INTERVIEW DE FRÉDÉRIC FOUGERAT POUR LE MAGAZINE AMÉRICAIN LICENCE

Frédéric Fougerat, président de Tenkan Paris, répond aux questions de Licence Magazine (Los Angeles)

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Extrait :

Licence Magazine : Could you tell us about your professional background and what led you to work in the field of communication?

Frédéric Fougerat : My career path took me through the media, politics and business. I dropped out of law school to get into broadcasting, in the early 1980s, when radio stations blew up in France after they were deregulated. We felt like pioneers, inventing new jobs in new media, away from the traditional channels. I then handled communications for politicians, men and women, while they were in office. Coming from the media, I passed for a seasoned professional. In reality, that’s when I learned the job, in the field, with the people… After leaving the French parliament, I moved on to the business world. Twenty years as VP Communications, Public Affairs, CSR, Marketing in large international groups, across industries such as human resources, oil & gas, pharma, innovation, catering or real estate. I had always dreamed of running my own communications agency, and that finally came true in 2022 with Tenkan Paris.
  
Licence Magazine : As the president of Tenkan Paris, what are the challenges you face in managing crisis communication, image, and reputation for sensitive personalities?

Frédéric Fougerat : In a crisis, my job as a communications expert is to produce intelligence in order to protect first, fix later, and never ever add fuel to the fire. My two main challenges in crisis communications are anticipation and urgency. My responsibility is to raise awareness among executives, brands and companies about the necessity to be seriously prepared to face crisis situations and to communicate in such demanding circumstances. Keeping communications under control is not as easy as it seems, there is no room for improvisation. Then there’s the matter of urgency, I mean actual urgency, not disorganization or panic. Here, your personal capabilities will only take you so far. This is about putting in the work, and putting your experience to work, keeping a cool head, taking a step back. Being a professional who trained and practiced in order not to be overcome by stress or emotions.

Licence Magazine : How do you see the evolution of the communication profession and its current challenges, especially in a context of globalization and digitalization?

Frédéric Fougerat : Communications is an ever-evolving field, always has been really. And going digital changed the way we relate to time. Everything is instant and global, now. What’s more, we’re facing two parallel, ongoing revolutions. First, continuous crisis mode requires us to be more and more professional, more and more exacting. Once again, preserving, protecting, then repairing or restoring the reputation of a person, an organization or a brand cannot be achieved by improvising. There’s far too much at stake, socially and financially, in our media-crazed world to risk any damage to your image. Second, artificial intelligence can complement actual intelligence if you know how to handle it, how to wrestle it, how to drive it. In the near future, AI will eliminate some of the current jobs in communications, but it will also facilitate new ones, requiring even more expertise.
 
Licence Magazine : What inspired you to write your books on communication and management, and what message do you want to convey to your readers?

Frédéric Fougerat : My editor noticed how my columns in the press and my social media publications garnered replies and reactions, and suggested we take my discourse further. The first book was a success, then the second one as well, then the next ones until I was selling them in 25 countries, which allows me to spread my vision of communications and my experience of management far and wide. Both can be boiled down to the same verb: decide. Leading in communications demands authority, with dozens of decisions to make every day. Creative decisions, strategic decisions, political decisions, financial decisions… You must be ready to commit at all times. It’s the same for management. You cannot be a good manager if you cannot make a decision.

Licence Magazine : As a teacher and speaker, what are the main lessons you want to share with communication professionals and students?

Frédéric Fougerat : When I share my experience and my vision of communications, I always emphasize the human aspect of the job. Yes, it requires technique and expertise, but most of all, you must be a people lover, empathetic, an observer and a listener, open to difference, ready to know and understand others, discover environments and contexts that open you up to new worlds. I like this quote attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, which translates to “knowing how to listen means possessing, besides one’s own, the brains of others”.

Licence Magazine : How do you manage the pressure and responsibilities that come with being the number 1 most influential personality in communication in France?

Frédéric Fougerat : No ranking, no matter how prestigious, is an end unto itself, even in Forbes magazine. It’s a photograph of a moment in time. It’s very pleasant, of course, but you shouldn’t let it go to your head. As I always tell my students, you can never have influence on every topic, all the time, everywhere, for everyone. It should be cause for reflection and humility, for there are always people who are more brilliant than you, yet remain in the shadows. So influence is really a very relative value.
  
Licence Magazine : What are your future plans in terms of professional and personal development, and what are your aspirations for the future?

Frédéric Fougerat : These days, my ambition is to pass the baton to future generations and support them in any way I can. My motivation is in sharing what I learned to help younger people become the next leaders in communications. This is made possible by the many invitations I receive from French-speaking countries, especially in Africa, which I try to honor. They also allow me to meet my readers and my social media followers from all over the world in real life.
 
Licence Magazine : As a commander of the National Order of Merit, a knight of the Agricultural Merit, and a knight of the Arts and Letters, how do you perceive these recognitions and what message do you want to convey to younger generations?

Frédéric Fougerat : As a self-taught man, to be named Commander of the National Order of Merit by President Macron and awarded by President Hollande is a tremendous honor. This official recognition doesn’t just reward my journey or commitments, but also the hard work of my teams. I am the embodiment of the collective talent and expertise that I have had alongside me for years. Success is never a one-man-show! That’s a key management lesson...