Finding meaning in your career: the inspiring journey of Manon Grenier at Elior

Why did you choose the Business Engineering specialization? How has it been useful in your professional path, especially in CSR?

I chose this program because I wanted to one day train future managers capable of developing coherent and effective marketing and commercial strategies.

The master’s degree is strongly strategy-oriented while remaining focused on operational execution.

Although Paris School of Business does not yet offer a program fully dedicated to CSR, the school’s hands-on approach gave me a practical and concrete understanding of corporate social responsibility. Today, I combine this with creativity and marketing when implementing responsible solutions within our restaurants.

Were there any courses, projects, or professors that particularly stood out during your studies?

First and foremost: the fil rouge project we worked on during the Bachelor’s program!
This project consisted of creating a start-up from A to Z as a team in just a few months (financial plan, logo, company statutes, market research, field study, pitch, etc.).
I also remember attending major trade fairs and conferences organized with the school’s partners on future-oriented topics.

And of course, I remember professors and lecturers who had a real impact on me:
Mr. Menaud, Mr. Yahiaoui, Ms. Passerard, Ms. Partouche, Ms. Vartanian, Mr. Lanot, Ms. Cousin, and others. Their courses helped us structure our working methods with a focus on operational challenges, crisis management, pitching, technological innovation watch, field studies, company legal setup, negotiation techniques, and more.

These professors supported us throughout the program, taking the time to listen and guide us through the demanding rhythm of a work-study curriculum. That’s a real advantage, especially when you consider the mental shift required to go from student to apprentice within the same week, balancing corporate tasks and academic deadlines.

A work-study experience full of learning opportunities

You completed your work-study program at Elior as part of your master’s. How did that experience go? What did you learn from it?

My work-study experience as an Apprentice Area Manager at Elior Restauration was incredibly intense and full of responsibility and I loved it!

To give some context: Elior offers customized catering solutions and innovative restaurant concepts for corporate, education, and healthcare environments. The company focuses on offering good, healthy, and sustainable products in welcoming spaces, with services that adapt to changing lifestyles, combining culinary expertise and operational excellence.

The Area Manager’s role involves managing and supporting teams across a defined geographical area to ensure financial performance, contract execution, and client satisfaction, all while complying with internal procedures and legal standards.
In short, it’s a very comprehensive position that required me to learn everything from scratch and find my place.

I had no prior experience in the sector, but I was driven by a passion for cooking, well-being, health, and gastronomy.
I succeeded thanks to my former mentor, now colleague, Vincent Mongour, to whom I’m deeply grateful. He guided, challenged, and empowered me throughout those 15 months, and I sincerely thank him for that.

This experience strengthened my self-confidence, honed my time management and decision-making skills, and allowed me to develop essential leadership abilities:

I supervised, motivated, and challenged my teams, managed moments of doubt, urgency, and conflict, and learned to handle delicate conversations.
I also listened, supported, and helped my teams in the field, which built strong cohesion and mutual understanding.

I also gained knowledge of the strict quality, hygiene, and food safety standards specific to collective catering, much more demanding than in regular food service.
These sometimes complex situations helped me grow in adaptability, problem-solving, and empathy when managing unexpected challenges.

In short, working in the service industry means mastering customer satisfaction, building strong relationships with your teams and clients, and, above all, staying open and adaptable.

What types of projects are you currently leading, especially those related to responsible food?

I promote the local roots of our catering offer. While agricultural production in Île-de-France differs from southern France, it’s important to highlight regional producers, farms, and farmers who contribute to our local ecosystem.
We reference local farms to encourage short supply chains, collaborate with local authorities and other catering or distribution actors to reduce food’s carbon footprint, and raise awareness about sustainable agriculture and food waste reduction.

We also organize in-restaurant campaigns aligned with Elior’s “Aimer sa Terre” policy, built around four pillars:
Preserving resources, Feeding and serving sustainably, Cultivating talents and diversity, and Supporting a responsible economy.

Commitment, Vision, and Advice

How does your background in commercial strategy help you manage CSR projects today?

Corporate social responsibility is no longer optional, it must be naturally integrated into business operations.
Although I didn’t graduate from a CSR-focused program, I’m thrilled to be working in this field.

The Business Engineering master’s degree, based on a “learning by doing” approach, helped me strengthen two key areas:

• A managerial vision: essential for leading teams and aligning actions with client needs.
• A commercial vision: being curious, attentive, and able to identify and anticipate customer value creation.

Both skills were developed through Paris School of Business’s balance of theoretical knowledge and practical application.
CSR challenges align perfectly with my personal convictions. Moreover, my business background allows me to approach them with a creative and transformative perspective, helping shift existing models toward a more sustainable and virtuous future.