Meet the Team:
Christelle, COO

“Meet the Team” is a blog series that features the different roles at Antidot/Fluid Topics. 

Today, we’re sitting down with Christelle, our Chief Operating Officer (COO), to discuss her role within our company.

Hi Christelle, could you introduce yourself?

I’m Christelle and I’m 52 years old. I’m originally from Brittany, but Lyon has become my adopted home for many years now.

I graduated from Polytech Grenoble in 1994 with a degree in Computer Engineering. I started my career at Infogrames and join the Antidot team in 2001. We were only 4 at the time. The company now has over 60 people.

I have a passion for horses which I’ve luckily passed on to my 3 children. I have competed at a national level and these days, I manage several riders and equestrian centers, in their development projects.

For those who aren’t familiar with this role, what are the main tasks of a COO?

My role is fairly atypical. My job is diverse and varied – that’s what I love about it!

I am, first and foremost, responsible for the operations across the company, ensuring among other things that both our clients and employees are happy. I oversee all operational tasks, professional services, customer success, HR, and whatever else needs to be done for the company to run smoothly.

I’m charged with getting the team to build and maintain trusting relationships with key customers, clients, partners, and stakeholders. My role involves a lot of moving parts and facilitating other people’s work. I make sure the team can navigate or overcome the challenges that they may face.

Ultimately, I’m accountable for the successful launch of our projects and the success of our people.

Tell us about a typical working day…

Because I wear a few different hats, there is no typical day at Antidot/Fluid Topics. However, here is a snapshot of some of my tasks:

• Status checks with Sales, Marketing, Product, Customer Success and Professional Services
• Meet with the executive team for updates
• Meet with our suppliers to find ways to increase our productivity
• Interview candidates (we have many open positions)
• Review strategy documents
• Monitor accounting

One of my favorite and most recent tasks was organizing our first team-building event in 5 years!

What are you the most proud of?

My children of course!

As a COO, I’m proud to see how our business has turned out. The median tenure at our company is 6,7 years, meaning that our employees stay twice as much as the national average. Who wouldn’t be proud?

Personally, after 20 years, I still wake up excited and inspired to go to work.

What do you like to do in your free time?

As mentioned earlier, I love horses. I’m currently managing an equestrian center near Lyon.

On the weekends, I tend to my vegetable garden! I love growing my own fruits and veggies.

Can you tell us something unique about yourself?

I started a business for luxury linens for children. It was called Linotte. My own children did some modeling for several magazines.

Thank you Christelle! It was great chatting with you!