Tanguy de Villepin

I had the opportunity to do a three-month internship with ERM’s Belgium office while earning my environmental management diploma which I studied for after my chemical engineering degree. To be honest, I hadn’t thought of being a consultant before this, as I had been told that it would entail long hours with little recognition for what you did.  I’ve now been with ERM for nearly two years, and from both a technical and personal point of view, I’m happy that I did decide to become a consultant.

Inspiring leaders and diverse project assignments

As a junior consultant with the Environmental Strategy and Audit team, I work closely with many senior consultants.  My colleagues constantly challenge and inspire me with their knowledge and experience, which gives me a wealth of learning opportunities every day.   It’s an experience which has led to fast personal development early from early on in my career.  

There are about 50 people in the Belgium office which means I can do a wide variety of work that might not be possible if I was in a larger office.  I have worked on projects throughout Brussels, Wallonia, Luxembourg and France involving multiple technical areas, legislative regimes and mechanisms.  I have already been trusted to manage my first project as the client’s main contact as part of an environmental impact assessment – this has been a challenging position to be in but, at the same time, a really good experience for me.

I feel lucky to have a really diversified job in such a professional environment, brimming with knowledge and opportunities.  I hope that I can continue to contribute in the right way to support ERM’s business and development.

Atmosphere of learning and knowledge sharing

Working in an open-plan office, we have a real culture of promoting contacts and sharing experience amongst the different practices and team members at every level.  There are frequent information sessions that introduce us to new topics and help develop our own areas of expertise.  The company as a whole has an active web-based, knowledge-sharing tool called Minerva, which really is amazing.  Knowledge not shared is dead knowledge, and this tool allows ERM staff to continually learn from other offices and teams and keep ERM at the leading edge of what we do.

In the future, I hope to take advantage of ERM’s international transfer opportunities. When consultants from other offices visit and talk about the work they are doing, it makes me realize just how global this company really is and the enormous opportunities that exist out there for me.