« Le seul pays qui avait refusé ma nomination, c’est la France » : Les confidences amères de Tidjane Thiam
A guest on the YouTube channel Décrypter l'Afrique, Tidjane Thiam was asked about the difficulties Africans face in reaching the top of the hierarchy in large Western companies, despite their skills and the prestigious schools they attended. The president of the PDCI-RDA simply stated that he had made the same observation as everyone else. This "glass ceiling unfortunately exists." However, it is not impossible to break through it, emphasizes Tidjane Thiam.
"They'll never make you CEO. Come to us, you'll have a chance."
With courage and perseverance, you can achieve it. The politician cites his professional career as proof.
"I was in a company, AVIVA, where I would never have been CEO. I had managed to become head of Europe, which isn't bad. Besides, the only country that had refused my nomination was France. There were 15 European countries. In short, that's all ancient history. Extraordinary! Extraordinary!" said Mr. Thiam, shaking his head.
Fortune favors the competent, and a rival group of AVIVA, having noticed his qualities, called him. "He told me: 'Listen, we know you're very good, we know they'll never make you CEO. Come to us, you'll have a chance.' Thank God, we're in a market economy. And that was also the thought that led me to London. I said: 'I have to go into the Anglo-Saxon system, because there, performance counts,'" the international financier recounted.
"They can pinch their noses, forget that you're black."
He continues: "They say that (the Anglo-Saxons) love money, yes, but they love money so much that if you know how to make money for them, they will be able to hold their noses, forget that you are black and give you the job."
Commentaires (2)
Popov pathinvoh....la vie est dure...suffit de voir ce qu'a fait ton pays aux metis zinsou !!
A LA FIN DE MES ETUDES AU QUEBEC JE NE TROUVAIS PAS DE TRAVAIL DANS MON DOMAINE CHEZ LES FRANCOPHONES. IL A FALLU QUE J'AILLE EN ONTARIO CHEZ LES ANGLAIS POUR TROUVER DU TRAVAIL. LES ANGLOPHONES SONT PLUS PRAGMATIQUES ET MEME S'ILS SONT RACISTES ILS LE CACHENT ET VOUS EMBAUCHENT S'ILS SAVENT QUE VOUS POUVEZ LEUR APPORTER QUELQUE CHOSE. AU QUEBEC LORS D'UN ENTRETIEN LORSQUE JE SUIS ENTRE DANS LE BUREAU DU PATRON IL A SAUTE SUR SA CHAISE CAR IL NE S'ATTENDAIT PAS A VOIR UN NOIR. L'ENTRETIEN A DURE 5 MINUTES ALORS QUE J'AVAIS ETE PRE-SELECTIONNE PARMIS LES MEILLEURS AUX TESTS. IL M''A JUSTE DIT: C'EST VOUS? NON MERCI C'EST BON ON VOUS RAPPELLERA EET IL NE M'A JAMAIS RAPPELLE. FINALEMENT JE SUIS RENTRE AU SENEGAL ET J'AI TROUVE DU TRAVAIL AU BOUT DE 3 MOIS EN CDI DANS MON DOMAINE
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