Alumni Interview – Frédéric Garcia Lucas
“At Primxies, I learned to turn
challenges into opportunities”
Discover the inspiring career of Frédéric Garcia Lucas, Chief Financial Officer at Carrefour Taiwan, who heads a team of over 200 professionals. His experience at Primexis forged his expertise (Controlling, Accounting, Treasury, Consolidation, Internal Control, etc.). In an exclusive interview, he shares his thoughts on the valuable lessons learned at Primexis, highlighting the essential keys to professional success.
What key moment at Primexis had a significant impact on your career?
The rapid empowerment I gained through supervising significant teams, both internal and external, was key in my career path. It is often said that a career generally oscillates between three main paths: expertise, project management, and management. Of course, these paths are not mutually exclusive, but clearly, the diversity of the possible roles within Primexis means you can quickly figure out your own preferences through a wide variety of functions and roles.
For me, one of my assignments took place in a rather sensitive and stimulating environment: supervising internal and external Finance and Accounting teams during an amicable liquidation of a subsidiary of a large group. This experience played a determinant role in the direction of my future career, sparking a growing and continuous interest in managing teams, particularly within transformation and change.
So, I made sure to move towards this type of context and role. I am convinced that the diversity and richness of the assignments given to me at Primexis enable the teams to tackle a multitude of situations in different circumstances, which, in my view, forms a unique opportunity to perfect one’s professional project, whatever it may be.
“Team cohesion, cooperative spirit, and friendliness, which describe the way Primexis’ teams work, are, in my opinion, quite unique in this industry.”
What aspects of Primexis’ corporate culture contributed the most to your professional development?
Without any hesitation, the continuous supervision and encouragement to take initiative were key in the way I tackled the challenges I eventually met during my career. In addition to their lessons for me, the leeway given to teams, thanks to the benevolent and empowering supervision, also inspired me in my own management style.
I make sure to give my teams this sense of autonomy and initiative by giving them permission to make mistakes. I also make sure to always be available and ready to help my teams under any circumstance, just like the support I received when I was an employee at Primexis. Team cohesion, cooperative spirit, and friendliness, which describe the way Primexis’ teams work, are, in my opinion, quite unique in this industry.
What challenge at Primexis strengthened your skills?
Constantly adapting to teams, contexts, challenges, and very different sectors is necessary and certainly represents a big challenge for all the employees. But, in addition to the challenge that it represents, it is, above all, an incredible opportunity to be able to face such a variety of situations in such a short time.
I don’t see any other industry that allows for such a quick discovery and learning curve. The references and practices acquired in such an environment are a major plus for future careers, whatever the desire and direction chosen. Also, today, this adaptability and flexibility has become absolutely vital in a world where innovations are ramping up, and where disruptions have become the norm. Flexibility and curiosity are now key skills sought out as a priority.
What is your advice for new recruits at Primexis?
- Be proactive and try to develop your skills. This will not only help you but will prepare you to assist all of Primexis’ clients better and deliver more and more value to them
- Do not be afraid to ask questions. Be curious about everything
- Always take initiative. Take advantage of developing your skills. It is an investment in your future professional development, and this will allow you to improve your skills, such as your own professional competitiveness
- Do not forget to work on your collective game and learn how to collaborate effectively with your colleagues to bring out the best skills from each person
- Without a doubt, these attitudes will enable you to deliver an irreproachable service to Primexis’ prestigious clients.
