In our section 'Employees in the spotlight' we like to show which people are behind our organisation. Every day Archive-IT is committed to support organisations in the transition from a paper to a digital working environment. Besides that, we develop software to guarantee safe digital accessibility. But who does what? And what are the motivations of the Archive-IT team members? Time for a look behind the scenes.
This time, Christophe Cogneaux is in the spotlight. Christophe is our Sales- and Pre-sales manager in France. We would like to introduce him to you!
How long have you been working for Archive-IT and how did you get started?
‘’I started in 1999 at Jalema, at that time the sister company of Archive-IT. When I started at Jalema, I was an IT-technician who worked on installing the software for customers. About three years later, my manager in the IT department decided to leave the company and I got the chance to become the IT manager. At that time, Jalema and Archive-IT were working together in several areas. Because I have a great affinity with IT and new technologies, and I saw Archive-IT as a great long-term opportunity, I made the switch in 2008.’’
Can you tell us a bit more about your position at Archive-IT?
''Currently I am working as the Sales and Pre-sales manager of Archive-IT France. As a Sales Manager I am responsible, together with the account managers, for gaining new customers and maintaining and expanding existing customer relationships. I also travel a lot in France, because we want to grow and make ourselves known in different sectors. But I have never renounced the technical aspect, so as Pre-sales manager I deal with the technical part of installing our software solutions and I help my colleagues with the day-to-day work.''
What do you like most about your job?
‘’The best thing about my job is the many contacts I have. With clients, relations and internally. It is also inspiring that I get to see so many places in France. From north to south and from east to west. The alternation between IT and Sales makes my work very varied and therefore never boring.’’
Nice to know: About 10 years ago Christophe was the sound manager in a rock band with his friends. They played at different festivals and in bars. They also organised a festival three years in a row with different bands from the region. They started the first edition with 150 visitors and the last edition had no less than 350 visitors. Unfortunately, to their great regret, they had to stop.
What does your average working day look like?
‘’It's hard to say what an average workday looks like. A day can be dedicated to sales or IT. I also work with our account managers to make sure everything is going well. I also help Thibault, our consultant, with the day-to-day operations, and am busy working with our accountant to keep track of what is going on with Archive-IT France. We also have close contact with our colleagues in the Netherlands. Every day is different, but that is exactly what makes my job so enjoyable.’’
What are your goals for yourself and for Archive-IT?
‘’My goal is to make Archive-IT even more successful together with the team. We see daily that there are many opportunities, and we try to grab these opportunities with both hands. We work a lot in healthcare and one of our goals is to expand into other sectors. I think it is important that we remain innovative and continue to follow trends and developments, so that we can continue to provide our customers with optimal support in digital archiving, now and in the future.’’