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Published: 31 October 2023

AFAM published “Green and Clean” series interviews with Julien Artur de la Villarmois ( Cl 218), R&D engineer at Airthium and Guénaël Prince ( Cl 201), co-founder and CEO of Waga Energy.  

We continue our journey exploring environmental careers in the United States and in France.  

Our next interviewee is Raphael Zaccardi (Cl 182), who is building a CEC project (Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat)  

AFAM: Hello Raphael and thank you for agreeing to answer my questions.

First of all, you spent 36 years at Caterpillar Inc, in France, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Germany and the US. Please tell us a few words about your long career at Caterpillar and how come you focus today on Regenerative Economy?  

Raphael: Well, difficult to summarize such an extensive and diverse experience with a world leader in construction and energy solutions. I did grow within the group by acquisition of knowledge and experiences but mailing by getting in charge of projects of scope, growing over the years. A project could be the redesign of a new assembly line, conceiving it with the best engineering teams, and more importantly, executing the transformation and making it come true, being in charge of the outcome afterwards – this was a very important learning for me all along. Similarly, when I was in charge of a manufacturing plant abroad, I had to lead, engage and get results according to my commitment.

The second very important Ingredient to my career was international experience – in Managing Director positions of small to medium size units - accepting to relocate with my family and living the company from a different angle, business perspective but most importantly different culture and mindset – getting to learn on the ground how decisions are made in Germany or Italy for example.

I did end up my career as Managing Director of the France Subsidiary and during this period I did voluntarily engage into the very first session of the CEC program, and I am now part of the team to deploy it more largely.

AFAM: you are developing a CEC project (Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat) for the French Alps region and the region of Lyon. Our readers can learn more about this project as I will give a link below. But please explain in a few words what is the goal of this project and what stage are you at right now? What is so unique about CEC?

Raphael:  CEC is an NGO organization, focused at accompany and coach business leaders towards the transition to come – we help them getting ready to design and then execute (!) the strategical road map 2030 for their organization – we start with climate issues, including planetary resources extinction, impact of bio-diversity, innovation, social and workforce talent changes, well you get it – it is a full company road map to get them well equipped.

The unique recipe stands in the design of the program – we put 200 leaders together and they work on their own business while learning as one team on the concepts and challenges. They grow their knowledge as a person, as a business team and as a full collective group.

AFAM: Arts et Metiers is one of the partners of the CEC. Could you please tell us what is its role in the project? Are there any other French engineering or business schools/ alumni associations partnering with CEC?  

Raphael: Indeed, Arts et Metiers has made the decision this year to partner with CEC and launch a specifically focus version of it – CEC INDUSTRIES.

This one will be nation-wide, gathering leaders of the industries ready to work together as individually of this road map for future.
We do expect A&M to bring the majority of candidates, while the session is public and open to all engineering school – we are teamed with the Delegation des Grandes Ecoles and we do expect a good resonance.

AFAM: What is your role in CEC project?

Raphael: I do act as a Project lead and sponsor for this CEC Industries program – I do indeed have multiple hats – I can witness of the experience having been through a similar one in person, I am now part of the CEC NGO team and organize various programs, and I am part of the Soce A&M bureau with role of “delegue aux formations” – my dream is coming true, Soce has been working on a new identity, published earlier this year – Leaders des Industries Responsables – and this is a very good connection to all of it.

AFAM: Any climate and nature positive startups/companies in the US or in France you are following or/and have been impressed by recently? Why?  

Raphael: Some industrial companies have gone through the program – I do think at Rossignol, sportswear’s and accessories manufacturers – they have to work on their transition as we all know that snow will no more exist at medium altitude over the future, so a real need to redesign their own business model, engaging with partners from region, government, suppliers and customers.

AFAM: you have been working in the US for several years and also studying at Stanford. How did your experience in the United States influence your career and life?    

Raphael: As mentioned earlier, a great experience for me and my family, living abroad, learning from different perspective – US experience was even more important for me as I could be part of the headquarters ambiance and better understand the big picture.

We did have fun with Christine, my wife and US is the country where Jules was born and got his USA citizenship!

AFAM: Any future plans you’d like to share with us?

