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Ask Owen-Basile MARSH (who graduated the Grande École Program in 2013) about all his commitments and the time they must take up and he’ll always give the same answer: he gets back as much as he puts in – if not more! Feeling useful, staying true to his values and contributing to a fairer society are more than just catchphrases: they’re the driving force behind a busy personal and professional life helping as many people as possible. We talk to this good Samaritan who will almost certainly inspire you to do your bit…

Owen-Basile MARSH, you’ve had a slightly unusual career. What can you tell us about it?

I ended my years at IÉSEG by writing a thesis on the role of leadership in social entrepreneurship, for which I interviewed Jean-Marc BORELLO, Chairman of Groupe SOS, and then joined his organization for my end-of-studies internship. Afterwards, I transferred to a permanent contract with a part of the group set up to manage an innovative housing scheme for families in difficulty. The project was a runaway success, and managing the build up was both a stimulating and formative experience. After three years, I felt like leaving the operational side of things and joined the Accor Group, then Air France, where I spent five years working on strategy.

Why did you end up leaving the aviation sector?

The job was exciting, the company had an autonomous management style, and I loved my colleagues. Yet, as time went by, I felt that there was a growing gap between my deep-rooted convictions, particularly in terms of ecology, and my job, which, roughly speaking, consisted of getting planes into the air. Leaving a company that you love and where you know you could have a great career isn’t easy, but thanks to my previous experience with Groupe SOS, I knew what to expect when I went back to the world of impact organizations. This made it easier to dive back in. I joined each One, an association that helps migrants find employment. It runs short training courses to give them the basics of a trade and the soft skills they need to integrate more easily into the French corporate world.

What advice would you give to the students who want to retrain for a career in a high-impact structure?

First of all, take your time. A change of career is often prompted by the straw which broke the camel’s back, but that’s no reason to rush headlong into any decisions. Ask yourself the right questions: what cause do you want to champion? In what type of structure? Use your network to meet people who work in the field you’re targeting, to get a better idea of what’s involved. Then, be careful not to idealize it: these are organizations with the same rationale and problems as most other companies. Finally, you need to be able to take a step back and get the right balance between your commitment and your personal life. Beware of burnout!

You are one of the people who runs the ‘IÉSEG for Change’ club. What does the club do?

Its aim is to ensure that the wider IÉSEG community can do their bit for social and environmental transition. We’re convinced that such issues need to be integrated into our teaching to raise awareness among as many students as possible. They are the people who, in the future, will make the difference through the companies they choose to join or set up. Whether it’s through conferences, forums, round-table discussions or in-class presentations, alumni have a role to play in ensuring that IÉSEG is up to the challenge, and in creating a sense of rivalry with other establishments. The more of us who get the message across, the more progress we’ll make: so, join the movement!