Can you tell us about your background?
My name is Jean-François Ladrat and I have a degree in thermo-energetics engineering from INSA Rouen. I started my career in software development in a service company. In 2005, thanks to Innovateam, I was able to move from the world of R&D to the world of production and industrialization.
What was your mission at Innovateam?
I was in charge of a project to industrialize a new safety component for the Swedish company Autoliv, world leader in seat belts and airbags. My experience at Innovateam lasted a year and a half.
What did you do after Innovateam?
When I left Innovateam, I continued my career at Autoliv as an industrialization engineer, then as industrialization engineer manager.
In 2008, I decided to return to R&D at SAGEM as project manager for speed radars. Two years later, I changed jobs and turned to the industrialization and manufacture of biometric sensors.
I then took up a position as Program Director in the Paris region for 3 years, where I was in charge of business and operational management for the biometric sensor business line.
In 2017, the company was acquired and as part of this merger, I changed jobs and became Head of Customer Support, still in the same sector. I worked on developing a service offering in order to develop a different business approach.
What is your current position?
Since 2021, I've been Director of Operations for the Leader S.A.S group, which specializes in firefighting equipment. I'm lucky enough to have a job that combines all the different experiences I've had before, as my role includes R&D, purchasing, industrialization, manufacturing and supply chain, as well as quality.
What has your experience at Innovateam brought you?
This experience enabled me to make the transition from R&D to industrialization. It was an enriching experience, and Innovateam enabled me to take stock of my project management experience.
What does Innovateam mean to you?
I joined Innovateam at the beginning, and have seen the company grow, with a motivated and competent director who believes in his project!
What impressed you about Innovateam?
I'm thinking of an anecdote: I met Innovateam shortly after its creation. I remember the interview I had with Jean-David, who listed a lot of potential projects. When I left the interview, I told myself that it was just a very ambitious young start-up. I was wrong, as it has since gone on to achieve remarkable growth.
