Camille Chevallier, Head of Communications in Europe at Hanson Search, recently spoke with Marc Chauchat, former CEO of Burson France, about leadership and his outlook on the sector over the next years.
My journey into the field was largely by chance. With a generalist background in business management, I, like many at the outset of their career, was uncertain about my direction. I began with a finance internship at a prominent CAC 40 company, and it was there that I discovered my true passion for communications, specifically financial communications. This discipline acted as a bridge between two worlds and perfectly aligned with my strengths and aspirations. Since then, I’ve been completely immersed in the sector.
At my core, I’ve always been an explorer, guided by intuition and seizing opportunities as they arise, rather than following a predetermined career path. My eclectic experiences across NGOs, in-house roles, advertising and international networks have provided me with a rich, multidisciplinary, and multicultural perspective. This journey ultimately paved the way to my role as CEO, leading me to keep on exploring! In this leadership position, managing a merger was a defining moment. It brought me the experience of aligning vision, culture and operations in order to create value and drive sustainable growth. I’m passionate about leading through transformation, ensuring that both the people and business thrive.
I call it the “non-daily daily.” You can have a plan on your agenda, but the day that arrives is usually nothing like the one you expected. I love the variety of challenges we face and the process of finding creative solutions for them. I always tell my teams that our job is amazing; we get up every morning to come up with ideas, and there is nothing more exciting than that.
It isn’t a common move to go from being the client back to the agency, but I wanted to see the other side of the mirror. That time spent in-house was an asset; it gave me political insight into how businesses operate and a deeper understanding of what drives a client’s expectations. Having lived it myself, I brought back a level of agility and perspective that is a real advantage in a consulting role.
Leadership, for me, is a dynamic, human journey. I’ve never sought to be someone I’m not. I remain true to myself, always present and empathetic with my team. Instead of following a fixed approach, I’ve drawn inspiration from the remarkable individuals and talents I’ve had the privilege of working with. My leadership style has been shaped and refined through these encounters, evolving into something personal and unique. To me, leadership is a live and ongoing process of growth and self-reflection.
This evolution is anchored in a few key personal traits. People often describe me as an ‘eternal optimist.’ I reject the notion of surrender; I firmly believe that within every challenge lies a path or an opportunity. This mindset is likely what fuels my passion for crisis management. I face challenges with resilience, a quality undoubtedly forged during my time as an infantry officer. I hold myself to high standards, aiming to inspire the same level of rigor and commitment in those around me, all while ensuring that people remain at the heart of our collective success.
I believe a true leader can perform in any environment, whether agency or in-house, provided they have three core qualities. The first is agility. In such an uncertain period, you must be able to question yourself, adjust and take risks to make progress.
The second is authenticity. It is about being true to your own culture and ensuring your words consistently translate into action. When you do what you say you are going to do, you provide the coherence and meaning that truly engages a team. Finally, there is the concept of authority. While it might sound outdated in our horizontal world, it isn’t about being authoritarian. It is about a natural, legitimate authority that sets the course and gives people the trust they need to get moving. The goal is to align that course with fairness, even when being “perfect” is impossible.
Communications is rising in value. It is establishing itself as a decisive asset by shifting reputation from something intangible to something tangible that serves growth. We are moving away from the erroneous perception of communications as a “commodity” and seeing departments and agencies become indispensable strategic partners to executive committees.
AI is obviously a disruptor here, presenting both risk and opportunity. But let’s be clear: AI won’t replace individuals; rather, it will be those who master the tool who move ahead. The challenge for organisations is to reinvent themselves and adopt these tools in a reasoned way. By freeing up time from functional tasks, and empowered by AI in decision making, we can focus on the strategic work and value creation that only human creativity can provide. The potential of AI is unlimited and will become a major area of reach and influence for brands and organizations being a key access to information sources. This is incredibly exciting!
Whether you’re hiring top Public Relations talent or considering your next career move, our team would be delighted to support you.
Camille Chevallier is Senior Consultant for Communications in Europe. Camille brings her in-depth knowledge of communications to the recruitment industry and works across marketing and communications sectors.
Hanson Search is a globally recognised, award-winning talent advisory and headhunting consultancy. Our expertise lies in building successful ventures worldwide through our recruitment, interim and executive search in communications, sustainability, public affairs and policy, digital marketing and sales.
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