Pierre Louis ARMALET (EMLV 2015), Product Manager at Ford France
Pierre-Louis, who graduated from EMLV in 2015, set his sights on an international career from the moment he entered the automotive industry. Now a product manager at Ford, he explains how coordination, foresight, and a passion for the sector have enabled him to drive his projects forward... all the way to the end customer!
What are the major milestones in your career?
After graduating in 2015, I joined Ald Automotive, where I was a Key Account Sales Representative. This allowed me to learn a little about the B2B environment and the automotive trade.
Then I wanted to repeat the experience I had in my third year (I was on Erasmus, then did an internship abroad). I found a VIE, an International Corporate Volunteer program, at PSA in Casablanca, Morocco. I stayed there for two years, working as a Product Pricing Analyst for the Africa and Middle East region.
I returned to France in 2020 and a few months later started working at Ford as a Product Manager, a position I still hold today.
Can you tell us about your job?
The job of an automotive product manager is to ensure the implementation of the brand's overall marketing strategy for the products for which we are responsible. In my case, these are the Puma and Kuga models, which are Ford's best-selling passenger vehicles in France. I am responsible for coordinating all aspects of the process so that this vehicle ultimately reaches you, the Ford customer.
It's a “hub” job within a company. In other words, a product manager is in contact with all departments, both internal and external, such as dealerships. This position is key to understanding the automotive industry as a whole.
What are your current challenges?
How to embrace the shift to new energies while maintaining long-term profitability.
The second challenge is to maintain volumes and profitability in a highly competitive environment with new entrants, while remaining competitive.
What are the key factors for success in this job?
Knowing how to manage different levels of urgency and coordinate with different departments to get information on time and when needed. Ultimately, that's the most complex part!
When you are responsible for a product, you are responsible for it from start to finish. This means that when the vehicle arrives at the dealership, you must be able to answer any questions that arise about that vehicle.
It is also important to be able to identify opportunities and anticipate disruptions, especially in the automotive industry.
Any advice for someone embarking on a career like yours?
Firstly, be curious about the industry. I'm passionate about cars, so naturally I'm curious about them. It's a very broad industry where there's a wealth of information readily available.
My second piece of advice would be to keep an eye out for VIE programs. I did a VIE program that allowed me to gain maturity and personal and professional enrichment. It's also a springboard into the automotive industry.
How did your studies contribute to who you are today?
During five years at Pôle Léonard de Vinci, we learned technical skills, of course, but also interpersonal skills. That part of the program enabled us to be credible in positions like the ones I've held over the past ten years.
Project management is something you learn at school and then put into practice in the workplace.
What does being an alumnus mean to you?
For me, being an alumnus means being part of a community: meeting up with old friends and other people who also share this sense of belonging.
When I was a student, I used to take part in the forums we had in Rue Basse from time to time. There was no stand on cars, which is something that would have interested me when I was a student. So I thought to myself, hey, now's my chance to do it!
An alumnus to follow!
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