From management control to special effects! Interview with Yann Jouannic, a Class of 2000 graduate
Yann Jouannic, a 2000 graduate of the MBS Grande Ecole Programme (management control specialisation), currently works in the film industry in Montreal, Canada. At 43 years old, he remembers the years spent at MBS and tells us about his rich and unique career. A journey that even led him to win the 2018 Canadian Screen Award for Best Visual Effects!
What has been your career path within Montpellier Business School?
I had joined the first year of the MBS Programme after a preparatory class (two academic years) for Grandes Ecoles. If I had chosen MBS it was because of the quality and diversity of its programmes as well as its international outlook. During my studies, I had the opportunity to do an internship in London, to get involved in the student association Le Bureau des Arts, to take a year off to acquire professional experience in management control at Canal+ financial department and then to take up the post of management controller at PSG during my last year.
What do you remember from these MBS years?
Openness, especially to the international economy, and gaining a general understanding of business management. And not to mention the adaptability and flexibility to changes in the environment. I also remember the organization of the short film festival! This experience then was only the beginning of my involvement in a career where I have always tried to find a way to combine my work and my passion for cinema. MBS is also about meeting other students who have become 20-year-old friends!
How did your “after MBS” go?
Not at all as I imagined it as a student! In fact, after 6 years of management control at Canal+, rather than continuing and evolving within a financial department, I turned to film production. I started from scratch to learn how to prepare for and organize a film shoot as a studio manager. I think that my ability to adapt, my general vision of management and above all my willingness have allowed me to progress and gradually take responsibility for all kinds of projects, from independent French films to American blockbusters.
What is your job status now?
I am a project manager in production at VFX in Montreal. These are the visual effects in post-production of the films, i.e. after the shooting. I work on a daily basis with clients and producers, as well as VFX artists and supervisors to plan projects and determine resource needs etc. To explain a little to those who wonder what this is all about, the examples that would be easier to be understood by the spectators are those where imaginary environments are created to replace the green landscape behind the actors.
What advice would you give to future MBS graduates?
Keep an open mind about the opportunities that may arise. Don’t forget what you really want to do and what you are passionate about. A degree in management has the advantage of being very general and opening all of the doors if you’re able to use up all of your will power on it. The opportunities do not stop with CAC40 companies or the large multinationals that are talked about every day in the media. You will probably not all going to end up CEOs, but you can all express yourselves successfully and at the same time improve 2 or 3 things around you.
