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“You must always dare, not submit.”
She has made it her principle to never shy away from new positions or challenges, to the point of now taking over the reins of Wit, a beautiful Nice-based SME where she has made her career.
It's on the edge of the expressway in Nice that the Witians and Witiennes are busy in the "Whome," the name they give to their building. At their head is a go-getter, Fabienne Gastaud, who arrived 33 years ago. "I've never experienced gender inequality in my company, where I was trusted. I arrived as a technical editor after training as an electronics engineer and attending business school. I was then appointed CEO and I recently assumed the presidency because the founder of Wit, Georges Duffau, wanted to hand over the company and gradually handed over operational responsibility to me. I'm an officer of the National Order of Merit, I take the spotlight, he could have been offended, but no, he understood that it added value to his company," says Fabienne Gastaud.
With the company boasting 25% growth by 2024, investors flocked to the company: "We're in the energy savings business, so the project was obviously attractive; we ticked all the boxes. I was able to meet with around thirty funds and opt for a structure on a human scale. Our capital is now held by the LTC fund, BPI, myself, Georges Duffau, our four directors, and a company that brings together all the employees who wanted to invest, which is more than half."
“Everything happened naturally.”
“When I took over the company, I went to the teams department by department, asking them what they thought of the project, what might scare them, and their feelings, with the aim of creating a word cloud without jargon,” explains the manager. Cultivating a family spirit, Fabienne also focuses on innovation in her roadmap, with new generations of AI-based solutions. “I have never given up anything between professional and personal life, because I have been lucky to be well supported. I am a municipal councilor in La Sagne, a small hamlet of 25 people, where I recharge my batteries. I love my region, which I represent at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. And what I am very proud of is being vice-president of Soroptimist, an NGO created in 1924, which promotes female leadership and fights against violence against women.” I lead the mentoring there and if my journey can inspire young girls, sometimes from disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue technical studies, it will be a success.
White
Rewarded in 2008 for its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, Wit celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. "Our niche is not growth at all costs, selling and installing things cowboy-style at the drop of a hat, but rather adopting a sustainable approach. Our building management solutions have a real impact on their carbon footprint, by improving their energy performance through intelligent management," explains the manager. Whether for schools, industries, hospitals or supermarkets, Wit provides BXNUMXB solutions to identify malfunctions and reduce consumption, while guaranteeing safety and well-being (measuring CO2, heating regulation based on occupancy, weather, load shedding and reduction of consumption).
