Fanny Cornet, Class of 2019

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND? 

I was lucky enough to have expatriate parents. When I was 9 years old, we left France to live in São Paulo, Brazil for three years, then we continued our journey to Mexico City, Mexico, for five years, where I graduated from the Franco-Mexican high school (LFM). I was admitted to Sciences Po and returned to France, to Poitiers, to complete my Bachelor's degree at the Euro-Latin American campus. During my third year abroad, I was eager to go out and be out in the field. I did two internships, the first one at the French Embassy in Brasilia, and the second one at the French Cultural Institute of Ivory Coast in Abidjan. 

As I had a particular interest in the field of security, I returned to Paris and chose the Master in Public Policy, Security and Defence policy stream at the School of Public Affairs at Sciences Po. We were the first graduates of the programme!

Freshly graduated, I joined a consulting firm in public security where I stayed for two years. I carried out safety and public security studies for local authorities as well as for private groups. Then, I wanted to branch out and so now I work for the Monoprix group as a Security and Anti-Fraud Manager.

WHAT WERE THE MAIN STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL PATH? 

The development of my professional project was based on several stages.

I have always been interested in international relations, history, safety and security. Throughout my studies, I always chose topics around current themes and in connection with security: drug trafficking, mafias, terrorism, safety and public order, defence industries, etc. My career goals became more concrete after my internship in a Defence Mission - and so the Security and Defence policy stream of the Master’s became my first choice. 

Lastly, the hands-on side of learning was very important. Seasonal jobs and internships helped me discover jobs, meet people and learn the value of money. They allowed me to refine my professional goals and persevere.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR POSITION TODAY AS SECURITY AND ANTI-FRAUD MANAGER AT MONOPRIX ?   

There's no such thing as a typical day at my job, everyday is very different! At the beginning it was difficult as I joined the company in the middle of the covid crisis. I also went from a SME of 20 people to a group of over 20,000 employees! So it was challenging. 

In my job, I am mainly in charge of the fight against internal and external fraud on a national scale. The frauds generally concern thefts of goods and/or money. I therefore conduct investigations and work together with bailiffs and the police. There are also other things such as anti-theft products, technical devices (anti-intrusion, cameras...) and human devices (security companies) that allow us to secure our stores as well as our customers and employees. 

WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS DID YOUR STUDY AT THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, MORE SPECIFICALLY THE SECURITY AND DEFENCE STREAM, HAVE ON THE POSITION YOU HOLD TODAY?    

The training of the school and more precisely of the policy stream is very varied and rich in content. The first quality is the people. The lecturers as well as the guest speakers were all very inspiring for me and made themselves available, listening to the students, even outside of class. They passed on important information as well as their experiences. 

This school also offers a possibility to the students, whatever their policy stream, to choose electives in other specialities of the same school. So, thanks to this system, I was able to take part in a course on health policy and a second one on agricultural policy. I was therefore able to learn about other fields while strengthening my choice for the field of security. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO GIVE A STUDENT OR A FUTURE YOUNG GRADUATE?

I think the most important advice I can give would be to "be yourself". The competition is tough and you always have to fight. Work is important but recruiters are looking for that "little extra" thing that will make the difference, so don't hesitate to be yourself - to reveal a little more about your personality or your passions and to ask questions. Have confidence in yourself, because even in times of doubt, never underestimate yourself! You may be surprised at the outcome...

learn more

• The Security and Defence policy stream at the School of Public Affairs
• The Master in Public Policy of the School of Public Affairs

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