Meet the Member: Christine Delmotte, President & Founder of Agence Seven
We are pleased to welcome Christine to the FACC network.
Frenchie living in Montreal for over 13 years, Christine runs Agence Seven, an international recruitment agency specialized in Executive Assistants (EA), based in Montreal and in France (Lille).
Her 20 years of experience as a former Executive Assistant allows her to provide the best selected candidates for her clients.
Hi Christine! Where are you from? How long have you been in Montreal?
Hello! I am from Lille, and I have been living in Montreal since 2009.
You are the founder of Agence Seven, could you tell us more about your activity?
I take advantage of my experience and expertise to find the perfect match between an assistant and her new boss and team.
My 20 years’ experience as an Executive Assistant and Personal Assistant allow me to clearly understand my client’s needs and identify the perfect EA to support them.
My main motivation is to see my clients relieved, knowing that they can count on their assistant, and see the assistant flourished.
When have you founded Agence Seven?
In March 2021, during the pandemic.
What led you to launch Agence Seven?
I was working in a well-established recruitment company when I lost my job due to the pandemic. I also worked as a virtual assistant for a few years. So, I redeveloped my business by surrounding myself with a few assistants.
I wondered how people were recruiting when everyone was working from their kitchen. That's how Agence Seven was born!
The demand was significant, and I quickly built a team of more than 80 assistants, on 3 continents, to be ready to cover all the needs of my clients, while playing with the time difference.
After a few months, as the pandemic was coming to an end, the corporate recruitment service naturally developed.
How the job market for Executive Assistants evolved in recent years?
The market has evolved incredibly.
We can no longer hold half-day meetings/presentations of candidates for clients. As soon as we find the perfect assistant for the position and the company, we introduce her on the spot and the offer follows quickly.
Our client must be very responsive, or else we risk losing the candidate.
What was the impact of the pandemic on the role of the Executive Assistant?
Thanks to the pandemic, companies have realized the importance of the role of the assistant…who became, in March 2020, a real captain of the ship, the anchor of the company when it was necessary to learn to work differently. And everyone has finally realized their role as a pillar.
What are the main challenges you face with Agence Seven?
We have to make clients understand that the market has evolved.
Salaries for EA's have skyrocketed, that you can no longer meet with two or three other candidates just to make sure that she is 'the one', because the process will drag on and she will have signed with another company.
That it' s rare for an assistant to accept to work 5 days in the office.
What are the next steps for Agence Seven?
After launching a subsidiary in France, I want to develop Agence Seven in NY.
It makes sense, as many companies are both in Montreal and NY. Also, when a French company wants to establish itself in North America, it is one of the two cities it chooses.
Do you have tools/resources that help you on a daily basis?
I talk to my team every day. Lindsay is in France, Cynthia around Montreal and Stephanie is in Québec. Messenger is our favorite communication tool, especially vocal messages.
I am old fashion; I love my paper agenda and sticking notes on my wall. Cynthia is trying to convert me to Trello…no results for now.
What led you to join the FACC-NY community?
Last May, I had the opportunity to work remotely from NY.
I took a chance and contacted Polina to introduce myself. She invited me to a networking event the same day. I loved the atmosphere and really enjoyed talking to the attendees, sharing our experiences. Montreal and NY are not far away, and with the French touch on the top, that’s just the perfect mix ;-)
Thank you Christine!
