Share a part of the life of our consultants by discovering their hobbies! This month, let's talk about Marien Montagut (d²X Lyon) and his passion for skiing and being a ski instructor.

I am the one with the green pompom beanie!
(Crédit photo : Marien Montagut)

What is your double life?

Former top level alpine skier, I am now a qualified Ski and Snowboard Instructor and member of the French Ski School (ESF) of Collet d'Allevard (on the border between Isère and Savoie, in the Belledonne massif).

When and how did you start?

I started alpine skiing in 1993, at the age of 3, with my dad, a ski instructor, trainer and coach (yes, this makes things easier!).

Growing up in the Alps, this sport quickly became my favorite activity and I started competing at the age of 6. I continued and eventually was ranked in the top French competitors at one time, which paved the way to the European Cup in the junior category.

Getting the instructor diploma was quite obvious to validate this technical skill and also a way, at the University, to earn an interesting income over a short period of time. No need to find a part-time job when working as a ski instructor!

What do you like about this passion?

I like different things in my job as a ski instructor and in my passion for skiing.

What I like about being a ski instructor is the constant change. In a single day, I can be instructing 50 different people, of all levels, either skiing or snowboarding, from a 4 year old to a 65 year old. It's this variety that I really enjoy, but what I like the most is the fun. The clients want to have a good time so you need to have fun as an instructor as well. On top of that, it's true that having a whole ski area as an office is really nice!

In my passion, what I like in skiing is the speed, the slope, the risk-taking. It's a thrill sport that allows you to have fun but also to get away from it all in often pleasant landscapes. Nowadays, I also take advantage of moments with friends to go skiing on slopes that are not easily accessible or to reach places that are difficult to get to, and to take full advantage of the mountains and the white gold.

Nice little spot, hard to recognize me but the surroundings are more important than the person here
(Crédit photo : Marien Montagut)

And in your daily life, how does your passion fit in?

In my years as a competitor and then as an instructor, I would say that almost my entire life revolved around skiing! All the vacations, the winter weekends and even the long summer vacations were dedicated to skiing.

I still keep a link with this activity in my daily life, I have my professional card and I can teach if I want to. I have many friends and family in the business so I keep up to date with what's going on in the resorts. In winter, I also follow on television my former opponents who are now good representatives of our French team, Alexis Pinturault in first place, best skier in the world last season and who used to beat me every weekend when he was younger!

Otherwise, I keep a dynamic around the sport now and I go to the mountains as soon as possible to enjoy the snow.

Finally, a little known problem but which reminds me every day of this activity, is that it is difficult to find pants that do not crack at the thighs!

Have you acquired skills that you use in your professional life?

I usually emphasize my experience first (Julie Tessaro, Business Unit Manager for d²X Lyon, can confirm this) because it taught me the basics of professional behaviour.

Ski instructors are self-employed, paid by the hour. The best way to have an income is to build up a customer base... therefore to take care of your customers so that they come back. That's why in my job, I try to involve and satisfy the clients in the projects I lead.

Another very useful point is that during the instructor training, many pedagogical courses are taught, both for children and for adults. This is something very useful in project management where you often have to explain decisions or make decisions. A little anecdote: very often, playful techniques made for children work very well in a professional context.

Finally, the last point that always helps me is performance. I have been immersed in performance, measurement and improvement of details all my youth. Now, working with KPIs, doing LEAN or continuous improvement are finally methods aiming at the same goal: delivering the best possible.

Thank you Marien for answering our questions!