you can’t just stay focused on what you are doing right now. You have to always be flexible. I think after spending over 10 years in the Group I have changed in the sense that I am now very interested in what my Business Partners are doing, how they impact my job and vice versa. I want colleagues to be able to reach out to me with any questions and for them to have the ability to trust me in providing them with the best feedback. You always need to anticipate issues that may arise and find solutions to solve them. Finding common grounds for all entities to agree on and to constantly support one another is key!
Some final words
In the Group I have met so many people from different countries and backgrounds which has been super interesting! I love meeting new people and finding out more about their culture and telling them about mine. Life is just much more colorful when you are surrounded by various types of individuals. Coming from Paris, where most people are French, to Geneva, where people are from all over the world, has been an eye-opening experience for me.
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