The interview of Manon BEAUDEGEL, Guides & Transports Manager

After a year as Operations Coordinator, Manon is stepping up her game! At the head of the Operations department, Receptour now has a duo. While Camille oversees the overall smooth running of all the brand’s trips, Manon is in charge of Guides and Transport. On the occasion of her promotion, she agreed to be interviewed. Meet Manon…

Hello Manon! Nice to meet you again for a few questions and answers. First of all, could you tell us a little more about your new position and role?

The job was advertised internally, before being put on external recruitment platforms. I’d been working at Receptour for a full year, and after a while I decided to apply. I had the opportunity to underline my interest in the agency, and after a process lasting about 3 weeks, I got the job. Linda put her trust in me and I’m delighted!

So I’ve gone from Operations Coordinator to Guide and Transport Operations Manager. What is my job? On the one hand, I’m in charge of negotiating our contracts with our transporters, and on the other, I prepare the guides’ cell. I oversee their salaries and availability throughout the summer season, from April to October. My daily challenge will be to continue to pamper our “exclusive” guides, the core group who work exclusively with us, but also to build loyalty among those who come and go. Our community of guides is invaluable, and an essential link in the success of Receptour. This year, I’m continuing to put together tours for summer groups, just a few of them, so as not to lose my touch. It’s important for me to always have a vision of the terrain.

I understand that, like some of your colleagues, you’re a Québécoise by adoption. What brought you to Montreal?

The wind of change and the desire to see something other than France.

I came to Montreal a few years ago and fell in love with it. I promised myself I’d come back and settle here, and I did in December 2022!

How would you describe your career path?

I grew up between the Yvelines and the Eure-et-Loir departments in France. After the baccalauréat, I did a post-graduate diploma in Tourism in Blois, a very rewarding two years, as it’s a beautiful French tourist region, between castles and vineyards. After graduating, I started out as a teleoperator for a company that managed motorhome sites. It was a large open-space service, for Italian customers. I had to deal with a lot of litigation in that position.

Three years later, I found myself in sales at a campsite, this time to enable people to own their own mobile home. I stayed there for 5 years, near Nantes, by the sea. I was careful to build up my CV and gain experience, to prepare as well as possible for my expatriation to Canada, which had been a long-standing project.
I applied to Receptour from France in September 2022. I really wanted to move from sales to operations, and that’s exactly what I’ve done.

I hear you were already working with Italian customers in France. Being Receptour’s historical market, I see a certain alignment of the planets…

That’s for sure! (laughs)

Is having a facility with languages a strength for working at Receptour?

The only requirement is French-English bilingualism. Spanish and Italian are a plus. I’ve always had a particular affinity for languages. I chose to learn Italian at school because I’ve always had an affinity with this beautiful country and its culture.
I’m delighted to use it from time to time to communicate with our agencies in Italy. And then, in season, when we have the assistance telephone, it’s always pleasant for a slightly stressed Italian traveler to hear his native language.

In fact, it’s a skill that led me to do a transfer for Italians in Montreal in August. It was a group I had operated myself, and it was a good experience.

Guiding is a profession, and you know it better than anyone. If the opportunity arose, would you like to try your hand at it?

I’d like to one day, but in a few years’ time.

I’ve been working a lot with our guide Christian this year. He looks after Italian travellers in Western Canada, and I always tell him I’d like to be his assistant guide! (laughs)

Did you find it easy to fit in with the team?

I’ll long remember my arrival last December. We had water damage in the open-plan office, and we all had to evacuate the premises for several days. So I got to know the members of the team a little bit at a time.

We’re all very different, in terms of culture, age and professional experience. And I think that this complementarity, this mutual support, is what makes us strong. It’s a pleasure to work in a company on a human scale, with a friendly, hands-on management style.

As we all know, travel is a profession, but it’s also often a passion. What kind of traveler are you?

I marvel at everything, whether it’s a weekend in the Mauricie region or a safari in Africa! (laughs).

When I travel, I look for culture and discovery. Plus, I’m often the person who snipes and organizes.

I have fond memories of my stays in Spain, Slovenia, Martinique and Canada. And yet, my favorite cities are Triestre, in Italy, and Boston, in the USA. So there you go…

You’re quite a traveler. What’s your favorite Receptour program?

Without a doubt, the ECC, Ecological Coast to Coast!

It’s one of our guaranteed cross-country departures. Travelers discover a good part of the East, especially Quebec and Ontario, then head for the Rockies, ending in Vancouver. It’s a complete program, which gives a very good overview of the destination as a whole.
I think I like it so much, because it’s a trip I’d really like to take on a personal level.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

I’d say if I look back, I’m proud of how far I’ve come in my last company. In the space of 5 years, I went from being a sales rep to a trainer. I can even confess that I finished on the sales podium: 3rd out of 115 salespeople in France! That’s no mean feat, and I’m proud of a job well done.

Today, I see that after a year with Receptour, I’m moving up to the position of Manager. I’m really flattered and honored by the trust Linda and Vanessa have placed in me.

Do you have a mantra that helps you get ahead in everyday life?

Do you really want to know?

“Manon, get out of your comfort zone at all times, or you’ll end up a sociopath!” (laughs).

Thank you Manon for your time. Before we close this interview, what would you like us to wish you for the future?

I love my job and I really want to keep getting up in the morning with the same thought.
I came here with the ambition of staying in Montreal as long as possible, and I’m still working towards that goal. I often say that if I survive a second winter, it’s a done deal. It’s January and so far so good! (laughs).

Being here, I see the opportunity to access some travel that I couldn’t in Europe. So wish me all the best for my travels and discoveries!

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