Where should we be? asks philosopher Claire Marin in Etre à sa place. Mathilde Saint-Pol, who is one of those people who rejoin the group after time away, gives her own enthusiastic answer to that question. For her, Econocom is a « fast-moving company [that] gives its staff a lot of freedom. » In short, « it’s a stimulating environment where, » she says, « I feel in the right place. » Interview.
Econocom Stories: Can you tell us about your career path at Econocom, from your initial experience to your recent return in 2022?
Mathilde Saint-Pol Cousteix: My career path at Econocom has been quite unusual as I’ve held so many different positions. I joined ECS in 2006 and worked on various aspects of leasing finance, first in the banking sector then at IT distributors like SCC. In 2010, following Econocom’s takeover of ECS, I was asked to create the financing at group level, which was a fascinating challenge in the post-financial crisis era (editor’s note: subprime mortgage crisis). I was also involved in founding EDFL during that period.
In 2019, I left Econocom to go back to SCC for three years. But the urge to take on new challenges brought me back to Econocom in 2022. It’s a fast-moving company, which is never boring! And it gives its staff a lot of freedom. It’s a stimulating environment where I feel in the right place.
« It’s a fast-moving company »
ES: Concretely, how did you come back, with what responsibilities?
Mathilde: I came back to Econocom in August 2022 where I took the position of Deputy CEO at TMF France. In December, however, I had the opportunity to lead the group’s cross-functional TMF Division, a very exciting position that encompasses everything I already knew plus the TMF Financing Division, including EDFL, FAST and refinancing.
What struck me as soon as I came back is the company’s incredible momentum. Econocom looks to the future and invests heavily, and the positive energy that’s abound here is palpable. It’s an environment that fosters innovation and development.
« The positive energy that’s abound here is palpable »
ES: What are your short- and long-term goals as TMF France’s Deputy CEO?
Mathilde: In the short term, my goal is to make a success of the year end, particularly December, which is a crucial period for the rental market. That’s the time when the main business is done, and we’re concentrating on winning back clients by reviewing our offering and messaging. We also want to capitalize on rising interest rates, which we see as an opportunity, and we’re aiming to train our sales reps to make them a real strength.
« Econocom is already the market leader in France »
In the longer term, we’re concentrating on the company’s strategic plan with a clear ambition: our 5-5-5, which is 5 business lines, 5 years, 5 billion. Econocom is already the market leader in France, and we need to maintain that position by capitalizing on our unique offering and commitment to CSR issues. We aspire to be simplifiers and problem solvers for our clients, all whilst contributing fully to the circular economy.
At the end of the day, my goal is to contribute to Econocom’s ongoing growth and success in France, taking advantage of our incredible offering and position as market leader.
