Philippe Gérard, Director of Bureau Vallée shops

“At university, you need to have a project and work.”

With a Master’s in Economic and social administration (AES) and after graduating from the IAE Pau-Bayonne, Philippe Gérard worked for twenty years in retail before taking over his first Bureau Vallée franchise in Bègles in 2016. 

What made you choose this course? 

On the day I went to enrol, I had two dossiers in my hands, and I was still hesitating between Economics and AES. I compared the list of subjects taught, and in the end, AES came out on top for its multidisciplinary aspect, much more in keeping with my project. It was quite hazy back then, but my dream was to run a company! I admit I didn’t really know how to go about it. In the late eighties, university was still quite removed from the business world. Although it was not mandatory, I also did several internships to “test” sectors of activity: banking, insurance, health, trade. And I became the President of the AES students association, a mini-business where I learned to manage a budget, make a margin on selling pastries and photocopies, organise events, recruit volunteers, and so on. 

After obtaining a Master’s in AES, you continued your training at the IAE Pau-Bayonne? 

University offers plenty of possibilities to those who are proactive, hard-working and interested in new experiences. With my AES Master’s in hand, I naturally applied to the IAE Pau-Bayonne (Institute for Business Administration), the “UPPA’s business school” as it were, in order to obtain my Certificate of aptitude in business administration, recognised on the labour market. This certificate enabled me to get through the initial selection stages and chosen for job interviews. I also took a business lawyer postgraduate degree course. 

Can you tell us about your career? 

I found my first job in four months. I was aiming for a first experience in retail, and I was recruited by Auchan Bordeaux Lac as a department supervisor. I then evolved toward the roles of department head and deputy director of a hypermarket. In 2004, I was recruited by Leclerc as a non-food buyer and then became sales manager of the central purchasing service in Mont-de-Marsan and director of the Leclerc Biscarosse shopping centre. After twenty years in retail, it was time for me to create my own business. I studied quite a few franchises and I chose Bureau Vallée (a network of more than 300 shops in France) which was gaining market shares. A first retail outlet in Bègles, a second in the centre of Bordeaux, and a third project in progress. 

What memories do you have of the Pau campus? 

Happy years, meeting my future wife, a law student at the UPPA, highly competent teachers, many hours spent at the university library to do research, which would take just a few minutes on the Internet today. 

Three words that you spontaneously associate with the UPPA and IAE Pau-Bayonne? 

Togetherness, simplicity and proximity.

I chose the UPPA for three reasons: I could easily return home to my family in Tarbes, Pau was a pleasant, human-sized city, and the university had the reputation of offering a good quality of life and work. 

What advice would you give to a future student? 

To be well informed before starting a course or choosing a speciality. Having given courses at the University of Bordeaux, I've noticed that young people today tend to think that social networks are the oracle. They would gain from expanding their sources and discussing their projects with professionals or teachers. And a second piece of advice: don’t think that at university you can do the bare minimum and pull through. The labour market really rewards those who get actively involved, show a true interest in their job, travel, clock up experiences, etc.