Airport project manager
I joined setec in 2017 as an airport engineer, after 4 years of expertise in project management.
I liked the fact that the offices were right in the heart of Paris, with dynamic, multidisciplinary teams where expertise is easily passed on.
My greatest source of pride is the Antananarivo airport project in Madagascar, which setec international supervised for 8 years and where I personally spent 4 years on the project. It was technically a very difficult project, but it was also a genuine human adventure. We witnessed a whole town being built around the airport, where we had to start from scratch, bringing in the necessary networks, public debates, passing on the expertise so that the project would come together. It was very satisfying to see it through to completion and to deliver the finished product to the client.
I feel as though I’m working for a company that is committed to energy transition. In my opinion, this is a real added value. We need engineering where people advise on doing less with more!
A long-lasting and festive anniversary
In June 2022, setec international celebrated their 50th anniversary. For the occasion, employees from all our offices, (Bordeaux, La Réunion, Lyon, Paris, Vitrolles, Tunis) gathered for two days together in the Camargue region, South of France, to rediscover the origins of the company and the founding values conveyed by the company’s former directors, who were present for the occasion.
Thibaut Lepingle and Marc Ollivier, the General Directors of inter, reminded the participants of the extent to which the spirit of adventure, passion, daring and solidarity had enabled the company to become a key player in the largest infrastructure projects in France and abroad. This remarkable growth in recent years has encouraged us to aim for even wider international deployment and an increasingly virtuous and responsible positioning in terms of both society and the environment.
These two days of festivities also included a sustainable village of temporary tents (and showers!), a memorable evening, a talk by Marc Lièvremont on the values setec shares with the rugby world, and a spectacular cardboard car race.
In other words, a wonderful time shared together.
Career development
I trained as a hydraulic engineer. After a spell in New Zealand, I joined the hydraulics department in Vitrolles, where I initially worked on hydraulic studies for transport infrastructure drainage for 5 years, before moving on to project management.
But in 15 years at setec international, I’ve worked on projects for virtually every division! I’ve worked on road, rail, urban and airport projects. Some are located in France, many internationally, some are huge, some more modest. I’ve been a project manager, an assistant to the project owner and a multi-task project manager.
What motivates me today is the adaptation of infrastructure to climate change. Around the world, from the Solomon Islands to Uganda, from Argentina to Chad, my ambition is to ensure that these issues are integrated into the design of every project and to help change attitudes on this subject.
I like having the opportunity to develop, and setec inter really allows me to do that. If you have ideas, if you want to develop anything, we’ll always be there to support you.
Chief Engineer
Learning and transmission
BIM designer
I went back to school relatively late. I had originally studied art!
After gaining my technical diploma and my professional degree, I started with a work placement at setec inter in Vitrolles After 15 days, the Brittany Loire Valley High Speed Line project got under way, and my work placement turned into a job as a draughtsperson. I stayed there for 4 years.
Since then, my job has evolved considerably, with the development of digital models and BIM. I’m doing less and less production, but more modelling, which is what I like.
I’m still learning and that is what motivates me. I studied English to work on HS2 in the UK, but above all I studied graphics software, which allows me to work in all areas of design.
What I like is the team spirit here. We find solutions together, we support each other. My new challenge is to support young people, train them and listen to their ideas.
The pioneering spirit
Gaining a wide range of experience, learning to be independent
“I joined setec in 1972, as an engineer for international projects, and I have spent my entire career working on projects outside of France, namely in the Ivory Coast, Algeria, Benin, Libya, etc. The most significant experience for me was in Iran, where I worked as a project manager, with 550km of motorway to study! While abroad we met other cultures and often established very meaningful human relationships with our partners: I learned a lot. On our projects abroad, the financial margin was smaller than in France, but these projects, where we had direct contact with the decision-makers, gave our engineers a great deal of autonomy and extended their skills, allowing them to take on greater responsibilities. Finally, during the scouting field trips, it was an exciting adventure: travelling on horseback, sleeping on the road or in the homes of local people…. This irreplaceable experience was beneficial for the whole group».
Jean-François Bellosta
Former Director of setec international
The worksite: a rewarding experience
I joined setec international in 2013, based in the Bordeaux branch.
With my general engineering background, I initially studied road and rail projects. I soon had the opportunity to go out on site, first to help and then to follow up on projects I had supervised during the study phase.
The construction site, understandably a scary place to be, is a dense and fast-paced environment. It’s often a challenge, like the A660 motorway that I followed on my own, but it was an investment that I chose, that was within my timeframe, and I knew I was capable of doing it.
I play amateur rugby at a good level, so it was important to be able to reconcile this aspect of my life with the long journeys involved in following up construction sites.
When I go back to the study phase, I realise that my experience in the field has brought a great deal to me. It means that I can manage teams today and take on other large-scale projects tomorrow.
Design and construction management
Become an engineer at setec
Principal Engineer
I joined setec in 2005 as a draughtsman, with training and experience mainly in the industrial sector. So, nothing in the world predicted that I would spend almost 20 years of my life working for an engineering company!
Over the years, what I remember and what has shaped my career is the opportunities I have been offered: the company trusted me, and little by little I was given assignments with more and more responsibility.
I have been involved in studies at various stages, sometimes continuing into the construction phase. These were mainly major motorway projects, but also rail and port projects. At setec international, the possibilities are endless, and in the end the only obstacle is yourself. With the right resources, you can achieve anything you set your mind to!
Throughout my career, I’ve come across a number of wonderful people who have helped me along the way. This reflects a real team spirit within setec. What motivates me today is being able to help and support teams, train them and discover new projects.
