Agnes Roupenel has taken every opportunity she has come across. “This led me very early to a management position,” she tells The Software Report. Every step of her career has been critical to her professional journey. In fact, she credits her past experiences in industries such as transport, logistics, e-commerce, retail, and recruitment with enabling her to become the leader she is today. “Working in different types of businesses has provided me with the opportunity to learn various and complementary skills,” Roupenel explains.
This vast experience has culminated in her latest role as the Vice President of Sales and Operations of Parcel Locker Solutions at Quadient, a global leader in tailor-made business solutions for the postal and parcel industry. Time has undoubtedly been on her side. Armed with over 14 years of management experience and almost 25 years of commercial experience, Roupenel is uniquely skilled in managing both sales teams and client relationships.
She joined the company in 2016 as the Manager of Parcel Lockers Solutions and was later promoted to Head of Sales and Marketing. In 2019, she was appointed as Vice President, a role she takes the utmost pride in. “I see [the promotion] as recognition from my company and my peers for all the work I’ve accomplished since joining the company in 2016,” she said. “I see it as an opportunity to be more empowered to make strategic decisions.” During her tenure at Quadient, Roupenel has developed the business of Parcel Lockers, which is a solution to optimize the delivery process for businesses and people who need to manage a growing volume of deliveries and returns.
Roupenel finds lessons on life underscored in L'Étranger, a 1942 novel by French author Albert Camus. She explains, “In order to live together, we invent laws and rules, respect, tolerance and altruism. Perhaps the underlying [lesson here] is that we need to develop human empathy and make laws as fair as possible.” Roupenel ties this novel on existentialism into her role as a manager. “I fundamentally believe in fairness, honesty and human values in my job. I’m convinced that empathy is one of the key skills of a good leader.”
These key differences are at the heart of what makes Roupenel an effective leader. As someone with a holistic approach to life, she never hides from her mistakes but is always eager to talk about and learn from them. She applies this humanity to her team who responds by giving their best in return. “Early in my career, I learned from my mistakes, which led me to adjust my work and not repeat them. I had time to learn to manage all sorts of personalities, ages, and backgrounds,” she said.
It comes as no surprise, that when asked about how and where she likes to switch off from work, she gestures at the world at large. “Everywhere and everything that allows me to be fully myself and escape,” she quips. “It can be through sport…or it can be art, like going to the theater or enjoying music. Family time also allows me to recharge my batteries.”
With Quadient, Roupenel highlights the accomplishments of her team as something she is particularly proud of. “I am proud of managing my team and maintaining our focus, of building a group of specialists and keeping them engaged, despite the changing and uncertain economy we have today,” she said. “We have a big challenge this year with the economic environment, and we will be able to overcome it as a team.”
