After studying European business law, Ludovic Valtier turned to the social relations profession. Today, he holds the position of HR Director (human resources director) at American Express France. He talks about his career, but also about his role, in a sector that attracts many students every year.
The journey of Ludovic Valtier, HR Director France at American Express
Can you go back to your academic career?
My journey is proof that there is no single path to human resources. I obtained a Bac S, mathematics specialty. I then turned to law, and because I have always had an attraction to the international world, I mainly studied European business law.
It was thanks to this university course that I had the opportunity to spend a full year in Dublin, as part of an exchange. I had a goal of learning English, with the feeling that I would be pretty good at it, but once I arrived in Ireland, I realized that I wasn’t! This stay was very educational for me, it allowed me to perfect my English, to be more comfortable in writing and speaking. I am a fervent promoter of experiences abroad, for learning languages, but also for the life experience that it can provide. This year in Ireland has been extraordinary. It was very enriching in every way: it made me grow a lot, allowed me to open my eyes to what is happening outside of France and also to meet people from the four corners of the world. Today at American Express, it’s my daily professional life to speak English, and to be in contact with colleagues from all over the world…
So your experience abroad is useful to you in your daily life?
When you work in an international company like American Express, it’s important to speak English. This allows you to interact with all your colleagues who are sometimes all over the world. Beyond language, contact with colleagues from other cultures strengthens open-mindedness, it makes us stronger collectively. It gives us the feeling of belonging to a group. The diversity that exists at American Express is real and it is a powerful lever in the service of our business. I think that when you are a student, traveling opens your eyes and your mind. Meeting other cultures and opening up to diversity is enriching, regardless of the context because I must admit that I learned as much at university as at the pub… Throughout my career, it is the human interactions and the encounters that I have had that have inspired me, sometimes helped me, and that is priceless. I encourage all students who have the opportunity to study abroad to do so. Beyond building connections, traveling also allows you to develop your international network.
How did you get to American Express?
After experience in labor relations as a lawyer, I was then responsible for the legal and social division, then I arrived at American Express in 2017. With my experience in labor law and in labor relations, I I had the ambition to join an international company. It is this dimension that attracted me to American Express. A year later, I had the opportunity to become Human Resources Director for France, a country with 800 employees. The group’s very strong culture and its values appealed to me. At American Express we boil it down to a conviction: “Powerful Backing”, that is to say being present in all circumstances: taking care of our colleagues by establishing a diverse and inclusive corporate culture and a caring working environment. , support our customers and stakeholders, and have a positive impact on society. Our CEO Steve Squeri describes it very well as follows: “ our employees are on the front lines every day to take care of and respond to the concerns of our customers, as a company it is our duty to take care of our employees “.
The daily life of American Express HR in France
What does the daily life of an HR director look like?
One of the great advantages of being an HR director is not having a typical day. You have to be able to move from one topic to another. In my opinion, this is an essential quality to exercise this function. You have to constantly bounce back and it is rare to devote more than two hours or half a day to processing a single file. It’s intense, but it’s a real richness.
Concretely, every Monday, the week begins with a meeting with the American Express France management committee. We share the news of the week and discuss important subjects. I can definitely follow up with an interview with a manager who is having difficulties with colleagues on his team. It also happens quite often that I find myself in a call European with my HR counterparts, during which we will work on a joint project. For example, one of the major subjects that is close to my heart at the moment is the implementation in France of our new work model called “Amex Flex”. As its name suggests, it gives an important place to flexibility with a maximum of 3 days of teleworking and a minimum of 2 days of office presence per week, and these days are free. This requires a lot of preparation and standardization of processes between countries.
The day can then continue with job interviews for key positions in which I will participate with the leader of the business unit concerned. I can also go to Paris and participate in a conference to raise American Express’ voice on certain topics like inclusion and diversity. Highlighting our employer brand, being able to be attractive and show what we do at American Express is part of the HR manager’s job.
Do you have one (or more) pieces of advice for those who want to work in human resources?
Human resources professions are very rich. I can only encourage those who want to join this sector to do so. My deep conviction is that human resources are above all professions of common sense and connection: connecting people, providing them with the right tools, the necessary resources, in the right place, at the right time, being able to Interacting with all employees, knowing them, as well as knowing your company’s business well are the foundations. My other advice is to work on being open-minded and being curious. You also have to be courageous to reach out to others, to understand the business and the people. You have to have the humility not to think that you know everything.
Working in financial services: joining American Express
Your role is also to establish good working conditions. What is the atmosphere like at American Express?
A good employee experience starts with a good candidate experience. The first interactions that the candidate will have with the company will have a very strong impact on their own experience. Moreover, at American Express, we are not talking about human resources management, but about Colleague Experience Group. In the recruitment process, we are at your side, it is you who are the first actor in your experience and later, in your evolution within the company, and we will support you so that the experience is the best. as positive as possible.
Diversity is also very important in our workforce: 61% of our workforce are women. Among executives, this figure rises to 53%. We also recruit graduates from diverse origins and we are interested in the personality of the candidate beyond their school or course. Our managers understood that this diversity was an asset for the company. I spoke earlier about our value of “Powerful Backing”, the fact of being there in all circumstances, this was also verified from the start of the health crisis where our priority was to preserve health and the safety of our employees, by switching all colleagues to teleworking within 48 hours, with the provision of all computer equipment to create a real work space at home, adapting schedules to organize with children , and even a free confidential listening and support service available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, to provide them with advice, resources, etc.
How to integrate American Express?
We publish all our offers on American Express Careers site. THE business leader takes note of each application, and it is up to him to make the final decision. However, we have a strong feedback culture at American Express and we try to cross-check opinions. It often happens that the recruiter asks a colleague to participate in the recruitment process to give their opinion on a candidate. Welcoming new employees begins with an onboarding course: presentation of the company, benefits, tools, processes. We also set up meeting sessions with the latest hires. A two-month induction program is deployed. It allows new employees to identify important people to carry out their missions. The HR teams support them within two months of their arrival.
What are the recruitment opportunities at American Express today?
We have opportunities in all sectors: both in customer service to support our Cardholders, as well as in concierge to provide our expertise across the entire universe in the field of lifestyle, more particularly in travel and gastronomy or even to the commercial or compliance department. American Express offers a multitude of offers with the possibility of creating a unique career path.
We have strong development in digital professions for our Marketing and Acquisition departments. We also recruit many work-study students each year, with the possibility for some to convert to permanent contracts.
