much. Chats: An Interview with Aurore Le Tumelin

We want to take you behind the scenes and introduce you to all the friendly faces and bright minds here at much. Consulting. As there’s no better way to do this than through their own words, we’ve put together a series of interviews with our team members to pick their brains a little and get their thoughts on work in general and working at much. in particular. 

Today, we passed the mic to Aurore Le Tumelin, who joined our Lisbon office as a Senior Solutions Consultant in 2023! From the get-go, Aurore has contributed with her vast insights and experience and has become a reference at the office for a cheerful word and good vibes (in 4 different languages!)

We sat down for a chat and talked about her journey so far, her view on life at much., and what kind of career advice actually made a difference for her. Here’s what Aurore had to share:

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“As far as I can remember, I always wanted to have my own company. It’s actually quite fun, when I was 10 or something I used to make up small companies –  I was kind of this kid entrepreneur, always very business oriented.”

How did you choose Solutions Consulting?

“I’ve never been somebody that liked working a lot on my own, I work better with other people – be it for coming up with ideas, learning, or challenging myself. I worked in Marketing and always wanted to try out Sales – it was something I was scared of actually, meeting targets. But I always thought it would be something I liked.

In my first internship, I worked for a telecommunications company and experienced sales all-round, from preparing offers, working with them on innovative solutions, making presentations for customers or even market studies. I found the sales lifecycle in telecom to be a bit slow. But as I progressed into the construction industry, I really found it exciting to work with almost immediate sales. I also loved the fact of being able to build long-term relationships with customers.”

Aurore is part of the much. Portugal team. This week she sat down with us in our Lisbon office next to Marquês de Pombal for a little chat.

What are some challenges and successes you faced in your career?

“When I started in the construction industry, a lot of customers were reluctant to have – let’s be honest – a young woman in front of them who was still learning the market. They were very closed off with an “I don’t want to buy anything else, you’re not going to be able to help me out” mentality. I succeeded in moving from that to having really very good relationships with customers. They would openly share their business and let me help them develop in a good and sustainable way. This was challenging to get to, but also rewarding as this lasting relationship and trust was established.”

What was the best career advice somebody gave you?

“I think the one thing that probably resonated much more in the future than in the moment it was said … it’s something that comes back quite often now. When I started managing a team, my own manager told me something in the first month – people management is not rocket science, you just need to find the key to people. 

Adapting to situations and to the person sitting in front of you is really not easy to do. Naturally, you have people with whom you connect with more easily than others. But it all comes down to listening to the person, be it someone you manage, your peer, or even someone above you. Getting to know how people work, how they are motivated, who they are basically, I think it really helps to build good relationships and helps you out on the way.”

What’s the best career advice you have to give?

“People will always judge you from an external point of view, especially people that don’t work directly with you and may have misconceptions of what you do. But who knows what you really are doing is you, your team, and your manager. If you are aligned with these people, it’s totally fine.

Try not to let other people get you down, don’t be afraid to push them back if possible, and believe that you’re doing the right thing – especially when your manager trusts you and your team supports you.”

What surprised you the most upon joining much.?

“The quality of people. Meaning, I was really impressed by how many young people we have and how much talent we have. And honestly, regardless of age, I didn’t come across anybody that I feel has not earned their place here, especially compared with other companies… yeah, I’m impressed.“

Which one of our much. values resonates with you the most?

“No BS. The main reason is because I worked in big organizations in the past and there were many small things that really got lost in company politics. I am ambitious – I want to feel that I am progressing in my career. But at the same time I hate politics. Yeah, and I think for me pragmatism and straightforwardness is the most important.“

Do you have a mentor or role model that you refer back to?

“A few former managers… one specifically, that’s now at a director management level in Sales & Marketing. For me, she’s really a role model in the sense that she is very independent in all aspects of her life. She bought a house at a young age, she raises her teenage daughter on her own, is the head of a department at a multinational company, very driven, will not take any BS, won’t let people take her down, and fights for her causes. For me it’s like, pretty much where I want to be at a certain point in my life.“

Lastly, if you could go back to a younger Aurore who has just started her career, what would you tell her?

“I wish I would have been more assertive in some situations – especially when it came to comments that weren’t necessarily work related, I would put them back in place. Also assertive in, when necessary, pushing back more or questioning more on work related topics. Which I think I do now, but maybe I could have done more in the past.“