Senior Vice President, Product and Customer Success, Silverchair
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Please tell us a bit about yourself (e.g. hometown, current locale, course of study)
I grew up in the northeast region of France, and I moved to the US in 1998. I now live in Boston with my family and indeed, I don’t quite pronounce my “ahs” like a real Bostonian, but I still love it here. I have two young daughters in elementary school, which I’m pretty sure is the best age when everything is new and exciting to them. Back when I first moved to the US, I got my degree in Marketing for the University of Massachusetts in Boston and I’m currently back in (virtual) school to pursue an Executive MBA.
Describe some of your current responsibilities, and what type of organization you belong to.
I recently joined Silverchair as SVP of Product and Customer Success. I have crossed path my now colleagues for many years at various industry events, so it’s really fun to finally work with them every day. Their energy and dedication to offering the best platform, tools and services for scholarly and professional publishers is contagious. In this role, I get to bring together our customers’ needs and our roadmap, and I get to make sure we’re completely aligned with our industry’s trends.
What does a typical day in your current role look like?
Since I just started, there isn’t a typical day yet – although I don’t think I ever had a typical day in any of my jobs. I’m in full learning mode at the moment: meeting new colleagues, our clients, our partners, and thinking about what 2024 and beyond will look like.
What was your first scholarly publishing role? How did you get that job? What path led to your current position?
When I was at UMass Boston, I started to work in the Collections Development department at the University Library. This led to a full-time job after graduation, which eventually took me to Publishers Communications Group (PCG), where I worked on all sorts of sales and marketing projects on behalf of publishers. I later joined Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), where I spent the last 9 years. There too, I was working with publishers and partners, ensuring they were making the best of the many services CCC has to offer. I’m enjoying staying on the periphery of the publishing industry and working with various service providers, as I learn so much along the way and continuously meet innovative colleagues and clients.
If there was a pivotal moment or key person in your career development, please describe briefly.
I’ve been very fortunate to work with many colleagues I respect and admire, and who took the time to educate me along the way. The biggest impact on my network development though was when Janet Fisher (SSP Past President) introduced me to the then SSP Annual Meeting Program Committee co-chair and said “you should volunteer with this committee”. I had no idea at that point that saying yes to this prompt would lead me to volunteer on about 10 SSP committees and task forces, to serve as Board Member and Treasurer twice, and to meet so many incredible and dedicated individuals I’m lucky to call friends now.
What tools, web sites and organizations do you find most valuable for your career development?
The Scholarly Kitchen is a must read every day, but I also follow many organizations I’m interested in on social media. There are many short or in-depth newsletters out there, but recently I found myself poring over the Journalology from James Butcher every Sunday morning. I don’t know him yet, but his capture of the newest developments in our industry is very pertinent and relevant. And of course, the SSP website and Mentorship program have been great resources over the years.
What do you wish you knew more about?
AI! The more I read about it, the more I realize how little I still know. I would love a crystal ball to see how our industry has embraced it in 2028!
What advice would you give to people interested in a career in scholarly communications?
It’s an ever-changing industry full of opportunities, no matter what your strengths and interests are, there is a role for everyone. If you’re curious by nature, see improvement opportunities, like new challenges and meeting interesting people, this is a great industry. You’ll find that many of us ended up coming to this industry through a non-linear career path, which makes for a truly experienced and incredibly smart network. And finally, if someone suggests you could volunteer on a committee, go for it!
