Geek Kid

Like many children, Jonathan wants to build cabins. But, and this is less common,

also systems. His father, in IT, initiated him. When he was around eleven years old,

already a super tech geek, he builds seven or eight PCs for his father, cables them

and installed the hard drives. "I collected DVDs and wanted to share my opinions

about the movies. At the time, we were among the first to have internet at home.

So I create my website and put it online."

He is not yet passionate about studies. He just makes sure he gets to the next grade.

Once in high school, the level is more demanding, but there is much worse.

His mother passes. To resist the shock wave, a bubble is created. Jonathan works on

his coursework as hard as he can. And with no respite during weekends or holidays,

he works as a cashier at a heating products wholesaler. This is where he discovers

ERP for invoicing and inventory. Naturally, he is moving towards an end-of high

school diploma in energy engineering.

Work pays. First in his study sector, his good results allow him to return to the

engineering schools preparatory classes track. Télécom Strasbourg opens its

doors to him. He found there business cabling, routers and builds by hand a first

4G terminal. But in his search for internships he rather targets the ERPs and gets in

touch with one hundred fifty IT systems heads. "I was targeting Microsoft ERPs, my

father was already familiar with the subject, and their potential interested me",

Jonathan says.

Intern, and consultant

Kalhyge, the textile rental and maintenance specialist, welcomes him for a routine

assignment. The young intern completes this all the while identifying unsuspected

issues in the system. A week after his arrival, Jonathan is in the CEO's office with the

head of IT and offers the appropriate solutions. He creates the first statistical

inventory optimization  model. 

"Every week for three months, headed for Sablé-sur-Sarthe where the purchasing

hub and the national warehouse are located. We worked on the train with the

CEO", Jonathan recalls. In the end, the boss gives the go ahead and a bonus, in

passing. Six months later, Jonathan Is called back to help update the statistical

model. Time passes, a recruiter contacts Jonathan. He shows him the outlines of a

very good assignment around a big acquisition to be managed from A to Z with

integration into the ERP and leadership of the finance  teams. All this at... Kahlyge.

"I'm interviewing a new IT head who didn't know me. He asks to the teams still in

place if my name meant anything to them... I was signed up straight away", slips

Jonathan.

Seeing the countryside

"I've always wanted to travel and my engineering graduation internship gives me

the opportunity", traces Jonathan. The school required three months spent abroad.

Geodis  accepts, but under its conditions. Rather than three months stationed in a

single location, it will be a week twelve times, in different places. "I discovered Hong

Kong, Seoul, the Nordic countries, South Africa and a few others. I wanted to travel,

I was served!", Jonathan smiles.

Still in his internship at Geodis, a big problem in production arises. Jonathan is about

to fix the super bug. Goes by a project manager who is surprised: "It's pretty crazy

that a trainee is solving the problems while the consultants are watching him!" At

Geodis, Jonathan meets Catherine. "From the get go, she becomes my best friend.

We would go out, talk shop until the end of the night. We came together on

personal and professional values. My very strong IT component, allied with her very

sharp accounting skills made sparks fly, in a good way." At the time evenings out

follow one another between colleagues at each other’s. Sometimes, up to

thirty people at his place. “One can have fun like crazy with the people one works

with and who become friends”, he explains.

Birds of a feather flock together

Still for Geodis, his manager tells him that following the absence of a director,

he must ensure a meeting with the USA by videoconference, in Levallois…

"You prepare the meeting, you talk about ERP, in short you manage the whole

 thing. Oh, and by the way, it's in half an hour!", the manager points out.

Jonathan arrives in the meeting room. He then meets an American, responsible

for systems integration between the two companies. She will become the woman

of his life. As part of this business acquisition, Jonathan will travel every two weeks

to the USA to manage the deployment.

Later, despite great proposals, Jonathan leaves Flexmind and decides to go for it.

Bonds and relationships with others have always animated Jonathan. "With each

client, we write strong stories and we reach exceptional levels of confidence.

I believe you end up creating these connections with clients who are like us", he

observes.°