A moment with Nicolas de Resbecq
Nicolas de Resbecq started his career by working for big corporations such as Credit Agricole or Orange, and by creating his own company: MySportConnect. These experiences confirmed his desire and drive to work in a start-up environment.
General Manager at Oppizi in 2018, he is passionate about media, sports and a dedicated entrepreneur. He sat down with SAINOO to talk about his various experiences, to express his passion for his mission at Oppizi and to share his insights on recruitment.
“In order to recruit efficiently, both the candidate and the company must see each other’s potential.”
Hi Nicolas! Thank you for joining us today! Can you tell us how you became General Manager at Oppizi?
I have always been focused on entrepreneurship, with a desire to make a difference in a company. During my studies, I did internships in finance and big companies. I then realised that I preferred the startup mentality. After graduating from business school, I created a business with some friends in Paris. It was a company specializing in video and sports. We sold it three years later. Then, I moved to London where I worked in business development and doing operational roles.
In 2018, I was given the opportunity to join Oppizi, which is an Australian company, which opened an office in London at the time. Since then, the company has kept growing, first in the UK, then in France and further on, in other European countries. My areas of expertise have been gradually expanding and today I manage the European branch of Oppizi.
Which part of your work do you prefer?
Overall, what makes me feel good is when I look back and see that I was the only one when the company was launched in Europe. Today there is about fifteen of us. I love to see the company’s growth in all the European countries where we operate.
In my day-to-day work, I like to structure, plan and open a new market in a new country. It involves recruiting the right people, developing the business and managing people to reach global progress.
What is your management style?
My mantra is to never ask others to do things I wouldn’t do myself. I attach great importance to only asking others to do things I have already done in the past. In the company, we like to give autonomy in the work and as long as the job is well done, it works well.
To what extent are you involved in recruitment?
I am involved in recruiting when we are looking for C-level candidates. For more regional positions, it is the country’s general manager who is in charge.
What is your recruitment process like?
As Oppizi is not backed up by investors, we are not constantly looking for talents to join. Recruitment depends on the company’s organic growth and its needs. We are recruiting by reaction more than by anticipation. We identify the needs that arise and we mobilize our networks. Next year we will potentially develop a new market in Spain. I will go there myself to start operations at first but we will have to find someone who will be able to manage this subsidiary.
At first, we tend to use our networks. Then we go through headhunters and companies like Sainoo to help us. We tried to carry out the process ourselves in the past but it is time-consuming. From now on, for operational jobs, we leverage talent marketplaces and headhunters.
What issues are you experiencing when recruiting?
There are always problems of resources and organization, but generally speaking, my main challenge is to attract talent. In general, we are looking for candidates who will hit the ground running. However, the market is highly competitive and some companies have more resources, therefore it is complicated to attract this type of profile.
In order to recruit efficiently, both the candidate and the company must see each other’s potential. In this process and overall, time is precious and therefore you have to find good compromises; you can’t always take time to nurture a pool of candidates, to identify new talents etc.
What is the employee cycle like at Oppizi?
Today we work with people who tend to follow a long cycle because everyone makes a real impact within the company. We all see the potential in working for Oppizi and in our missions. We have certainly made recruitment mistakes, and we had to let go of these people. However, the team is focused on the long term and I hope it will continue like that!
What advice would you give to candidates?
Working in a start-up is good, working in a start-up that makes sense to you is better. And for me, the best way to succeed in a start-up is by going through structuring professions. I mean jobs in banking, consulting, in large companies… This experience helps you to structure your mind. And from there, you can fully choose to work in start-ups or corporate companies.
I would say that if you want to have a great job in your favourite field, you should not hesitate to work in various industries at first. This helps you to master certain skills. Those skills will allow you to make a difference and to be more effective when applying to your dream job.
How do you think recruitment should evolve in the future?
It’s complicated to answer because, whether it’s with Sainoo or other intermediaries, we are satisfied with the results we are getting so far. I haven’t personally observed any problem big enough to talk about structural change in the recruitment world.
What is your focus for the year to come?
I want to continue to develop the growth of the company in the UK and internationally. There are two countries that we would like to develop in the year to come.
What recommendations would you give your peers?
I think it is important to remember that even if you are wrong, you have to make your voice heard. Share your ideas, say what is wrong, report the insights you get… It is very important, at any level of the organisation.
Are there any resources you regularly consult, for work and lifestyle?
It is essential to understand our prospects. As we work with companies in the technology sector but also many startups, we carefully monitor everything that is happening in their environments: fundraising, developments…
This allows us to know our prospects, to follow the fundraising ecosystem in Europe. I get a lot of information on Techcrunch, Maddyness and LinkedIn. On a personal level, I want to avoid the business side as much as possible! I like to know what is happening around me so I am fond of news briefs.
Is there any tip that you wish you have received earlier in your career?
I have learnt at my expense that even if you think you are right, that you are making the right choices, for the common good, there will always be people who will be disappointed.
The best is the enemy of the good.
Once you understand that whatever action you do there will be disappointments and dissatisfactions. It is human nature, so you relativize and stop searching in vain for perfection. You learn that by experiencing bad moments. When I think about it… it’s not really a piece of advice, you have to learn that from experience.
Finally, without sounding too cliché, you have to always be careful not to get carried away 24 hours a day by your work, your company. You have to make sure that the personal and professional balance is respected. It is cliché but it’s true!
You are right, one is never too careful on that matter! Thank you very much, Nicolas, for this moment. All the best for your next challenges!
Thank you!
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