A successful VIE for a young BSB graduate

David Schweitzer (BSB'22), passionate about wine, is a financial controller for CMA CGM in the Caribbean

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David Schweitzer, a recent graduate of the School (BSB'22), now lives in Trinidad and Tobago where he holds the position of financial controller for the Caribbean cluster of CMA CGM, the world's third-largest maritime carrier. However, it is the passion for wine that is the common thread in his career: inspired by his family's wine estate in Alsace, he chose to join BSB after two years in the ECS preparatory class in Strasbourg.” because it is the school of reference in the field of wine ”, he says.

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His three years in the Master Grande Ecole at BSB only illustrate this appetite: investment in Vignobl'Esc, the School's oenology association, a two-month internship at the Tastevinage du Clos de Vougeot, and then a long-term mobility in Paraguay that will contribute to cultivating this passion.

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” I was gone for 5 months but I found myself stuck in Latin America because of Covid. I then worked for the Autonomous University of San Sebastian in San Lorenzo in Paraguay and organized a number of wine tastings, some of them for a local radio station. I even decided to buy a hectare there with an idea in mind: to develop a wine estate on site in the medium or long term. ”

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On his return, he continued his diversity of experiences: 6 months of Erasmus in Austria, in Vienna, for his Master 2, where he could improve his German, then he joined the BSB Lyon campus in Master 3 to complete a year of work-study program focused on strategic marketing at Framatomé, in the nuclear sector. ” In particular, I had to find strategies for managing and mitigating risks related to geopolitical problems that could hamper the French nuclear business, in particular the issue of uranium supply at the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. I loved that and so I turned away from the wine business a bit. ”

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Boosting LIFE in the Caribbean

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Wishing to explore this attraction to geopolitics and energy issues, he applied for a VIE (International Corporate Volunteering) and thus landed in Trinidad and Tobago in October 2022, where he joined a CMA CGM in very strong growth. The first French carrier and therefore the third largest in the world, the company has the largest turnover of a French company over the last two years.

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David's role? ” I control the finances of the five agencies in the Caribbean region, i.e. globally I check payments to our suppliers — the port authorities. I also have a clear objective of optimizing costs and revenues. To do this, I am putting a number of initiatives in place, working transversely with many services. Our competitive situation is very strong and the challenge is to continue to generate profit by offering more and more initiatives. Love this mission! ”

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What about living in Trinidad and Tobago? ” It's not necessarily easy to start here: we speak English with a strong accent and we already had to understand the people I was working with. There are also safety issues on this small island of 60 by 80km. But otherwise the atmosphere is quite pleasant and festive, with a very present cultural dimension. ”

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When asked about the relevance of VIE, David sees a lot of advantages:” There is a status of link with the State, France pays me and I depend on the French embassy. This involves monitoring by Business France and offers advantages such as health care coverage. The VIE allows a supervised discovery of the professional world, with a French contract, respecting French standards in terms of leave and work. It is very appreciable. ”

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Passion for wine and diplomatic commitment

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David maintains this proximity to French institutions in particular by being actively involved in local diplomatic projects. He thus contributed to the creation of a French Business Club in which he represents the maritime sector. He also took part in the launch of the #ChooseFrance brand by hosting a wine tasting at the French Embassy for the occasion in the presence of 25 ambassadors and the local Minister of Foreign Affairs. A great success!

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Wine, we are coming back to it. ” It is an excellent vehicle for promoting French culture internationally. ” explains the man who has taken a liking to expatriation and is also committed to the problems of exporting French wine and cognac to Trinidad and Tobago. ” Wine is a passion that opens doors, that creates relationships! For this, I owe a lot to Burgundy and to BSB. ”

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As for the future, David plans to continue his career at CMA CGM in Miami or Sao Paulo, but knows that other great opportunities in the energy and geopolitical fields could also shape the contours of his professional future. In the longer term, he has the ambition to develop his own wine estate in Paraguay, thus participating in the establishment of vines in this area with a local partner.

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Any last words for students? ” Take advantage of all the opportunities offered by the School, participate in events and conferences, let yourself be guided by curiosity, go for things that do not necessarily speak to you a prima facie. And take advantage of your international experiences: they provide a different vision while strengthening your professional network. ” David's career speaks for itself: these tips have everything to be followed.

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