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Arts et Métiers Alumni interview with AFAM Detroit representative, Cl. 189 alumnus Xavier Ovize
- Tell us about your career path and area of expertise today. How did it come about?
I am a Cl. 189 alumnus. After graduating from Arts et Métiers, I have been working in France for 3 years for Hutchinson, a global leader in vibration control, fluid management and sealing technologies.
In 1995, I arrived in Michigan to develop one of the business divisions in the US. I became business development manager at Hutchinson Paulstra. It was a tremendous change and a big adventure as in France I was a part of a big group (30 000 people) and when I came to the US, I was by myself and there was everything to do. After a few years developing Paulstra in the US, I came back to France (Paris), stayed for 1.5 year but really wanted to get back to my work in the US. When I did so, I came back to Michigan as North America Managing Director for Hutchinson Belt Drive Systems and was doing this job for 10 years.
4 years ago, I became a CEO of AdduXi Inc, a global family-owned business that work on precision plastic parts for the automotive industry.
- What do you do every day at work? How does being a Gadz’Arts help you in your everyday tasks and team management?
It is difficult to describe in a few words what a CEO job is about. Every day is different. It is a bit of everything: industrial aspects, finance, management, sales development, etc.
Being a gadz’arts had been of great help back in the 90s when I first arrived in the US to start a business and needed to do everything by myself. Gadz’arts have been prepared to be polyvalent and self-taught. The gadz’arts culture makes you ready for very versatile professional duties with an open mind, which is very important to develop a career.
- How is your work life different than in France?
Work culture in the US and in France are very different: I feel like in the US, the work culture more open and positive. It is like the glass is half full in the US and half empty in Europe (laughing). Another thing is that you can keep your cultural identity. Acceptance and respect of other cultures, promotion of cultural diversity shaped this country.
- What is the best advice you can give to young gadz’arts especially those who plan to go to the US to study or for an internship?
I would say: be intellectually curious and open to diversity. Like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said: "Si tu diffères de moi, mon frère, loin de me léser, tu m'enrichis". This is the motto of my Cluny promotion and it inspired me my whole life.
- What is one favorite way to spend your free time (hobbies, weekend activities)?
I do not have a lot of free time (laughing). But when I do, I love to play the piano and travel. I have visited 47 states out of 50 in the US and now when I have an opportunity, I explore other places in the world.
Thank you again for sharing your experience and thoughts on life in the USA for Gadz'Arts! AFAM is grateful for your support.
- Details
AFAM Strategy offsite took place on September 7th and 8th in Palo Alto and San Francisco. AFAM is a non-profit organization incorporated in California in 2007 with a mission to grow the brand image of Arts et Métiers in the US and to strengthen the community of its students and alumni based in the USA.
This year AFAM celebrated its first decade and to this occasion AFAM issued a decade report and organized a September offsite to prepare a strategic plan for the next decade.
Arts et Métiers ParisTech President Laurent Champaney came to the Bay Area to take part in this important event. Other participants were Associate Professor Michael Deligant, in charge of parcours US students, la SOCE Secretary Corentin Lallet, attaché for Science and Technology at SF Consulate Philippe Perez, AAGEF President Anne de Louvigny Stone, General Manager at French Tech Hub Sylvia Gallusser, co-founder at BootStrapLabs Ben Lévy, to mention a few, and of cause AFAM board members Eric Benhamou, Xavier Wartelle, Marc Amblard, Thomas Ferré, JB Commans, Aurore Prévot, Jean Pommier.
To see the full program of the past offsite please visit our website. All the results of the offsite will be announced to the Community in October.
Photo below: AFAM offsite participants. Day 1 in Palo Alto, CA
Photos below: AFAM offsite participants on Day 2 in San-Francisco
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Every year in the fall AFAM's community manager (and previously A&M representative in the US) is packing her bag and taking a flight to France to visit the school and talk to students and administration about AFAM's projects. This year I went to France for one week in September to visit Paris, Lille and Metz campuses.
The Shasta internship program was at the very heart of the visit. Shasta has been around since 2010 and tremendous progress has been made since thanks to AFAM's team and its members Xavier Wartelle, Aurore Prévot, Marc Amblard, to mention a few.
2018 has marked a new beginning introducing Shasta mentorship. What students can expect from the program and what AFAM expects from them - was the main topic of Shasta conference on Paris, Lille and Metz campuses.
Photo below: students at Shasta conference on Lille campus.
Lille students were lucky as they had JB Commans, our East Coast Group president, talking about his experience in the US.
Photo below: student attending Shasta conference in Metz, some of them are soon-to-be Georgia Tech students.
The fall school visit became a great occasion to visit schools' labs and talk to Associate Professors and Researchers.
Photo below: Assistant Professor Laurent Gajny talks about EOS low dose imaging system at Institut of Human Biomechanics Georges Charpak.
Photo below: Sled Test at Institute of Human Biomechanics Georges Charpak
Photo below: Assistant Professor Laurent Gajny, Christopher Martellet, in charge of BREI (bureau des relations européennes et internationales) for the Paris campus, and Prof. Michael Deligant at Institute of Human Biomechanics Georges Charpak, Paris
Photo below: Khaled Benfriha, Associate Professor, Researcher, behind his pedagogical production platform 4.0. on the Paris campus. The platform has been financed by the Paris region (€ 500K). The platform is equipped by 3 production machines, 2 Kuka robots, connected camera, accumulation table, augmented reality feature and several informatics systems. The goal is to teach A&M students new technologies applied in the manufacturing industry.
Photos below: premises of Dynfluid Laboratory in Paris and Associate Professor, Researcher, and in charge of Parcours US program Michael Deligant talking about his projects at Dynfluid Lab
Photo below: Adel Olabi, Head of "Advanced Production Systems" Track of Master KIMP (Lille) and Estelle, engineer at the Factory of the Future (Usine du Future) at LSIS lab, Lille
Photos below: visiting L2EP lab in Lille. Thank you, Thomas Roillet and Daniel Marin, for the presentation of EPMLAB platform. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Smart Grids are two main fields of intervention for EPMLAB platform.
My visit to Paris, Lille and Metz campuses was a terrific opportunity to get to know some members of Arts et Métiers teaching, administration and research staff. We all share one mission - to promote Arts et Métiers brand and we can find ways to successfully collaborate to contribute to this overall mission.
Photo below: Christophe Lescalier, Associate Professor, Researcher and Camillle Winter, in charge of BREI (bureau des relations européennes et internationales) for Metz campus (Metz)
I have also payed tribute to the school's heritage by visiting the beautiful premises of la SOCE (Société des Ingénieurs Arts et Métiers), one of the oldest and the biggest alumni association in Europe:
Looking into the Past:
Opening the Future:
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