以「完成自己的使命」作為職涯的路 ── Myrtille Cabayé (法國)
畢業於法國格勒諾布爾管理學院(Grenoble ecole de management)，主修人力資源與管理(Human Resources and Management)。曾於跨國企業任職人資執行助理，現從事支持婦女抗癌的新創事業。
「飽受詬病的一環：學校與職場的鴻溝？」
在過往五花八門的課表中，Myrtille提及大部分的課程多半與現實生活脫節，內容不是空泛簡單，就是過於艱澀複雜。少數使她有所獲益的課程有：與史丹佛大學合作的跨國企劃案，以及「敏捷管理與新創」（agile management and entrepreneurship）系列課程。
與史丹佛大學合作的跨國企劃案讓Myrtille實際體驗多元合作的互動模式。儘管語言並非首要障礙，然而要維持好跨國團體間的合作並非易事，透過此堂課不只是時區的差異，每一個互動細節的不同，都是很好的多元文化體驗。
而「敏捷管理與新創」（Agile management and entrepreneurship）系列課程則讓Myrtille習得如何建立雙贏的情境，並以最大化「產出價值」為目標。同時也讓Myrtille領悟到創業除了與人際網絡息息相關之外，還能使自我受惠於幫助他人後所創造的價值。
「我需要改變，我必須知道自己能為人們改善些什麼。拿到畢業證書的那天，我知道，我必須開創自己的路。」
任職於跨國企業人資執行助理的經驗，使Myrtille熟習人資部門第一手的工作，如：人員招募與工作環境規劃。也因為參與公司部門的整合，所以接觸到創新設計、組織管理及永續規劃的訓練，並在整合過程中，扮演部門上下溝通的媒介。
然而隨著進入職場時間的增加，Myrtille想起過往在印度擔任志工的經驗，並逐漸開始質疑跨國企業是否有因應其獲利的規模而對社會提出等同的貢獻。她無法再對於顯而易見的社會議題視而不見，也認為必須奉獻自己，協助更多孤立無援的人們。打從獲得學位的那天起，就以實踐抱負為目標來創業。
「維持正常的生活是癌症患者的另一個挑戰。但不該是這樣的。」
「透過恢復舒適、找回尊嚴及自信的方式，來支持婦女抗癌」是Myrtille創業的核心概念，背後源自於一個女兒想守護母親的心情。眾所皆知在抗癌過程中，擁有良好生活品質是相當不可或缺的一環。然而當年Myrtille的母親被診斷出乳癌後，卻始終無法找到舒服的貼身衣物。雖然衣料挑選與服裝設計並非其的專業，卻可從他人的分享中學習。Myrtille預計於今年10月開始進行售前規劃及群眾募資，並期許產品能協助癌友克服疾病、順利回歸正常生活。
Myrtille認為生命是一個連續性的過程，只要你有所察覺，就有應運而生的門為你展開。一直以來以當下的直覺為歸依，在各種機會間跳躍並努力完成是Myrtille的處世之道。無論目標可維持多久，唯有把握當下、努力實踐，方能無愧於心。
What was your major in and favorite courses in undergraduate? In your opinion, which courses practically benefit you career?
I majored in Human Resources and Management. I took plenty of classes that were clearly useless in the real world as it was too simplistic and/or theoretical.
However I had one class that was a transnational project with students from Stanford University in the US. Our goal was to do a study on remote team dynamics. This was great to practice working with people across the globe with a great time difference and a different culture, way of working.
The other courses that I really enjoyed and paid off was a set of courses on agile management and entrepreneurship. I really benefited from these principles that we all evolve in an ecosystem that should be working to reach beyond a win-win situation to aim at the optimum. Entrepreneurship is all about networking and benefting from the value that comes as a consequence of helping out others.
What was job content of previous one? What made you determine to change career?
My job title was: "Executive Assistant to the Head of HR Employment and Learning Strategy". My job description was very rich as I was working on a bit of everything that was impacting my N+1 large department.
I supported the top management for daily monitoring of activities of the department : Employment (recruitment, strategic workforce planning, mobility) and Training - 200 people, 150 M°€ budget. I contributed to the set-up of a new organization after the merger of two old big ones: vision, mission, design of the new processes, organizational management, succession plan, transfer matrix I coordinated communication and change management in the context of digitalization of the HR processes and transformation of the department. Most of all, I anticipated issues and opportunities and was doing the stakeholder management between the Executive level and the rest of the team members.
At some point I started wondering if what we were doing with a lot of means in this big international company was really benefiting anyone. I witnessed daily political agreements up in the hierarchy. I lacked meaning. I started questioning what we were doing, how we were doing it and why. A couple years before I volunteered in India and faced true poverty. I witnessed how we could improve lives with few means. Now I was seeing how we could do nothing or even harm with so much budget. I needed change. I needed to know that I was contributing to making things better for people. The day I received my diploma, I knew I needed to launch my own company.
What kind of motivation drives you to start your own business? Please tell us more about the spirit and your plan toward it.
The company is about supporting women in their healing process against cancer through helping them recover comfort, dignity and self-confidence.
My driver is my mother and by extension all the women who fight sickness. In 2011 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was a student back then and I felt completely useless. After going through a rough year of chemo, x-rays and surgery she was left with a body that she did not recognize and was still painful. No clothes were fitting and the comfortable clothes were not pretty. I was at a loss on what to do to help her live again. Resuming life is a second battle after cancer. It should not be the case. When I was searching for my career change, it became obvious that I should make what had been lacking for my mother a few years ago. I graduated from a business school, I had no clue neither about textile nor fashion but I learned and surrounded myself with savvy and trustworthy people. This is the key to anything you want to undertake.
My goal is to launch the presales and raise money through crowdfunding this October. The bigger goal is to overcome taboos on sickness and ease the return to a normal life.
Visions of life before 35?
I am not sure to understand the question correctly. Are you asking how I see my life at 35? If yes, I would say that I have no idea in which country I will live and in which company I'll be working. Because life is a continuous path of doors that open and that one should be aware of. I have been living my life jumping from one opportunity to another, following my instincts and it has always paid off. I do not intend to stop. For now I am very excited to launch my company but I do not see it as an ultimate goal. I don't think I'll still be running it at age 35, and that's okay.