Interviews
Name: Gabrielle Puget
Qualifications: M.Sc (2015)
About: Gabrielle lives in Paris, France, is an avid sports fan and is very people oriented. She is President and founder of the Trinity College Dublin Alumni Society of Paris.
What career path have you taken since graduating from Trinity?
After graduating from Trinity with a degree in International Management, I worked for a couple of years auditing top companies across various industries in Ireland and France. I am now completing my chartered accountancy qualification and preparing to use those experiences for moving into the social impact investing industry.
What motivated you to set up the TCD Alumni Society of Paris?
Trinity is a lifelong journey and upon returning to France I felt very motivated to continue on with this extraordinary experience. However, arriving back in Paris in 2016, I discovered that there was no Trinity alumni community up and running. Along with two friends, Camille Maye and Sabine Borny, we established the Trinity College Dublin Alumni Society of Paris. We felt that the absence of a forum to nurture links between Trinity graduates living in France was a missed opportunity and wanted to rectify this. The aim is to build bridges between all Trinity graduates in France, from all generations, regardless of where their career path had led them to.
As well as bringing Trinity graduates together, the Society has also adopted a wider berth by promoting the reputation of Trinity in France and by also fostering links with other alumni associations, including other Irish, UK and French universities & Grandes Écoles.
Today, we are one of the most active Trinity branches in the world, with over 300 alumni and 10 events organised a year. This is a great achievement, particularly when you think that the Society was only set up two years ago.
How have you organised the society?
The Society is run by an executive committee made up of 11 Trinity graduates from a diverse range of nationalities and professional backgrounds:
- Fabien Aufrechter (2013)
- Conan Dalton (1993)
- Patricia Delaney (1990)
- Gráinne Dirwan (2006)
- David Doyle (1975)
- Niamh Farrell (2019)
- Quentin Fischer (2017)
- Louise Taylor Scott (2005)
Together as a committee, we work hard to organise new events and increase our visibility amongst Trinity graduates. We are always open to getting new committee members. This year HE Patricia O’Brien, Ambassador of Ireland to France, has accepted our invitation to become an Honorary President of the society. She is a Trinity graduate herself and we’re delighted to have her on board!
We run a mixture of networking, cultural and sporting, formal and informal events to suit all our members. We are constantly updating our website, tcdalumniparis.org, with upcoming activities and events and are always open to new event suggestions.
What is the benefit of joining an alumni group?
Graduating from Trinity marks the beginning of a new adventure in which the alumni network can play a key role. Joining an alumni group is a great way to meet new friends and provides great networking opportunities.
Networking is the lifeblood of most professions and is a great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone. I appreciate that this can be a challenge for most people! I regularly hear fellow alumni commenting that they don’t want to attend an event as they are afraid they will not know anyone however I always encourage others to come as they will be surprised of the number of people they meet. My top tips for networking are be curious, be authentic, be interested in other people rather trying to be interesting, ask for advice and be positive.
What is the biggest lesson you have learnt since forming an alumni group?
I think the key to having a great committee is to build a great team. Being president is not simply about giving instructions, but rather getting the best out of people. That means building a diverse team, one with a wide range of backgrounds and skills. At Trinity, I studied with people from all corners of the globe, and I have tried to create the same level of diversity in the executive committee.
I have taken the advice and lessons I learnt in Trinity and applied them to my career. One of the best pieces of advice given to me was by an entrepreneurship lecturer at Trinity. She always encourage us not to be afraid to lead, especially as woman.
What advice can you offer to graduates?
Whether you are 18 or 80 years old, work hard and get involved with the people who surround you, whether that is for your country, for your local community, at work, for your friends or your family. If you are committed in your life, you will be amazed of what life can bring you and where it can put you!