Challenges take Eric across the Group

Tackling new challenges is one of Eric Beaudru’s passions – a passion that has led to him to several positions at companies across the Group.

Eric travels frequently between his office in France and different ASSA ABLOY locations and customer premises throughout Europe. As EMEA VP for Access Control, Eric, together with regional teams, is shaping up the EMEA Division to face future Access Control challenges.

Eric’s position was created at beginning of this year. He says the position is one more challenge to overcome following his former position as the market region manager for Iberia.

“Many of the moves I’ve made during my career have been motivated by the desire to be challenged,” he says. “I’m happiest when I face new ground. After three or four years in the same job, the passion erodes and I am ready for a new environment.”

Eric began his career as a firmware R&D engineer in Detroit, US. After one year, he decided to pursue a MBA at Tulane University in New Orleans, US. After several years working with accounting firm Arthur Andersen, in 1990, Eric joined the lock industry. Since then, he has worked with JPM, Laperche and Vachette. He left the company for one year to work with GEZE and then returned to the Group when called back to create Tesa Sécurité in France. Eric worked to develop this company for four years and then moved back to the French Group organization, working as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and managing director (MD) of JPM.  After three years, Eric returned to Spain to work as the region manager for Iberia before he moved to his current position.

Eric’s varied and challenging career has come with a price. He says that balancing his personal and professional life has been crucial for both his own well-being, and his family’s.

“If you want to pick the best challenges, you have to go to them because they won’t come to you,” he says. “You have to look for those challenges, whether it is working with new customers’ channels, getting more responsibilities in another factory or moving to a different country.”

Eric adds that overcoming challenges is rewarded with success:  “The recognition and trust you build with your customers and the respect you develop for one another is often an indicator of how successful you are. I think that in a Group like ASSA ABLOY, which is very customer-oriented, you cannot be successful if you do not understand that the customers are the drivers for the company. This understanding has been part of my life for many years.”