"I'm Lydia, I’ve been at Club Med for 23 years and I’m responsible for global HR projects as well as for supporting our Chefs de Village. I'm 45 years old, I'm French and I've traveled a lot thanks to Club Med!"
Why did you join Club Med?
"I was 21 years old and from my native Vendée, in France, I dreamed of traveling the world, of having a different experience and Club Med was my first choice.”
Tell us about your background
"I started as a fitness instructor. Initially, I wanted to do two or three seasons in order to travel and then I loved it. I quickly became a sports manager and then Chef de Village. I was Chef de Village for 11 years and then I had the chance to move to Singapore as our Talent University Manager (our Club Med training organization) for Asia and then after Singapore I did a short year in Shanghai.”
Most of us joined Club Med to travel... So go ahead!
How did Club Med support you in your international mobility project?
"There are two aspects: when I was Chef de Village, everything was taken care, whether it was the visa, the plane, the welcome at the Resort... It's always very well organized. And then when I was mobile at the office level, there was also real support from Human Resources for visas and also for settling in. When we arrived, we were assigned an agent to help us look for accommodation. I was traveling alone at the time, but for my colleagues who were traveling with their families, they were taken care of completely so that everyone can settle in as comfortably as possible in the new country."
What do you like most about your job?
"To manage people, you have to know their culture and be able to put yourself in their shoes. If we use our own beliefs, our own experiences, our own backgrounds, we realize that we are not always aligned. To immerse oneself is the secret of the understanding that allows us to work correctly together.
That's what I'm so passionate about at Club Med, this multiculturalism that is one of our values. What is very moving is that when you arrive in a new place, it takes a little time to adapt and finally when you manage to understand the country, there is a human warmth, a very strong attachment that is created and that ultimately is for life. "
What advice would you give to someone who wants to have an international experience?
"What we don't know enriches us and makes us stronger: these experiences are incredible in terms of personal and professional learning. I have experienced things that I never would have and I encourage you to experience them. And travel! Most of us joined Club Med to travel... So go ahead!”
What did you learn at Club Med?
"I did 7 years of English during my studies, and even then my English wasn't great. I really learned English at the Club, and I learned to be much more fluent, much more at ease. I also learned Brazilian Portuguese, my Spanish came back... I even have some Japanese notions now. I would never have thought to go this far in communication and languages."
What is your best memory at Club Med?
"My assignment in Brazil and my assignment in Japan because these are cultures that are so different that I had to rethink my way of thinking and I am not the same anymore thanks to these experiences. Then there were many others, but these are the first two that marked me and remain in my heart. It is often said that we will never have a single company in our lives, and well for me I don't need to change because I have the chance to live incredible different experiences, in various countries. Club Med is possible for a lifetime!"
