Voltalia 20 Years - Cécile Lacour

We’re continuing with our series with an inspiring story from Cécile Lacour , Project Development Manager in France. From meeting a shepherd in the morning to an official appointment in the afternoon, Cécile’s journey at Voltalia is anything but ordinary.  

She shares her passion for renewable energy, the value of ingenuity, and how The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho reflects our mission-driven work. 

What memory stands out the most for you at Voltalia?  

(...) I remember this one day when I had an appointment at the prefecture in the afternoon, and I thought, this is a great chance to visit the shepherd. So I arrive there: jeans, sneakers, we walk around the farm. Picture this: the sheepdogs jumping on me as soon as I step out of the car, sheep droppings everywhere. We have our meeting, and then it's noon, time to hit the road. So, discreetly, I change clothes, drive off, meet up with my colleagues, grab a quick lunch, and finally, we arrive at our meeting. As if it had been just another normal day at the office. 

Which Voltalia value resonates the most with you?  

The value that resonates with me the most is ingenuity. It reminds me of a definition one of my professors gave during my studies. He said an engineer is someone who solves problems. At the time, I found that definition a bit broad, but in the end, I realize it’s very true, because we work in very diverse fields, on highly varied topics. And in my job, we meet different stakeholders, each with very different, often contradictory, expectations. And we have to reconcile these different challenges and find innovative solutions. 

Chinese portrait: If Voltalia were a book, a work, a celebrity...?  

For me, it would be the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. First, it’s a little nod to our colleagues in Brazil. And also because Voltalia, a mission-driven company, is kind of like alchemy. We start with the sun, the wind, the sand, to make solar panels. And then we transform that into electricity, a basic necessity. So I think it really makes sense. I see a bit of a parallel with the main character, who is on a quest to fulfill his personal legend and achieve his dream. And in the job of a developer, that’s what drives us too, what makes us get up in the morning, giving meaning to our work. Developing projects, developing renewable energy. 

What do you wish for Voltalians?  

I wish all Voltalians to thrive in their jobs, to do what makes sense to them, and to chase their dreams. 

Explore our blog for the complete story behind this testimonial 👇