Valérie Béraud’s work with the "Elles Bougent" association

From agribusiness to aeronautics

After completing a degree in food engineering, Valérie began her career in research and development for a chocolate production company. Despite her penchant for chocolate, she has always been attracted by the innovative aspect of the methods used in the aeronautics sector. In 2010 she started a part-time Specialized Master’s degree in Safety and Risk Management at the Campus d’Enseignement Supérieur et de Formation Professionnelle (CESI) engineering school. “Going back to school was a real challenge and it enabled me to join Safran as a temporary employee following my training. This is a source of great pride for me.”

In 2013, she was recruited by Safran Engineering Services to lead a project as a Quality Manager for RRTM. Since 2017, she has been providing design approval monitoring services for Safran Helicopter Engines.

From engineering to the Elles Bougent association

For the past four years, Valérie has been an Elles Bougent sponsor. “I got to know the association through the meetings I had during my work at customer sites.” Being a sponsor means devising various initiatives for the promotion of technical professions among women. “Women are very reluctant to get involved in these sectors, which are often seen as ‘for men.’ These preconceived notions need to change,” says Valérie.

The main aim of Elles Bougent is to boost diversity in companies within the industrial and technological sectors. To this end, the association organizes events that bring young girls into contact with scientific and technical professions and is active in arranging visits by female sponsors to schools. “Meeting young girls in middle and high schools to convince them that they have the right to work in technical positions is something that I see as an obvious thing for me to do.”

She is strongly supported in this commitment by her manager, André Ninet, who is very focused on this issue. “What Valérie is doing is an example; it is necessary if we are to attract more young girls into our professions and thus enlarge the pool of talent. Passionate about her work, Valérie is active in forging links with educational programs, but she also develops relationships with other professionals during these visits and this allows us to further expand our activities. Lastly, Safran’s involvement in the ‘Elles Bougent’ network provides a supportive environment for her attendance at a number of events each year,” says André, Head of Production Engineering Support for the Southwest of France.

“We are witnessing a real change in mentalities and institutions are becoming more and more aware of the importance of what we are doing.” Whether in terms of visiting and raising awareness in the classroom or simply talking with students, the association needs new people to meet the demand. A really broad and diverse cross-section of technical and scientific backgrounds would allow students to get a clearer picture. “The goal is to reach as many schools as possible, and for that we need motivated sponsors,” says Valérie.

ellesbougent.com