Meet Solène

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background. 

My name is Solene; I'm French and a native of the beautiful region of Metz. My background includes a bachelor's degree in Applied Foreign Languages (English and Chinese) and a Master's in Finance. I have spent the last 8 years working for various advisory services companies in China. 

I started my career in Business Development in 2016. I was instantly hooked by the variety of the tasks to be delivered and the learning opportunities coming with each project and new client. As a people-oriented person, Business Development is an excellent fit.  

Outside work, I am a certified yoga teacher (ashtanga and vinyasa) and a podcast enthusiast. 

2. What inspired you to join the Mission Zero Academy? 

I joined MiZA because I want to put my professional expertise at the service of an organization that actively drives change and builds a more sustainable future. As cheesy as it may sound, “There is no planet B.” In my role, I can contribute to making a meaningful impact on multiple scales.

3. What exactly do you do as a Business Development Manager (BDM) for MiZA?

Well, that is an excellent question. Overall, I can divide my role and its tasks into the following categories: 

Strategy: With MiZA’s Director, we develop strategies to take our service offers to the next level, from early definition to implementation. We monitor markets, competitors, trends, and delivery capacity and see how we can better our services and their delivery based on those criteria. It involves a lot of brainstorming sessions, process definition, and research before we develop a strong strategy.  

Marketing and Branding: I develop new content for our website, blog, and social media, as well as create new assets to support our business development efforts (Masterdeck, brochure, case studies, etc.). I am developing a new master deck to provide a seamless experience to our prospects when introducing our certifications and MiZA’s work (stay tuned for upcoming releases). I oversee the editorial calendar of MiZA and identify topics that should be addressed as a priority. 

If you have any suggestions as a Mentor or want to share a piece you’ve written on our blog as a guest, feel free to reach out to me. We happily welcome all ideas and suggestions.

Business Development (or hunting 🙂) and Support: Would I be a good BDM without some Business Development? I engage with Cities and Businesses weekly. I prepare a list of prospective businesses that would be excellent candidates for our certifications. I reach out to them, introduce them to MiZA and our services, send them our proposals, follow up with them, etc. Until we get a contract signed. We genuinely focus on getting more “On the Road” organizations for 2024. 

Supporting and Training: We are fully aware Business Development can be time-consuming and a skill that can be learned. I am currently developing a training program for Mentors, guiding them through this process step by step (stay tuned for the following training announcement) 

My role also includes a supporting function. I can answer any questions about MiZA, its services, and its promotion. From basic information, pricing dilemmas, and marketing to strategic planning, my door is always open. So fear not, and contact me if you encounter any roadblocks. I will happily support and guide you so we can progress in any project.

4. What would you say is the most exciting part of the job?

I love building strong business relationships from scratch. I find it quite unique and rewarding to start a project as a simple LinkedIn stranger and to finish a project speaking with the same connection almost daily. It is satisfying in the human aspect of my role. The chance to connect with professionals from different fields of expertise and to learn from each other while working towards a common goal. It is inspiring. 

5. Looking ahead, which developments or priorities will you be focusing on in your work?

We have a lot of exciting developments coming up with MiZA in the next few months. I look forward to releasing our new training, customer newsletter, and marketing assets in October. 

As mentioned above, stay tuned! (or get in touch if you are interested) 

6. Is there a quote that resonates with you and guides your approach to what you do?

“Do your best, and forget the rest.”