A propos
Marketa Famy
Yesterday : where I come from
He who does not know the past cannot understand the present and cannot build the future.
(Helmut Kohl)
As a German citizen, I grew up in the Black Forest, a region that is very dear to me. It was here that I completed my higher education and began my professional career. Having always had a "soft spot" for France, I moved to Paris in 1999 to specialize in the field of marketing and to work as a product manager and then marketing director for German industrial companies. The different experiences I have gained over the years have been very enriching.
From the collaboration between the subsidiaries in France and their German headquarters, I could draw several facts:
The requirements of the markets can be very different. An analysis of the needs as well as of the customers and distribution channels is indispensable and one must face the truth: What works in Germany does not necessarily succeed in France. In addition, there are many differences in communication, which is also reflected in the design of marketing campaigns, websites and social media communication. The subtleties of the language are often overlooked, which can have a significant impact on the brand image. So it's not enough to just translate the content!
I have therefore invested a lot of time and energy into understanding the requirements of local clients and markets in order to continuously adapt local marketing strategies.
Today: where I stand
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said : faster horses !
(Henry Ford)
Based on these observations and my practical experience as a Franco-German and international expert, I decided to put my know-how at the service of managers and marketing teams of SMEs. With a global approach including strategic and operational support, I offer you all the facets of an efficient 360° marketing to enable you to gain market shares in France and elsewhere. As a networker, I am of course a member of various professional organizations such as the DCFA ( French-German Digital Club) or the CBBC (Cross-Border-Business-Consultants).
Tomorrow: where I want to go
My goal is to promote cross-border cooperation between French and foreign companies. I want to support small and medium-sized companies, to help them take their first steps across the Rhine and to pave the way for their successful growth in France.
Let's develop your company's full potential and build bridges together!
Marketa Famy
Tom Hermann
A successful transformation requires a vision that inspires, a goal that fascinates and a message of change that touches people.
Yesterday: where I come from
Growing up in the East Belgian border region between Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, I have always seen intercultural diversity and knowledge of cultural specificities as an opportunity and live it every day.
After my A-levels, business studies with a focus on marketing and an apprenticeship as a stonemason followed by a master craftsman's certificate, I started working in technical sales. First in Belgium and Luxembourg, then for other companies in the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy, the USA and for over 10 years as plant manager and commercial manager of a German subsidiary in France.
On countless journeys I have built up international sales teams in companies, accompanied them on a long-term basis and developed an international customer base for high-quality, innovative and also technical products.
Today: where I stand
Open-minded, future-oriented and determined, I now accompany various international craft and production companies in strategy development, sustainable management development and change processes. As a corporate trainer (BDVT) and coach (INeKO), my projects today take me to Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Inspire, enthuse and motivate to define goals, look for solutions and develop people and projects. I have transferred this from my free time to my entire professional life and live it as a significant part of my professional passion.
"The success of our companies also depends on how we (re)discover each other, develop together and grow together and sustainably in an intercultural market and benefit from each other". My passion is your success.
Tomorrow: where I am going
What we need most in life is someone to spur us on to do what we are capable of.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
I have met many people in my life who have shaped me, guided me, supported me and given me clarity. As a coach, consultant and business trainer, I accompany people in change processes and help them to make their own decisions and find solutions.
And finally, as is so often the case, I have experienced that a door always opens somewhere and things always move on. And what seems negative at first glance can take a positive turn if we are willing to accept it and recognise and perceive our possibilities of influence.
As a stonemason, I assure you that "even with stones placed in your path, something beautiful can be built". I look forward to getting to know you and supporting you in shaping your future and that of your company.
It is not the strongest species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one that responds best to change.
Charles Darwin
Jean Liermann
Yesterday: where I come from
It always seems impossible until it's done.
Nelson Mendela
Originally from Alsace, I currently live and work in the Paris region; I have also lived and worked in Germany, Polynesia and the South West of France. Because of my origins, the international is in my genes!
It was therefore natural for me to pursue a master's degree in international business (ESCE Paris), followed by a second degree in marketing at ESSEC. At the beginning of my professional career, I created a company with two objectives: Importing and distributing German industrial construction products from Germany and export consulting for French SMEs wishing to export to German-speaking and Scandinavian countries.
I then worked mainly for large German and Swiss groups in the construction sector: Laufen Ostara, Grohe, Hansgrohe Geberit, Leica, Geze, Hoppe. In addition, we work for French, Belgian and Japanese companies. I am also very proud of having thought of and created new markets", such as dual controls for toilet flushes.
My responsibilities for more than 35 years? General management as general manager of the French subsidiaries and sometimes also as sales and marketing manager. In the early 2000s, I had the opportunity to gradually move into interim management and consulting. There I learned to be even more attentive to my clients, to be more agile and flexible, to understand more quickly and to offer them many solutions. I like diversity, I like to organize and tackle the problems and issues that are important to my clients.
