Interview with Delphine de Clerck, president of Fédération des Femmes Cheffes d'Entreprises du Luxembourg

How do you make your mark in the professional world when you're a woman? On the eve of International Women's Rights Day, we talk to Delphine de Clerck, President of the Fédération des Femmes Cheffes d'Entreprise du Luxembourg, who tells us more about her career.

Dans le téléphone de Delphine de Clerck

Hello, my name is Delphine de Clerck. I'm first and foremost a professional coach. As a self-employed relocation consultant, I help people to settle in Luxembourg and these two jobs, among others, have enabled me to become President of the Fédération des Femmes Cheffes d'Entreprises du Luxembourg.

Tell us about your first telephone.

My first phone was a little Samsung and it was a lot of fun because it had a flap that you used to pick up the phone. As soon as you opened it, it had a very pretty shell: it was made of wood, burr walnut. So it was a really nice little item.

And now, team Android or team Apple?

I don't have a preference, so I really have no problem switching from one to the other.

What's your favourite app?

Well, my favourite app is WhatsApp. I have family and friends who are very spread out geographically. So I find it super handy for keeping in touch, keeping the link.

As President of the FFCEL, can you tell us more about your missions?

The Fédération des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprise du Luxembourg was founded back in 2004, so we're celebrating our 20th anniversary this year. Our main mission is to promote women by supporting the social and economic development of Luxembourg, and by encouraging and helping young female entrepreneurs to get started and continue their activities. Once they are established, we identify the training they need. But we're also about sharing best practice. These days, building a professional network also involves social networking.

What are the tips for building a solid network via these channels?

Social networks are very important these days. So I think you have to choose the social network that suits you best. Instagram, for example, might be less suitable for a business owner than LinkedIn, which is more professional. And I also think you have to select what you publish. Please, avoid anything that is an outpouring of your private life. Social networks are an incredibly powerful medium, but the downside is that they can be tainted or biased.

And if you had to name one inspirational and influential woman to follow, who would it be?

One woman who has really inspired me is Julie Becker, CEO of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. She has had an extraordinary and magnificent career. She is also the founder of what is known as the green exchange. She has been recognised as one of the top 100 economic influencers in Luxembourg. And to make matters worse, she is a member of our association.

You have a position of responsibility. How did you get there?

I started my career in food marketing. I worked as a product manager for the Pietercil Group. Then I became an entrepreneur. I took over shares in a company specialising in ironwork, but unfortunately this experience was a failure. I had to close the company. After that, I devoted myself to my family, as we moved from Belgium to Luxembourg. And it was this move that got me back into the job market in a more effective way, as my ex-husband and I took over a headhunting company. In that company, I had an administrative role, but also as a talent manager, because I'm SHL certified, which is a psychometric test. And I'm also certified as a professional coach or "accompagnant professionnel", which suits me better as a denomination. Then I set out on my own as a coach, and I added another area of support: I'm a consultant with Luxrelo for relocation, which means that we help people to move to Luxembourg.

As a mum and an executive, how do you balance family and professional life?

I'd say it's possible to combine the two. It's more complicated because you need to be accompanied by a husband or partner who's also willing to take on the responsibility of looking after the children and the day-to-day running of the business. And it's true that mums generally tend to take on a bit more. But I think it's feasible if you're very flexible.

Three advantages of gender diversity in the workplace?

Gender diversity is all the rage. It's all the talk, and I see three main advantages. The first advantage is a different point of view, a different approach. The second is that it generates greater creativity, which can lead to greater innovation. So we're in a much faster dynamic. The third advantage is that decisions are often more balanced and objective.

Finally, what advice would you give to a young woman looking to make a career for herself?

Open as many doors as possible, explore as many areas as possible, build up a wealth of experience that will enable her to pick up the things that interest her.

I'd like to thank Orange for the wonderful welcome I received. And to all the women and men: alone we are visible, or even perhaps invisible, and together we are invincible. And that's what's important.