Suzanne Lamour, 28 years old, Soieries du Mekong Europe manager
A good student, Suzanne Lamour graduated from a business school in 2013 and took up positions in the luxury sector. Following a personal tragedy, she realizes that what is important to her is elsewhere. “I want to give meaning to my work and have a direct impact on society,” she says. This is how she joined Soieries du Mékong in June 2017 as Europe manager.
The brand's scarves are handcrafted by women in northwest Cambodia. “Our goal is to make them independent and sedentary by giving them work, training them… Each sale increases our social impact and gives a better quality of life to these women,” she explains. For her, it’s “more than a job, but a real commitment. We have the same objective as our shareholder, the NGO Enfants du Mékong. Namely helping the poorest. But this does not exclude having economic results. Because if the business does not develop, it will have negative consequences on the weavers and the local ecosystem,” she argues.
To work in the social and solidarity economy, Suzanne Lamour halved her previous salary. “It’s a real choice, I accept it and I still live correctly. Here management is more collaborative. Employees and shareholders, we build the company's orientations together with the same objective in mind,” she concludes.