5 questions to David Letournel

1. Could you tell us a little about your career?

“I’m 46 years old and have a degree in marketing techniques. After my studies, I immediately worked in the banking industry, in the retail department of another company than Societe Generale. I joined Societe Generale in 2000. Societe Generale gave me the opportunity to improve my skills, both in the managerial and regulatory fields, thanks to an internal training programme: “the executive course”. As a result, I can now work as an internal auditor in the exciting world of Employee Savings Plans”.

2. Can you describe your role in three words?

“EXPERTISE: it’s our job to make sure that the instructions followed and the processing performed in the field of employee savings plans comply with the regulations and with the Group’s own directives. We assist our colleagues with specific issues in various fields, including legal, regulatory, compliance or commercial, etc. Working with our internal departments, we must diligently provide precise solutions enabling staff to go about their business with total peace of mind.

EQUITY: when dealing with requests and complaints from our clients, we are required to observe the principle of equal treatment of all unitholders. As a result, we fully understand that we may come across as being a little “strict” at times. However, this enables us to guarantee objectivity at all times when dealing with different situations.

DIVERSITY: everyday we are dealing with varied topics with sometimes different objectives. For example, we may be asked to give our opinion about the updating of a marketing brochure or the review of a contract. We also provide support for the different stakeholders involved in implementing new regulations (the PACTE law, GDPR, Eckert, etc.). We certainly don’t have time to get bored!”

3. What gets you out of bed in the morning?

“The quality of the atmosphere and the relationships within our organisation. It is similar to a small business, where everyone helps each other out and where a genuinely friendly atmosphere exists. The cooperation with the different departments with which we work on a daily basis is also a key aspect in my view”.

4. David, what’s your motto, your philosophy?

“Look for what you don’t have in what you have” - Koan Zen

5. What are your interests in life?

“Sport and support in Human Relations. These interests have in common the ability of human beings to use their resources, either by surpassing themselves in sporting challenges or by drawing upon their internal resources (that everyone has) to deal with difficult situations”.

Each month, you can discover the portrait of a different staff member in the Societe Generale Employee Savings Plan.