Meet a General Manager from Dott
Tell us about yourself.
Hi! I was born in France, grew up in The Netherlands, studied in the UK & Canada and have now gone back to my roots in my home country. I have always traveled a lot and love to meet new people. On top of that I spend a lot of time doing sports in the mountains such as skiing in the winter and trail running in the summer. I also compete in triathlons.
At a young age I knew I wanted to be a business woman, I have always pushed myself to go the extra mile. Even though I did not have a lot of confidence in myself at a younger age, I have always tried to develop myself personally and learn from every experience. I love managing people and taking on new and challenging projects.
What did your first month look like at Dott?
My first month at Dott was a rollercoaster at Formula 1 speed! I was still living in Paris when I got the job offer on a Wednesday, with a start date the following Monday… in Lyon! I packed my bags and started my adventure. On my first day I had an interview with Sophie, my future right hand woman. Luckily it was a great match and she was super motivated too. We set up the operation in next to no time for our launch on Friday, of the same week.
It was crazy to launch in such a short time-frame, but we managed. We did the entire staff training, set up the warehouse, van management, tooling… It was a hell of a ride!
What does your daily routine look like?
I would not say that I have a fixed routine, this is actually what I love about my role! However, what we do every morning with the team is to have a catch-up meeting, where we review safety topics, the numbers from the day before, the tasks for the day itself and check the main priorities.
Additionally, I also work on partnerships with the marketing team, policy work with regards to municipalities and tenders, review the financials and keep track of the P&L, support my team with HR challenges and work on projects. The fact that it is very diverse makes sure it’s never boring and never fixed on a single subject.
My proudest moment at Dott was definitely when we became #1 at the tender results for Lyon in 2020. We had been working so hard since the launch to do things differently and improve our operations. Our aim was to be more responsible in the operations, optimize the recycling, and be very much people oriented… This really made the change and I was very proud of the entire team for this achievement.
What are the biggest challenges you are facing as a General Manager at Dott?
The biggest challenge is trying to make all stakeholders happy. We have different stakeholders with different needs, such as our users, the municipality and our employees. Hence we are always trying to do the best we can to ensure that each party is satisfied with the service delivered and the way we work. For example when we think about pricing: a trip on a Dott e-scooter should be affordable, however it should not be too cheap, because we do not want to replace walking trips. To overcome these challenges we undertake a great deal of in depth analysis before making our decisions.
What makes Dott an enjoyable place to work?
At Dott we have a very relaxed atmosphere, no matter which office or warehouse you go to. People are very accessible and we can easily talk with colleagues from all teams, all cities and at all levels.
A personal highlight of recent months has been organizing a “health and Wellbeing week” for the Lyon team. Each morning we had a new event. We had sports coaches to do warm-up sessions, breathing workshops, massages, yoga sessions and fresh fruit and smoothies! Our teams really care for each other and it was really rewarding doing something special.
What advice will you give your younger self (as a fresh graduate looking for jobs)?
Start at the bottom and work your way up! We learn a lot of theories at University, but in the end you learn most things on the ground. When I started working at a graduate scheme, my first job was Transport Manager. Working 3x8h, sometimes 2x12h, shifts. Days, nights, weekends… It was a great experience because you learn the detailed processes, learn from colleagues, you learn to react quickly in crisis situations and of course you will make tons of mistakes! But this will only make you stronger and more understanding throughout the rest of your career.
Do you feel supported and coached by your team?
For sure I feel supported, we have a great team in France that are always here to help each other. Even between cities and between teams, we know who has the best knowledge and competencies on a particular topic. We always find the most efficient way to move forward and to train each other on new tools or processes. On top of that we have a very transparent culture, giving each other regular feedback. This helps a lot with personal development.
Anything else you would like to share?
I am very grateful for the entire experience and learning curve so far at Dott. It really takes you out of your comfort zone, pushing to go the extra mile. Seeing the company grow from a fast paced start-up, to a real business with strong foundations is very impressive and I feel privileged being part of the journey!
