O2 Career: meet Emilie, VP growth and transformation

Emilie is Vice-President of Growth and Transformation at O2 Commerce, and this year she’s celebrating 10 years with the agency. From project manager to Vice President of a company with nearly 100 employees, discover her rich career path at O2!

1. What made you decide to join O2 Commerce?

I have a rather atypical background, coming from the creative and artistic world. But I’ve always been interested in management, marketing and customer relations. So it was natural for me to go into the web world! 

I started my career as a data analyst for government sites and learned a lot about user experience, customer experience and online marketing. I could really see the impact and results of my recommendations. 

I had a desire to go further and work for a comprehensive, diverse and interesting portfolio of clients, which is what prompted me to apply to O2 Commerce. I’d heard a lot about its creative and collaborative workspace, internal culture and various initiatives, which completely resonated with me. 

At the time, we were a small agency with a single office in Quebec City. I’m quite proud to say that I’m employee number 14 when I see that there are now almost a hundred of us!

2. What has your experience been like at O2?

I started out in the agency as a project manager, where I learned a lot from the development teams, in terms of project management, strategy, user experience and customer relations. What I liked most was working on projects that were creative, stimulating and above all innovative: I was able to take part in the first transactional platform projects involving the implementation of new technologies. 

Over time, my knowledge of strategy, analytics and marketing enabled me to become a reference for our customers, and eventually I was given the opportunity to set up, develop and manage a team dedicated to strategy for our customers: a great challenge!

Later, I was offered the chance to use my skills, this time for the agency’s internal development. As the company grew, the need for leadership and strategic planning evolved, and a new position was created: VP Growth and Transformation.

3. What do you like the most about working at O2?

Having fun, embracing challenges, taking ownership, being autonomous, allowing for flexibility, experiencing freedom of action and the right to make mistakes have always been the elements that have made the difference in my career and that keep me giving my all every day at O2. 

I’m also convinced that the people around us forge our success, and they make the difference. With the agency’s growth and the challenges we’ve faced as a team, our DNA has remained the same, and our values guide many of our decisions. The autonomy, flexibility, trust, leadership style, people and daily sense of purpose that emanate from my work are all things I love about O2.

4. What is your best memory to date?

Certainly the many T-Pains and “La Retraite”, unique moments that have become the traditional team gatherings every summer (T-Pain) and winter (La Retraite). 

Today, I realize the power of having been part of the nucleus and creation of the early beginnings of the O2 DNA. I think our first “big” retraite remains one of my fondest memories. Firstly, because we were all proud to be able to afford something “bigger”. To give ourselves a reward that represented the fruit of all our hard work! A well-deserved collective moment.

They’re my best memories because, for me, they represent our culture: that of taking time out to celebrate, or simply to relax, get to know each other and have fun together!

5. How would you describe your leadership style?

I’d say my leadership style is to bring people together and highlight their strengths.  Over time, I’ve learned to give my team members visibility, to know how to direct them, to give them the right context so that each of them can make the right decisions. I challenge them and push them towards the right goals, developing their autonomy and ownership! I’m a team player, and at O2, we tend to emphasize the “We” rather than the “I”. 

Growing together, working on initiatives as a team and making sure we move forward hand in hand, I’d say that’s my leadership style. My daily mission is to create a working climate that leaves room for everyone’s creativity and ideas.

Are you interested in joining the O2 team? Visit our Career page to learn more about our values and benefits.