Thomas Monarchi-Comte, class of 2018

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND?

I entered Sciences Po after my Baccalauréat in economics. First, I studied for 2 years at the Dijon campus, in order to give an international and European dimension to my studies. I then wanted to take advantage of my 3A to do a professional internship in the United States. I worked in a sector that I didn't know at all, real estate investment in Miami, but it was rich in lessons learned. Once back in France, I entered the Master in Public Policy in Paris. This was the opportunity for me to pursue my end-of-studies internship in a Parisian communication agency, within their public affairs team. This same agency, Rumeur Publique, offered me a job as a Public Affairs consultant at the end of my internship. After a little more than two years at Rumeur Publique, I wanted to give a new direction to my career, aspiring to more meaning in my job and eventually to leave Paris. I believe that it is very trendy after the confinement that we lived through! 

I had a great opportunity at the beginning of 2020 in a large SME in Burgundy, which is expanding in particular ... in the village where I grew up! The nice story became a new step in my (young) career.  

WHAT WERE THE MAIN STEPS IN BUILDING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PROJECT?

My 3rd year as a trainee confirmed my interest in the private sector but I still had a strong inclination towards the public sector. Lobbying was therefore a way to bridge this gap between the entrepreneurial and public spheres. The interest of my job lies in the fact that I am an interface between the respective issues of private and public decision makers. 

Today, I feel very involved in the revitalization of rural areas, almost forgotten by globalization. The Yonne (a French "department" in Burgundy) is a good example of this, in my opinion. Ulterïa is built around very strong values, including a sincere commitment to the territories where its joineries are located.  

HOW DID THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS GO AT ULTERÏA?

It started with a story of goats! 

My recruitment process began with a meeting with the two founders of Ulterïa (which has 150 employees) in November 2019 during the inauguration of an organic goat farm that they had partly financed. In the middle of the goats, we talked about their company and their development. I thought that they did not value their successes and their values enough. In particular, they are building the first recyclable factory in Yonne (Cradle-to-Cradle principle) in Europe, and nobody knows about it... We continued to interact and in December, I had 4 interviews at Ulterïa, with the 2 founders and 2 other employees. Beyond the formal meetings, these are discussions. Then they make a decision based on collective intelligence. 

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR JOB TODAY?

Versatility. I take care of their shareholder foundation (Ulterïa is one of the first French companies to have given part of its capital to a non-profit organization) but also of their public affairs, the follow-up of calls for tenders and other projects, notably on their communication and brand positioning. 

The issues, which are very different from each other, require a very good capacity for personal adaptation. 

By publicly promoting Ulterïa's commitments (philanthropy, soon to be B-Corp, eco-design of their products...), it is a real participation in the company's development. It is also a dive into the concrete, "feet in the clay", alongside a pioneering SME when many are only now starting to talk about "CSR, missions, commitments etc. " 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A STUDENT OR YOUNG GRADUATE LOOKING FOR A FIRST PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE?

The 3A can be a first opportunity for the student to do a long professional internship, more so abroad. Internships have the advantage of validating or invalidating the student's reflection on "is this what I want to do later on? ", in addition to increasing one's self-confidence and adaptability. 

With this first immersion in the professional world, internships can then be used to find a first job. The student must ask himself/herself what the company is looking for, and adapt his/her CV in order to highlight past actions or skills related to the proposed job and the company's work. 

WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS DID YOUR TRAINING AT THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS MAKE TO THE POSITION YOU HOLD TODAY?

The School of Public Affairs gave me a very good understanding of how the public sector works, of the decision-making process within the State and its administrations. This knowledge is extremely useful when you work as a link between the private sector and public decision-makers! In my current job, this knowledge allows me to advise Ulterïa's co-founders and co-directors on their relations with public authorities, on the best ways to interact and build a working relationship with them. 

The richness of the public policy training resided, in my opinion, in the fact that in addition to courses on the public sector, we were able to benefit from lessons on entrepreneurship and life in business or on new technologies. For example, I particularly remember a professor who was an ENA graduate (Ecole Nationale d’Administration) and a member of the Conseil d'Etat (State Council), at the time working at the Commission de Régulation de l'Energie (Energy regulation commission), who gave a course linking digital innovation, often from the private sector, to public power. This richness of the courses allows a student of the School of Public Affairs to understand the problems of both the public and private sectors.

learn more

• The Public Administration policy stream
• The Master in Public Policy at the School of Public Affairs

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