A career spanning 28 years in the professional laundry industry – and there’s still more to learn! That’s what our Global Business Development Manager Care & B2B shares about his journey through the intricacies of global sales and the art of navigating diverse industries and cultures.
From the beginnings as a mechanical engineer to unexpected opportunities in Australia and China, each twist and turn has brought some invaluable lessons on resilience and adaptability along the way.
And for those aspiring to tread a similar path, a few words of advice. From the importance of earning one’s stripes to the value of building your knowledge – Landry’s journey has plenty of wisdom to offer the next generation of business development leaders!
You are a Global Business Development Manager – what does that job entail? Tell us more about what you do!
Business development is about starting sales in new areas, meaning in a new region or country or with a new type of customer, and putting them on track before handing them over to more routine sales.
Sometimes, some customers might be engaged on a local level, but because the nature of their business is quite niche and very specific, they might require more consistent watch and support from a central perspective. That is the case with biotech or pharmaceutical industries that use cleanrooms as part of their production processes.
My job is primarily to look after these global customers within the Care and the B2B (Business to Business) segments and help them with the development of their business.
The Care segment is quite extensive, comprising hospitals, nursing homes and other care homes for which the laundry is essentially a cost center, while B2B’s are businesses that build their profit on washing textiles – such as large laundry centers, for instance. So, I also look after global accounts such as Bulle de Linge, a private laundry group processing approximately 3.5 million pieces of personal garments per month, coming exclusively from nursing home residents.
What route did you take in terms of studies and jobs to where you are today?
I actually started my early years at the National Music Conservatory in Tours, France, learning piano and music theory – before quickly realizing it wasn’t what I wanted to build my life’s career on. So, I pivoted and reoriented my studies to mechanical engineering.
During my university years, I worked in the most fun areas. I was alternatively a 4×4 driving instructor and demonstrator at international car shows and once the Los Angeles Lakers interpreter at the 1991 McDonald’s Open in Paris. But my first “real” job was building a cleanroom to produce CD-ROMs in Dublin and then build and develop a sales department at an independent plastic injection mold manufacturer in Normandy.
After an 18 months training period, I became a member the international Sales and Marketing department of the Dubix brand in Troyes, France and in 2002, I jumped in the deep end of sales and took over the sales management of our laundry operations in Melbourne, Australia.
I then took the same position in Shanghai, China before returning to France, to become Global Product Manager Barrier Washers and Ironers – and several global segment and accounts manager roles before becoming Global Business Development Manager Care & B2B. Soon after that, I applied for a job offer from a company in Troyes that was part of the Electrolux Group – and that’s how I joined 28 years ago.
What do you love about the role?
Personally, what I love is the fact that it’s not your typical sales role. There’s freedom to go beyond the confines of your job description and shape your role into a diverse and holistic experience if you are open to the opportunity. It’s the satisfaction of enriching your knowledge and leading projects that allow you to expand and experience other roles beyond yours, be it in Sales, Marketing, Industrial Operations, Product Development or Product Care.
And, on the other hand, what are the biggest challenges?
Fighting the bureaucracy of some countries and customers when negotiating sales – along with fighting the status quo of solutions that “won’t work in our country”.
What advice would you give to people wanting to work in a position like yours?
Come with a long-term vision. Don’t expect to impress within a year and leave for the next position, because that’s not how our business works. It takes time to learn and effort to anchor new ways of working into durable routines, so be patient. And if you are looking to venture into the world of sales, be sure to craft your expertise and build your sales speech around your knowledge, rather than the product. If your main goal is to teach people something new, then often the product promotion will naturally come on its own.
How would you like to develop further in your role or potentially do something completely different?
I would love to witness the massive extension of a local customer, growing into a global account through our continuously innovative solutions – and being able to measure the savings we allow this customer to make. That would be very satisfying! Then, I would like to pass on and share more of my knowledge and experience to help guide the next generation of business development leaders – and in turn, contribute to our own growth.
Tell us about your experience of the multinational working environment and the opportunities that exist within the company?
The internationality of our environment is what brings you to work with different people from different nationalities and develop a keener sense of cultural awareness. My time in Australia has brought me marriage and two wonderful children. I have made very good friends around the globe, in and out of our organization – and I still remember when I moved out of my mechanical engineering comfort zone to join the Sales and Marketing world. The opportunity was there. The job description was what I was looking for, except I did not have neither the education nor the past experience required – but I gave it a go, nonetheless. 15 years later, I was speaking to Dr Harsh Vardan, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare of one of the world’s biggest nations – India – explaining how to properly launder hospital linen. I’d say these are the kinds of opportunities the company has to offer if you are ready to accept the challenge.
You’ve been with Professional for 28 years – why choose to work at Electrolux Professional Group for so long?
It’s two things: there’s the Electrolux Professional Group on one hand and there’s the individuals on the other. Electrolux Professional Group is a solid company that offers a lot of opportunities for growth and personally, I’ve chosen to stay and build an expertise in this industry. There’s always something new to learn and I’ve been able to broaden my ability as a leader – and that’s the power of our organization. To utilize every branch and function as a cohesive network to match your individual aspirations with our collective vision and build a partnership based on mutual trust and a shared commitment to growth.
Check out our global career site, if you aspire to pursue a career similar to Landry’s.