CTG at Work: Cédric M.

Name: Cédric M.

Company Title: Key Account Manager

Years at CTG: 10 years at StarDust CTG Group

Hometown: Marseille, France

Current City: Marseille, France

Favorite Song Right Now: “Hotel California” by the Eagles

Favorite thing to do outside of work: I love to take care of my daughters and spend time tinkering, hiking, running, and watching several series.

I have a simple morning routine for a simple dad. At 6:45 a.m., I jump out of bed and start preparing breakfast for my kids. Then I start the morning rush—getting into the car, dropping off my kids at school, picking up my colleague with whom I carpool—until arriving at the office at 9 a.m.

I work for StarDust CTG Group, a French-Canadian company acquired by CTG in 2020, in the Sales department at the Marseille office in the south of France. I often say that I am my client’s advocate internally—I’m in charge of developing and nurturing our account relationships.

I work on many different things each day. I once read an article that said an executive is interrupted every 10 minutes—it’s true! Most of my time in the day is divided into three focuses:

• Developing business: Curating organizational news; reaching out to new contacts to work with; planning and performing introduction meetings; anticipating the pre-sales work; managing proposals from start to closing, etc.
• Managing my clients: Being aware of our various offerings and delivery methods; nurturing relationships with contacts; coping with risks and unexpected changes; making decisions with our Operations departments, etc.
• Doing paperwork and other administrative tasks: Updating the CRM; anticipating and managing deadlines; conducting follow-ups; ensuring that everything runs smoothly for my clients, etc.

Since we work in IT professional services, our work is often unpredictable and my schedule can change based on the client’s needs.

Over the last 10 years, I worked in the Operations department before moving to the Sales team. I started my career in our Marseille lab as a tester, then worked as an analyst before becoming a Quality Assurance (QA) project manager. These roles presented their own unique challenges and successes. It was interesting to work directly with clients and hear their needs firsthand, but in a different way than in my Sales position. I learned how our service is delivered and how we adapt to each unique client’s needs to help them reach their business goals.

Since StarDust CTG Group was still a start-up when I joined, we had to be creative with every project that came our way to meet our clients’ needs and focus on developing our delivery methods.

During my first three years as part of the Sales team, I moved to Lille—in the North of France—to develop business with local companies. In 2018, I moved back to my hometown to manage and develop accounts here in Marseille. In our Sales department, we have access to a lot of information about our activities and results, but what I love to focus on is the center of the relationships between all parts: internal team—management—client team—F&A.

I have a lot of notable collaborations to highlight, but I want to acknowledge the team members I work with. Our team is the first thing that makes me smile every day!

After work, a typical evening for me is a mix between spending time with my future wife, working on side projects, and watching TV shows. During the weekend, I love spending time with my friends next to a barbecue or a raclette (I’m a simple guy).

What I like best about my position is the creativity, autonomy, and responsibility I have. As a start-up, StarDust CTG Group had to be a flexible and creative company. I look forward to keeping that mindset active now that we are part of a larger organization.

Since I am young, I think it can be difficult to give career advice! I believe a career is the result of some chance and encounters. I had the chance here to encounter managers that trusted me more than I trusted myself—that can give you wings and confidence!