Emilie Benoit-Vernay (SK 2003), an international career in digital

From SKEMA Lille to New York and then London via Hong Kong, Emilie Benoit-Vernay, who was one of our alumni-ambassadors for a while, is now working in the digital world in Paris, for the e-commerce leader Shopify. 

Emilie, can you tell us a bit about yourself? 

They say that Bretons are travellers at heart. In my case, that’s pretty true! I spent 10 years overseas, in the USA, Asia and Europe, before returning to France in 2015.

These days I live in Paris with my husband, I’m about to turn 40, I’m the proud mother of a 2-year-old girl, and I’m looking forward to welcoming her little brother in a few months. I have a passion for cooking and I even obtained a professional cookery qualification in 2016 (French CAP)!

What do you remember most about your years at SKEMA?

I have some great memories of my years at SKEMA. My Lille years, as I like to call them! The cafeteria, the student accommodation! I met some people there who are still pillars in my life and my closest friends to this day. 

Studying entirely in English at SKEMA gave me the confidence to opt for an international career without a moment’s hesitation. The negotiation/sales specialisation in third year steered me towards my career, which is very focused on business development. 

Can you tell us about your professional journey after graduating?

After a final year internship at IBM in Paris, I joined Ubiqus, a French SME specialising in business communication and localisation. For two years, I contributed to its business development in the different regions of France, then in 2005 I asked my employer to send me to Los Angeles on a VIE contract (Volunteer for International Experience), to work at a micro-subsidiary he had just acquired there. I stayed there for four years managing the West Coast area. 

Next, with Ubiqus still, I went to New York for three years to look after the business development of their events branch (offering simultaneous interpreting services in particular). 

In 2012, I left the United States for Hong Kong to join a British digital communications agency (TranslateMedia) specialised in advertising localisation and e-commerce. After two years conquering the Asian market, I moved to London to help my employer develop the French market, among others.

Ten years went by and that brings us to 2015! I decided to return to France, to Paris, and was hired by The Other Store, an e-commerce agency specialising in fashion, to take care of their business development. The three years I spent there gave me a sound knowledge of the French e-commerce ecosystem. 

I eventually started missing the international dimension and the “Anglo-Saxon” way of doing business, so when my daughter was born in late 2017 I took some time to think about what my next move should be…

And in November 2018, I joined Shopify!

These days you work for Shopify, in Paris. What does your job entail? What does a typical work day look like?

Shopify is one of the global leaders in e-commerce. This Canadian giant supports 1 million entrepreneurs in 175 countries by supplying them with an ultra efficient and accessible hosted technology solution that allows multi-channel management of their e-commerce business. 

Shopify’s mission is to remove the hassle and complications of managing an ecommerce website and keep offering entrepreneurs more opportunities. 

Although Shopify has been around since 2006, its proactive deployment on the French markets started in 2018. As the first hire for the dedicated team in France, I have been working for two years on building this team. Our goal: to bring French entrepreneurs the best that Shopify has to offer, by forging strategic partnerships with key French players, by supporting the efforts of our marketing teams, and by defining the product strategy for the market. 

How and when did you start getting involved in the SKEMA Alumni network?

In 2011, in New York, I attended a few alumni meetups, but it was in Hong Kong that I really got involved by joined the team of ambassadors (hi there, Julie Bourgeois and Jean-Baptiste Roy!). In that city full of expats, the SKEMA Alumni get-togethers were always great times. I even got to meet Benjamin Ferré, the SKEMA globe-trotter, during his trip! 

When I arrived in London in 2014, it was through the SKEMA Alumni network that I met the wonderful Géraldine Chakouri, who became my flatmate!  The two of us, along with Amine Ait-Si-Selmi, breathed new life into the London alumni club by organising socials like a wonderful Prestige Event. 

Once back in France, I met the president of the SKEMA Alumni Digital Club, Antoine Spadoni, and for one year we organised themed after-work events together for the alumni.

These days I am less actively involved (due to a lack of time), but I’m well aware of the power and value of the SKEMA Alumni network! I did co-organise a webinar on e-commerce with SKEMA Alumni in July 2020 called Se lancer dans le e-commerce (avec une introduction par Emilie Benoit-Vernay (SK 2003) (Getting started in e-commerce - with an introduction by Emilie Benoit-Vernay from the SKEMA Class of 2003).

What advice would you give young graduates joining the workforce?

I would quote what Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, said about a career:

“It’s a jungle gym, not a ladder… There’s only one way to get to the top of a ladder, but there are many ways to get to the top of a jungle gym.”

Contact: Emilie Benoit-Vernay, Country Manager France at Shopify