“Useful on a personal and collective level”
Interview with Vincent Carrio, a director at VINCI Energies and ambassador for the Fondation d’Entreprise VINCI pour la Cité.
How did you find out about the Fondation d’Entreprise VINCI pour la Cité?
Vincent: It was at a graduate recruitment forum that I found out about the Foundation and had the opportunity to meet its local representative who gave me an insight into the work the organisation does and what its values are.
Are you involved with organisations?
V.: I’m chairman of a network of entrepreneurs who get together to discuss topics surrounding equal opportunities. By becoming an ambassador for the Foundation, I got to know the organisations it supports. I decided to become a mentor for one of these organisations, Proxité, which helps young people from troubled neighbourhoods to succeed academically and professionally. When the organisation set itself up in Nantes, I helped to promote it among staff working in the region. Over the past two years, I’ve also been following the progress of a young girl from Algeria who requires educational support.
What does your role as an ambassador entail?
V.: I run VINCI’s Pivot club in the Pays de la Loire region. I get the Foundation’s local representative involved in it and we try to carry out practical corporate support initiatives together with several VINCI group entities including VINCI Energies.
In my operational area, I find that the Foundation plays an important part in building loyalty among my staff. That’s why I’m always keen to get a Foundation representative involved in induction days for new recruits.
What do you get from the experience?
V.: Working life is very busy and full of our own problems and issues. The Foundation is a good way to open your mind and engage with people who have a different background or culture. It has a very positive impact on me as it forces me to think about my business strategy in a different way.
You can’t go through life leaving people who live in your area by the wayside. Businesses have to be more inclusive.
What do you think would encourage other staff to get involved?
V.: I would tell them that it makes them feel “useful on a personal and collective level.” Everyone who commits to the Foundation benefits both personally and collectively. Through their work, they inspire others to get involved and they bring a stronger human dimension to our businesses.