Meet the Member: Thomas Cattiaux, US Account Manager, Soladis
In our latest Meet the Member feature, we spoke with Thomas Cattiaux, US Account Manager at Soladis.
Soladis is a study and statistical consulting company founded in 2000. Its business activities are divided into three major areas: Health, Industry and Research, Service and Marketing for a variety of customers, from SMEs to big multinational companies.
Keep reading to learn more about Soladis Group and Thomas’ experience as a member at the FACC.
FACC: Soladis Group is specialized in the management of data-related projects, working with major groups and small businesses both in France and internationally since 2000. You work in statistical methodology & data analysis, medical expertise & clinical management, digitalization & big data and more. How do you combine your joint role as data scientist, which is very technical, with your joint responsibility of business development? Are these two fields complimentary?
TC: I guess it may seem unnatural for a data scientist who has spent most of his career talking to a computer, going back to the real world and talking to real people! But even if these two fields may seem very far apart, they are indeed complimentary since the goal remains the same: to find reliable and effective solutions for our partners, both from a technical and commercial point of view.
At Soladis, our philosophy is to combine business and technical expertise, because our jobs are very technical, and we have to work with scientists who are looking for solutions tailored to their needs – and to their budgets. Having a knowledge of the technical possibilities in these first exchanges allows to define quickly and concretely the support that it is possible to set up and drastically accelerates the start of the project. This is even more true in our field of work, where beliefs and realities can be extremely distant.
FACC: What are your business operations for the North American market?
TC: We aim at developing Soladis on the North American West Coast, and particularly in the US (New York & Boston) and in Canada (Toronto & Montreal), a region in which many life sciences companies have developed their activities. After 20 years of existence in Europe, we have developed strong partnerships with companies that we want to pursue and nurture in North America. We also want to bring this experience and expertise around data to new clients.
In the end, a data expertise can be applied wherever data is! This targeted zone is filled with innovation-driven companies, most of our international clients are here and the region also schools data talents, it seems like a very good landing spot for us.
FACC: You’ve already been to three events hosted by the French-American Chamber of Commerce. Was there anything you particularly appreciated about them? I.e. the contacts you made, the content, the atmosphere etc.
TC: Events hosted by the FACC are diverse in terms of purpose, with contents that can be educational or purely networking. This allows meeting and connecting to many people from different backgrounds and fields in an always-friendly atmosphere. It also allows us to nurture on the experience of people who have successfully integrated into the US ecosystem.
And of course, with homesickness, meeting fellow compatriots around a glass of French wine is always enjoyable!
FACC: You are a Young Executive member (level available to professionals under 35 or with less than 10 years of experience). Why do you feel that it is important to network and be involved with a Chamber of Commerce at this point in your career?
TC: For business development purposes, it is sure important to grow your network in order to grow a business, and it also allows you to step outside your comfort zone and develop your communicating skills. But networking is not only a way to meet new people and new projects from a professional point of view, it also permits to open up to the world and new perspectives from a personal point of view. The FACC makes it possible to meet people who have an opening on the world and common characteristics, which make exchanges always rich and interesting. Also, it is a good way to share experiences about the local culture in terms of business and operational philosophy.
Interested in connecting with Thomas? Log into the FACC Member Directory to send him a message.
