Forever a Normalien

Founding Partner of Beyond Solutions, Jérôme Laurre (Class of 1985 in Economics and Management) has been the President of the Alumni Association of ENS Paris-Saclay for five years. Deeply committed to his alma mater, he consistently advocates for the quality of its education and the value of its graduates. He also explains why he encourages alumni to get involved with the future generations of ENS Paris-Saclay.

Excellence, curiosity, and interdisciplinary skills: the foundation of qualities for a normalienne or normalien remains unchanged. Jérôme Laurre emphasizes, 'When ENS Paris-Saclay selects you, it's not just because you are the best at exams; it's because you have the right profile. It is one of the few schools worldwide that identifies individuals with a 'research' mindset, capable of providing a framework for an as yet unknown or understudied field.'

Normalien for life 

The normalien's brain never disconnects! This holds true for all researchers, but ‘normaliens are identified at this level five years earlier than other students’, notes Jérôme. They are particularly suited for environments where they need to integrate an incalculable amount of fragmented information from different areas of expertise. Jérôme still leverages these atypical skills today to lead his company. He explains, 'We, normaliens, all proceed in the same way: specifying working hypotheses, identifying the best solutions for the situation, and defining the implementation specifications by fields of expertise.'

Finding the (right) place 

However, it is essential that companies, especially French ones, recognize normaliens at their true value. Jérôme, with an international perspective in the finance sector, observes marked differences in the appreciation of research-trained graduates between French and Anglo-Saxon leaders. He laments, 'In France, we struggle to appreciate a researcher at their true value, negatively impacting the country's soft power. After the initial 'wow' effect, integrating a normalien into a French private or public company becomes challenging.'

As a consequence, Jérôme advises future graduates to anticipate their recruitment after leaving the school. He suggests, 'While ENS Paris-Saclay is indeed the only school in the world that allows you to answer any question on any subject, it is up to you to propose and illustrate what you can bring to the entity that will hire you, as they will not perceive it immediately.' He recalls writing a note to Société Générale in the past, explaining the challenges it faced in becoming a leading investment bank in the United States. 'Essentially, I said: here is my understanding of the problem, here are the assumptions, here are my solutions. And I got hired.'

Giving back a bit of what you received 

Beyond his role as the President of the ENS Alumni Association, Jérôme has become a patron of the school's 'Women in Science' program. He states, 'If we wish to recruit more women in engineering positions in the long term, we must convince younger girls that they have a place in scientific paths. I deeply believe in equity. Nothing is more unbearable than self-censorship.' He encourages other alumni to get involved as well, saying, 'If every normalien believes that their education had a major impact on their life path, they must realize that they have become a vector of ENS Paris-Saclay's influence. Supporting the school today allows it to undertake various actions beyond the strictly defined scope of its public budget. All additional projects are means to help the school raise its colors higher and louder,' concludes Jérôme Laurre.

Women in Science program