Inside CIGRE: Get to know our Central Office Team! 一 Part 3
In this mini-serie, meet the women and men working at CIGRE’s Central Office. Through a few questions, they share their roles, motivations, and a bit about themselves to help you get to know the people behind our association.
This month: Hakima, CIGRE brand and digital marketing manager & Ali, Assistant Accountant
Hakima Abdellaoui
CIGRE brand and digital marketing manager
What is your role within CIGRE, and what does your daily work involve?
Hakima: I am responsible for CIGRE’s brand and digital marketing. My daily work includes managing the maintenance and content of our website channels: cigre.org, session.cigre.org, and our marketing resources website as well as ensuring the proper use and consistency of the CIGRE brand across all platforms. Additionally, I manage the membership portal join.cigre.org, handle our social media presence, and coordinate CIGRE newsletters. These are my core responsibilities within the Central Office team.
What motivates you most in your work?
H.: Working for a non-profit organization that brings together passionate professionals from the power systems industry is incredibly rewarding. I am constantly inspired by the dedication and engagement of the CIGRE community, where experts collaborate to drive innovation and progress in the sector.
What recent project or mission has particularly stood out for you in your work?
H.: While not recent, one of the most exciting experiences for me was contributing to the development of the CIGRE brand. I had previously managed brand strategies, but being involved in shaping a brand ecosystem was a unique and fulfilling challenge. Another standout moment for me is the Paris Session, meeting the community in person after months of virtual exchanges makes it a truly special and enriching experience.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
H.: Outside of work, I love spending time with my family and loved ones. I also enjoy exercising, but one of my greatest passions is beekeeping. Being in contact with nature and producing my own honey brings me a deep sense of satisfaction and balance.
Ali Athoumani
Assistant Accountant
What is your role within CIGRE, and what does your daily work involve?
Ali: I initially joined the CIGRE teams on an occasional basis. I have been part of the CIGRE team since 2021 as an Accounting Assistant within the accounting, human resources, and administrative department.
I provide support for the association’s accounting and administrative tasks, particularly in processing and recording files, as well as organizing the biennial congress, assisting with administrative and logistical operations at the CIGRE Central Office and at the Session venue at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.
What motivates you the most in your work?
A.: Being an Accounting Assistant in an international organization, reporting to the heads of three different departments, requires daily, reliable accounting updates in compliance with French accounting standards. This is a highly enriching and evolving role that allows me to collaborate with my colleagues, suppliers, and clients to ensure that the association's annual accounts can be certified by the statutory auditor.
Can you share a memorable moment or anecdote since you started working at CIGRE?
A.: When I joined CIGRE, the world was facing an unprecedented health crisis (COVID-19), during which many organizations nearly shut down their activities.
CIGRE never missed a single working day thanks to the proper IT equipment and a versatile team, as well as a fully digitized accounting system, which allowed the entire staff to work remotely in an efficient and productive way.
Personally, I contributed operationally to the digitization of all accounting records, which resulted in a significant time-saving and facilitated remote working.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
A.: As a father of a large family, I enjoy spending quality time with my family through household activities, especially cooking together, helping the children with schoolwork, and watching football matches together in the evening.
I also like participating in socio-cultural events, particularly traditional dances, ceremonies, and musical shows. I enjoy taking my children to the library, biking with them in the Vincennes park, and traveling with my family.
The CIGRE Central Office Team
- Valérie Alidor & Marie Taillandier
- Sylvie Bourneuf & Marie-France Gauvin
- Hakima Abdellaoui & Ali Athoumani
Homepage thumbnail credit: A.I. generated image by Steph Meade on Lummi
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