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At PUMA’s Annual General Meeting, Fiona May and Héloïse Temple-Boyer were elected into PUMA’s Supervisory Board replacing Jean-Marc Duplaix, Chief Financial Officer of Kering S.A. and Béatrice Lazat, Senior Vice-President Human Resources of Kering S.A.
Héloïse Temple-Boyer is Deputy General Manager of ARTÉMIS S.A.S. and graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, from the École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales and from the Harvard Business School.
Fiona May brings a sporty component to the Supervisory Board: The former track and field athlete competed in the long jump. She is a two-times World Champion and won two Olympic silver medals. Fiona May now works as an Independent Management Consultant and holds an Executive Master in Sports Governance from the University of Limoges.
In order for you to get to know the two new Supervisory Board Members, we’ve asked them about female influence among the Supervisory Board, about their personal secret to success, their principles and much more:
How do you envisage your role on the Supervisory Board?
Fiona: I envisage my role as an essential link between the athletes (assets) and the Board. It is crucial that an Athlete feels that he or she is a necessary investment for the company.
Héloïse: Since 1992, Artemis has been supporting many companies in various sectors, in sometimes competitive and challenging environments. This is what we mean by acting as professional shareholders: helping managers grow the companies they run in any possible way, yet never running these companies in their place. I am motivated to contribute as I’m enthusiastic about the vision conveyed by the management.
How do you think female influence among the PUMA Supervisory Board is going to impact decisions?
Fiona: The female influence among the PUMA Supervisory Board will make an impact in a very positive way. PUMA has many female assets, and finally, they are represented in a way that will make a significant impact on the female market. This market is growing, and PUMA sees to take advantage of women’s increased spending power.
Héloïse: As women, we have a slightly different way of thinking. Bringing this difference – or any alternative thinking actually – to the Supervisory Board can contribute to broadening the perspectives and mitigating the risks.
What does success mean for you?
Fiona: Success means to me success of my personal achievements. I have a tendency of pushing myself, the need to break barriers, thanks to my athletics background. When I feel happy and satisfied inside.
Héloïse: A balanced way of life: engaging in a professional project bigger than you, while remaining available for the people you love.
What is your personal secret to success?
Fiona: I am always persistent!!!!!
Héloïse: Knowing how to work in teams (especially in a multicultural setting): true success cannot be a lonesome experience!
What do you appreciate most about yourself?
Fiona: I can never resist a challenge.
Héloïse: I always remain true to my principles and values, even if it costs me something. On the long run, I believe that it is the only path.
What are your principles?
Fiona: I never think that I am less or more than the next person. Being true to myself. Being honest. Always forgive, it’s one of the hardest things to do, but we’re only harming ourselves if we hold onto grudges or anger.
Héloïse: Always speak out sincerely, always uphold my responsibilities. If I need to delegate a task, I do so only if I could perform it myself. If not, then I do it myself and delegate the next time. We are here to learn and improve. Every moment in life is an opportunity to do so.
What was your biggest achievement?
Fiona: If I were asked 10 years ago, then I would’ve said my two Olympic silver medals. Now, my most significant achievement would be getting my Executive Masters while preparing for my debut in Theatre last year.
Héloïse: A fencing tournament (in a team): We won against Scotland despite my severely strained ankle. When it was my turn, I couldn’t move my legs, could rely on my arm only and had to let my adversary come really close before being able to strike back. Very instructive. My key driver was to not let my team down!
You are on your own in a city you do not know. How do you spend your evening?
Fiona: I think I would look for a quaint restaurant that only the locals go to.
Héloïse: I go for a walk to feel the city and if I have a friend there, I meet with her/him. Thanks to my previous studies in an international environment, I almost always have a friend, or a friend of a friend, to spend some time with in a foreign city.
Your favorite pastime?
Fiona: When I have the time, I love to do DIY around the house. I love doing projects around the house. At the moment I’m planning in improving my youngest daughters wardrobe.
Héloïse: Spending time with my 4-year-old daughter and seeing the world through her eyes, even for a brief moment!
Which character from literature can you identify with most?
Fiona: A mixture of 2 personalities. In classic literature, Lizzie Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. She was determined, true to herself and trying to be independent in a time where a woman had to marry and was not considered smart. In modern literature, Lisbeth Sander in The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, the modern-day heroine. She proves that being not perfect is a decisive factor in life.
Héloïse: The poet in the Divine Comedy: he sees the best in human souls, he is also forced to see the worst, and a lot of it, to the point where he is frightened at times. But he never loses hope.