Five months after François' career change, did this first ERA Group conference confirm or refute his choices? Read on to find out.
In mid-May 2024, ERA Group held its annual conference in Mallorca: a unique opportunity for these business leaders from across Europe and North America to learn from one another and celebrate the group’s growth together.
François Vanden Hende was among them. This Arts et Métiers engineer, who led international teams for 20 years at public-facing organizations, joined the ERA France network in late 2023. ERA’s methodology and expertise were not new to him, as he had seen them in action as a client while he was in his previous role. By choosing to switch sides to provide cost-optimization solutions himself, he seized a “tremendous opportunity to achieve ambitious goals with average double-digit savings for his clients,” in his own words.
Five months after this career change, did this first ERA Group conference confirm or disprove his choices?
He tells us here.
ERA Group: Hello François, can you share your first impressions of this event with us, and what “corporate culture” did you sense there?
François: What’s truly impressive when you find yourself among this gathering of business leaders—experts in so many fields—is their humility and their unwavering desire to collaborate. This mindset is certainly ingrained in the network’s DNA through the principle of pooling expertise to address a client’s challenges, but this conference was a striking demonstration of that for me.
As a new entrepreneur and franchisee, the support and mutual assistance extend beyond national borders, and this event was also an opportunity to forge new relationships and meet in person for the first time many contacts with whom my relationship had been purely virtual until now.
The conference thus confirmed that we are first and foremost a “Human Business,” as Fred Marfleet, the founder of ERA Group, puts it. The awards ceremony was also a very moving moment for me as a new partner: the model works, and success is within reach. What do all these winners have in common? Personal self-reflection and collaboration with the network.
ERA Group: What did these three days on-site bring you, both professionally and personally?
François: Professionally, these three days clearly recharged my motivation: the method works, the results are there for those who commit, and the network enables everyone to succeed!
This event allowed me—if I needed any further confirmation—to reaffirm my decision to take the risk of launching an entrepreneurial venture. I feel very privileged to be part of this adventure. And above all, what matters most to me are all the wonderful people I met during this experience—people who share the same goals and values as I do!
ERA Group: Finally, how do you see the coming months within the ERA Group?
François: I will continue the momentum I’ve been building since completing my ERA training, both as a specialist where exciting projects are already underway, and in developing new partnerships, which is much more challenging for me.
As Mark Taylor, our new CEO, reminded us, “Success is 1% inspiration, 98% perspiration, and 2% attention to detail.”
So, let’s get to it!…
