Matthieu Lourme – Director of Careers and CSR at Astek, discusses CSR issues for us and exclusively reveals the Group’s next major projects on this subject.
Who is Matthieu Lourme?
Matthieu Lourme has a professional career marked by a multitude of experiences which have led him to travel a lot and to enrich himself through contact with others; a key element of its vision which advocates the richness of differences: « we open our minds much more to cultivate difference and complementarity, rather than mimicry.
I am an agricultural engineer. I took advantage of my studies to discover the world, particularly Africa where I did my national service. After a few years in the agro-industry, I joined the world of IT service companies as a Business Manager. I learned and shared a lot through these experiences. However, there was one string missing from my bow: that of entrepreneurship. This is why I wanted to start a business 5 years ago and why I co-founded a natural cosmetics brand. Finally, after 20 years, I realize that my common thread, my leitmotif, has always been to work together to make things happen. »
Today, as Director of Careers and CSR at Astek but also in charge of the People & Culture, he keeps on improving the commitments and values of the company as well as the talents within, in a virtuous approach.
Why CSR?
It’s often said that there are two categories of people: those who offer solutions and those who find excuses. I moved towards CSR because I firmly believe in the path of sustainable development. I think that there is nothing inavoidable in this area and that we can all find solutions together to create value by working towards this balance.
It is an exciting challenge too often summarized as the fight against global warming whether, although it is a major issue, it is not the only one. Indeed, CSR is the subtle balance between economic growth, human development and the environmental impact of the company. In my opinion, CSR is above all about making everyone aware that they are an actor of change because it is the sum of everyone’s efforts that will allow real progress. It is not the business of one man or one department.
What does CSR represent at Astek?
Like any player in the economy, the Astek Group has long been aware of its social, societal and environmental responsibility. Within the Group, our philosophy is that CSR must be infused everywhere and at all levels, because it must be at the heart of our operation. CSR actions must be carried out by all departments so that this is well distilled into all actions and processes. However, it is important that CSR becomes even more embodied within the Group. My role is therefore to define priorities and of course to coordinate the implementation of our CSR commitments by relying on all the Group’s skills (HR, Quality, Legal, Purchasing, Communication, R&D, etc.) because This concerns us all and only collective work can lead to change. We worked on 10 major commitments spread over 4 themes: governance, social, environment and societal.
Each commitment is supported by an action plan with objectives and target years. These action plans are validated then evaluated with and by a certain number of stakeholders, such as our customers, non-governmental organizations or even certification bodies.
Our priorities are defined by our 10 commitments. Among them, two major projects stand out and will be the front runners in the years to come:
- Making Astek a career springboard for everyone
- Inclusion, support for young graduates
- Development of human potential
- Promote green IT and responsible digital technology
A major player in recruitment, the Group is increasingly investing in young people, supporting them in their training and opening many doors to the world of work; a commitment that we wish to intensify in the years to come by reaching out more to young people at school.
Due to our profession and our beliefs, the development of the company’s human potential is a priority. Increasing the skills of our employees is at the heart of our HR CARE policy, both as a factor of personal development and a vector of expertise. Beyond training, we aim to make each career path with us an accelerator of experiences, thanks to the plurality of our client services and mobility opportunities, but also through other projects offered internally by the Group, such as research and development projects or skills sponsorship projects. For example, every year we have various missions: development, project management, etc. and on themes that are important to them: inclusion, research… It is a real wealth in terms of career paths that we must learn to better promote among our clients and our teams.
Finally, I believe that certain major issues in the field of CSR are real opportunities. This is the case, for example, of Responsible Digital which is a key issue for the future of Astek.
Indeed, our job places us at the heart of future digital innovations. We have a role to play in promoting a virtuous digital transition, by contributing through our offers and our capacity for innovation to the decarbonization and cybersecurity/ethics of our customers.
Responsible technology is therefore at the heart of Astek’s efforts to make a positive contribution to society and the environment.