‘I kicked the CEO of Teleperformance out of his home,’ Corinne Schamber

Corinne Schamber recounts her remarkable career at Teleperformance, where she started more than thirty years ago. She has held almost every position there, eventually becoming Managing Director for French-speaking Africa in the French market.

When did you work at TP and what positions did you hold there?
I joined Teleperformance in 1992 as a tele-surveyor while I was a student. I was looking for a part-time job, and after three years at McDonald's, I thought it would be nice to try something new and get a taste of the world of telemarketing.

So I started as a researcher and then worked my way up the ladder. I think I've held just about every position in the company: trainer, production manager, centre director, director of operations for France, CEO of the Moroccan subsidiary that I had the opportunity to open, and now CEO for French-speaking Africa (FSM).

How did you get recruited there? What did you want to do initially? 
I simply responded to an advertisement, successfully completed the training, and off I went... Initially, I wanted to be a journalist!

Where were your offices? Who did you work with? 
I started my career at TP France, on Rue Firmin Gillot, at number 24 to be precise! That's important 😊. Gwenaelle Roussel taught me everything I know: her rigour, her professionalism, the rules of three, her customer service skills. I was also lucky enough to work with Patrick Dubreil, Sandrine Knellesen and Sandrine Fontaine over the years, who trusted me and helped me grow.

What made you decide to share your story?
The fact that Teleperformance is an extraordinary company, a human adventure, a company where we work hard because it is very demanding but so exciting and rewarding. I owe a lot to TP, both professionally and personally. I have been able to develop my professional and personal skills there. I believe that I have grown up alongside TP, and in a way, it has also shaped who I am.

What have you learned in the company about human relations, the use of technology, rigour in monitoring operations, monitoring performance and margins, and providing feedback to customers and your line managers?
I learned that you can only win as a team, that you can only progress if you help your teams progress. I learned humility, self-reflection, pushing myself beyond my limits, and resilience. But the most important thing, and without which you cannot succeed in this profession, is loving to help others and loving people. Technology is part of our daily lives, even more so today (I started my career with paper questionnaires and no computers, where we calculated gross margins per hour by hand!). The focus on results is very present at TP. We are trusted at every stage to be the boss of our own small business, and that starts with the position of supervisor! So yes, performance, transparency, profitability and the well-being of our employees are part of our DNA.

When did you learn this (significant stories, anecdotes), and from whom?
With Gwen, when we had to do turnover and MB projections, and she made me do rules of three! Since then, numbers have held no secrets for me 😊

Did you work directly with Daniel Julien or the other senior managers of the ‘historic’ TP team (Jacques Berrebi, Christophe Allard, Patrick Dubreil)?
My first meeting with Daniel Julien was quite epic: he came on a Saturday morning to 24 when I was working on a confidential study. Not knowing him and finding him pressing with his questions, I kindly asked him to leave the site and accompanied him to the door. I must admit that on Monday morning, I was given a good telling-off and, at the same time, congratulations. A telling-off because I had shown the CEO the door, and congratulations because, not knowing him, I hadn't answered any questions and had respected professional secrecy!
I was part of Patrick Dubreil's team. He was a memorable manager whom many employees remember.

Like many former TP executives, Corinne was marked by her experiences and what she learned at TP. In a few days, the company will be removed from the CAC 40, the Paris Stock Exchange's benchmark index. 

To find out what former Teleperformance employees have to say, read J'ai tant appris rue Firmin-Gillot. Order here.