Often presented as the obvious successor to the « Maison Boudier »,Claire Verdin Battault has her heart set in Burgundy but has also got her eyes set on the rest of the world and on the important markets for the liqueur-maker.
Who could complain about that?:year after year, Claire Verdin Battault – Jean’s daughter and niece of Yves and François – has built a solid reputation in the ever competitive world ofliqueur-makers. This young mother of two has shown a trueknow-how in her family’s company which has spanned four generations. She even took over as Head of Marketing and Sales as well as Human Resources.
Claire’s heart is set in Burgundy, but her eyes are set on the international markets. This is logical as her company exports to seventy different countries. English then,is mandatory: “Along with my colleagues” says Claire,“we do not go a single day without speaking English to our clients whether they be English-speakers or German or Japanese. It’s definitely the language of Business.”
That doesn’t go without some difficulties: “As childrenwe were very lucky to travel often with our parents, which obviously forced us to speak English at a very young age. That has become part of our family culture.” Her studies at ESC “also helped me carry out internships in English-speaking countries as Australia and in and in New York, which helped me to perfect my English.”
International Business
As one might expect, Claire’s English is very good even if she remains modest about this. Being a perfectionist, Claire has chosen to take English lessons at Wall Street English in Dijon. And she adds: “I speak the language well even though I don’t consider myself to be fluent in it.The classes help me to improve my English, while allowing me to gain self-confidence, increase my vocabulary range and acquire all of the nuances of the English language. That is what keeps you from having any misunderstandings during important meetings.” Her knowledge of the international markets allows Claire to compare the different business approaches according to the country, most notably with Great Britain who is the company’s second biggest market:“Clearly, there are differences. The British are very professional and especially, very pragmatic. It’s truly a pleasure to work with them.” It’s a really important market for Claire as Boudier is the leader. “We’ve got a lot of competition over there that is why it is important for us to improve our relations with our Anglo-Saxon partners who are very into cocktails.
As this is a developing trend in France, our experience in working with the British in this domain is a great opportunity for us to continue to increase turnover in our own country.”
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“For students, it is really important for them not to do their internships in France. It’s by being fully immersed in an Anglo-Saxon country, preferably, that we force ourselves to communicate in English. For those who do not have the opportunity to travel abroad, they must seek professionals such as those from Wall Street English, who have methods that are well adapted to all different levels.”
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Deux solutions : découvrez l’interview traduite sur www.femmesenbourgogne.com ou contactez les équipes de Wall Street English.
Wall Street English
Numéro 1 des cours d’anglais pour tous Maison des Entreprises
8 allée André-Bourland
21000 Dijon
Tél. : 03 80 30 17 77www.wallstreetenglish.fr