Today : where I stand
Fertilizing the past by generating the future is the meaning of present.
F.Nietzche
I started 20 years ago after my first executive interim mission and have organized my career in such a way that I can now offer all my knowledge and technical skills in the development of new markets and new companies to those who wish to expand in France.
The long experience I have acquired in different German and Swiss groups allows me to be a bridge between you and the actors of your business story in the French market. Having experienced many situations, fulfilled all these missions and succeeded in reaching the set objectives, I am armed to accompany you and make you progress faster.
Today, I work as an interim manager and consultant for companies; and in addition to my great expertise in the construction sector (plumbing, hardware, tools, building chemistry, etc.), I have also tackled other fields since the beginning of my career: wine, luxury food products, luxury fashion, firefighting equipment, the entertainment industry, industrial refrigeration or professional cleaning services.
As you can see, I love and need diversity and action!
Tomorrow : where I want to go
Wherever you go, go with all your heart! (Buddha)
The future begins tomorrow! In the future, I want to continue to offer my services to different companies, but this time as a team! The choice to create "Viaduc" with complementary experts was logical!
Our strength lies in the team and the collaboration with specialists in many fields, who are also bicultural or who have been working for many years on an international level. We are complementary, we understand you and together we can solve your problems in our market.
My future or ours? We are here with you and for you!"
How we work
Provide you a global approach to answer complex questions
Building strong bridges to international markets goes beyond classic consultancy.
Above all, it is the opportunity for an encounter at eye level. As “business experts”, we find that there are very few companies for which we only deal with a single, clearly outlined topic. We think that companies are increasingly confronted with particular challenges for which there is no single solution.
The desire to grow through a cross-border project or international collaboration requires that the foundations and pillars to support this future bridge are all the stronger than if it were a national project. Many companies feel strong pressure to initiate changes, such as preparing for the future by expanding internationally. The topic of international strategy is therefore the right starting point. However, we usually realise very quickly that organisational development is also necessary, if not essential, so that the company can act quickly and flexibly to implement this very strategy in rapidly changing markets.
Linking business expertise and the human side
This is where the biggest challenge begins: the implementation, the deployment of your strategy! This is about avoiding important pitfalls and taking the right measures at the right time.
And very often we find that most problems are not on a technical level, but rather on a cultural level. For us, this means that we systematically and actively accompany managers or entire teams in this development.
Management coaching and joint training in the international team are particularly in demand here. Developing a common understanding in the team on how to lead the organisation across borders is part of supporting and learning and acting together. And this is exactly where the boundaries between classic consulting and our offer as an expert team for international affairs become blurred. In our opinion, this clearly shows what is important in good consulting: the ability to advise a company holistically!
Trust is the indispensable basis for successfull cooperation
Especially when developing and accompanying an international strategy, it is crucial to be able to act with experienced partners in a trustworthy manner.
Our way of providing this transversality is to broker solutions through specialised partners. In practice, we have found that it is no longer a question of offering an exuberant, generalised offer, but rather of understanding how the interplay of the different areas and themes works. And in such a way that the future bridge we build really holds! This is how we orchestrate your international expansion and know exactly where and when you need “specialists”.
That is why we have focused on family businesses and SMEs. In these environments we find our roots and the values we stand for. We know that this category of clients is usually looking for someone who, above all, can help them gain clarity and make decisions under uncertain conditions and in an environment with relatively or often unknown markets.
Pragmatism and tangible results
From our clients’ perspective, it is crucial to choose pragmatic approaches that fit their business model.
We are not interested in covering as many topics as possible in depth and exhaustively, but rather in developing concrete, tangible and implementable approaches to make the bridge stable and walkable. For this reason, we do not stop at the concept phase.
Our philosophy implies that we also get involved operationally in the implementation of your project. We accompany you in the search for your new business partners. We support and advise you concretely in negotiations and together we take the first step on the new bridge to be built.
It may be that the answer to a technical question cannot be found among the available members and profiles. In that case, we will involve our entire network of international partners and experts to effectively support you in all important questions of an internationally expanding entrepreneur.
One designated contact person for all your questions
For many companies – we experience this all too often – it is above all important to have a designated contact person to whom they can turn.
And even if they cannot always solve the problem themselves. We are not only professional advisors and companions, we also act in networks and know how to orchestrate our partners so that it works and runs smoothly for our clients.
Develop self-reliance
Our objective is to develop within the client himself the skills and contacts that will enable him to solve his own problems on an international market and thus become an actor of his own development.
We accompany them in this process. And for us, this is much more effective in the long run! We don’t work with our customers as mere service providers, but deal with them as equals, as partners.