Raphael: Deploying outside of France, starting with French common language first, Suisse and Belgium, but pretty soon whole Europe.

Personally, enjoying live with a lot of outdoor sports activities.

AFAM: Thank you for your time, Raphael, and have a wonderful day!  

Raphael:  Thanks for the opportunity

About CEC project: cec-impact.org

OTHER INTERVIEWS in "Green and Clean" series:

Interview with Julien Artur de la Villarmois (Cl 218)

Interview with Guénaël Prince (Cl 201)

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Published: 30 October 2023

AFAM: Hello Guillaume. Thank you very much for agreeing to answer our questions. It is a very unusual interview because your professional career is very unusual. Engineer by education (Ai 201), you decided to go into an acting and film director career. How come?

Guillaume: Hi AFAM, Thank you very much for having me. I love unusual interviews. After our school, ENSAM, I did several interviews for mechanical and consulting companies but I realized that wasn't what I wanted at the moment. I wanted to travel, which I did as a model: Athens, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Miami. But modeling wasn't fulfilling my brain, and being from Cannes, I needed Cinema in my life. I went on studying Meisner acting technique at the William Esper Studio in New York. In a short period of time, I ended up working under the direction of three time Academy Award winner Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki (The Revenant, Birdman), and David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven), acted along such house hold names as Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) and Jane Fonda (Barbarella), and twice collaborated with the David Lynch Foundation, even receiving this compliment from David Lynch (Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks) himself: "Guillaume, you are a great actor". After directing several Music Videos and Short Films, and writing numerous spec scripts (one of them awarded by Francis Ford Coppola himself), I wrote, directed, produced and acted in "Devils in Disguise", my first feature film. It had its World Premiere at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood and it was watched 27 million times. I then co-wrote, co-directed and co-acted with Vesper Egon my second feature film, “Whenever I'm Alone With You”, a romantic comedy in the vein of the French New Wave that was shot in Cannes and premiered at the prestigious Oldenburg International Film Festival in September 2013. Vesper won Best Actress for her role in the film at the Matera International Film Festival. The film is currently touring festivals around the world. ulule.com/campanacci for more infos on "Whenever I'm Alone with You".

AFAM: please tell us more about your current and future projects.

Guillaume:   My third feature film will either be: --SPOILED, about my fucked-up life as a model in Asia. It was a screenplay finalist at Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival in October 2023. --The adaptation of the best seller memoir of one of the world’s most efficient marijuana traffickers.

AFAM: you have been living in New York City, USA. Please tell us a bit more about this period of your life.

Guillaume:   Yes, after 3 years in Miami, I moved to NYC to study acting. I loved it there. It is such a cinematic city. Each corner tells a different story. But my south of France blood couldn't deal with the cold so I moved to Los Angeles after 2 years. 

AFAM: How being an engineer and a gadz’arts helped you in your acting and movie director career?

Guillaume:  At first, I heard a lot of "it's a shame you never used your degree, such a shame you studied all these years for nothing". I even started to believe it. But then I realized ENSAM shaped me as a director. All my fellow Gadzarts work in such different industries: from finance to construction to consulting. We learnt how to learn. We adapt ourselves to any industry. Mine is just a little more different. But still, a film director manages a project, deals with logistics, has a whole team to make it happen, takes a thousand decisions a minute. All these could be said for an engineer. 

AFAM: Thank you very much, Guillaume.

Guillaume:  Merci AFAM!

AFAM: January 2024 (TBC) second feature film, “Whenever I'm Alone With You” will be shown at L'Hotel des Arts et Metiers at Iena.

Guillaume Campanacci (in the middle) during one of the industry events together with producer Torsten Neumann and actrice/co-producer Vesper Egon 

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Published: 11 October 2023

AFAM CFO Jean Pommier (An 83) met Angers-based students on campus to talk about American Friends of Arts et Metiers (AFAM) and its activities. The conference took place in the evening of September 22nd. More than 20 students came to meet Jean and to talk about his international experience in the United States and AFAM programs. Several students interested in pursuing internships in the US later contacted AFAM community manager to join the Shasta program.

If you are an Arts et Metiers student, you can join our Shasta program today!

Pictures from the event

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Published: 12 September 2023