From PMO Consultant in Paris to Senior Delivery Manager
in Porto:
get to know Jade Sissoko
- Corporate
In this interview, discover how Jade contributed to the development of MIGSO-PCUBED in Portugal after moving from Paris to Porto!
What is your background at MIGSO-PCUBED and what is your current role?
I joined MIGSO–PCUBED in 2017 after my engineering studies. I started as a PMO Consultant for a client in the automotive sector for 3 years where I was able to consolidate my project management basics and discover the automotive sector. From 2019 onwards, I also had a parallel role as Focal Point supporting the Delivery managers in steering the consultant team. Then, at the end of 2020, I took up the challenge of moving to Porto (Portugal) as Delivery Manager for my client to support the development of the agency newly opened earlier in 2020 and support significative growth in the hub. Today, I’m Senior Delivery Manager for a client in the automotive sector, managing a team of 130 consultants and 10 Delivery Managers and Delivery Coordinators for Customers in the automotive sector.
DID YOU KNOW?
At MP, numerous opportunities await you! Through diverse engagements, you can acquire valuable experience across various sectors, collaborating with a wide range of clients to advance your PMO career. If you aspire to explore alternative career paths, we also offer internal training and tailored plans to shape your professional future!
What soft skills do you need to be a good Delivery Manager?
I think that to be a Delivery Manager you need to be able to adapt quickly to any type of situation, problem or conflict, and to take decisions so as to be able to propose solutions.
At the same time giving responsibility and motivating the teams so that they feel accountable for their activities and that we reach our objectives. Giving people the desire to do and grow.
Why did you move from Paris to Porto?
Above all, it was the opportunity to be part of this great adventure with the possibility of rapid professional development. And this experience has exceeded my expectations, as it has enabled me to learn and develop my skills quickly, and to work alongside some brilliant professionals in a multicultural environment.
On a personal level, Portugal is a country that appealed to me because of the quality of life, the friendliness of the people and the fact that I had already learnt some basic Portuguese during a 6-month academic exchange in Brazil during my engineering studies.
What advice would you give to someone considering to relocate?
It’s important to find out as much as you can about the destination and the practical aspects of everyday life (cost of living, administrative procedures, culture, language), while remaining flexible in terms of your professional and personal expectations, so that you’re prepared to be surprised and discover new things.
I think it’s also important to have a basic knowledge of the local language, to make the effort to learn it once you live in the country, and to communicate with your colleagues or in your personal life in the local language.
DID YOU KNOW?
Mobility is easy with MP! Throughout your journey to relocate, we support you by by walking you though any administrative procedures and ensuring regular follow-ups. Your local management team will help you get the most out of this experience!
How was your move to Porto and how is life there?
My move went well, even though we were in the middle of the COVID pandemic. I spent a few days at the office in Porto before we returned home to work. I had to integrate at least 20 consultants in full remote! We sent them their computer equipment and all the training and follow-up were done online.
As for Porto, it’s a great place to live. It’s a big city with lots to do, but it’s still on a human scale. It’s great to be able to stroll along the seafront at weekends.
In which projects are you working on at the moment and what are the main challenges?
We are currently working on improving our commitments for our main automotive customer after several years of strong growth and developing a new French automotive customer.
We are also working on the continuous improvement of our internal processes to improve day-to-day management.
One of my main challenges is to maintain a solid organisation in order to be able to adapt to regular changes. This means identifying talented people and what is their potential, ensuring that my vision matches theirs and supporting them as they develop their skills, while keeping them motivated.
What does your typical day look like?
Each day is different and depends on the challenges of the particular moment, but a typical day will inevitably include the following elements:
- steering meetings with customers to share their staffing needs and their expectations regarding our operational performance and continuous improvement;
- coordination with my managers and consultants to share key information, support them in their action plans, listen to them when they need it;
- Financial management of my customer accounts;
- Capitalization, support in the development of processes for our hubs in Portugal.
In short, there’s never a dull moment, making for dynamic, motivating days.
How do you keep your teams motivated?
I think it’s important to give a vision of where we’re going, what our objectives are and when.
I do my best to leave room for the teams, to make them feel responsible and accountable, to give them new challenges consistent with their skills and the company’s objectives, while remaining available to listen and support them. I also try to be fair in all my decisions.
In just one word, what do you like the most about your job at MP?
Diversity.
Diversity of projects, of opportunities, of industrial sectors, of cultures, of languages, of employees.
What advice would you give to someone considering embracing a career in the field of Project Controls?
Project management is an exciting field, giving us a global vision of innovative and challenging industrial projects like a control tower. But not everyone likes it! You have to like organization, be proactive, go out and get the information you need, build your relationships with the people you work with, and above all not wait in your corner for someone to tell you what to do!
After almost 7 years at MP, can you tell us about an achievement or initiative that you're particularly proud of?
To have humbly contributed to the growth of MIGSO-PCUBED in Portugal: I went from a team of 4 consultants when I arrived in Portugal in 2020 to 130 consultants today for various automotive clients. This involves recruiting consultants for new projects or replacements in collaboration with the recruitment teams, on-boarding them, monitoring their skills development, controlling the quality of delivery to reach customer satisfaction and anticipate failure, identifying relays and new delivery managers to support all this work…
Throughout the years, we didn’t get it right the first time, but we were able to bounce back, capitalise and innovate to do better the next time!
I’m also proud to work in a company whose values I identify with and where I am trusted.
Finally, I am proud to be able to rely on with great leaders, managers, and experts in my teams and to see our positive impact of our clients.
What do you see yourself doing in the future? What are your expectations?
In the future, I would like to continue to grow in managerial positions in project management. After 7 years in the automotive sector, which I think is an excellent school for high standards, deadline management and rigour. I also would like to discover new sectors of activity.
Thank you Jade for answering our questions!
About MIGSO-PCUBED
MIGSO-PCUBED is the world leader for Project Management and PMO consulting. With a team of specialists reaching across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, we have become the trusted delivery partner for the most recognizable brands around the world. Working in the fields of aeronautics, defense, automotive, transportation, financial services, energy, public sectors, and beyond, we help our clients to turn their biggest ideas into reality. We adapt our solutions to their culture as well as leverage the latest technologies and best practices to bring the greatest value.
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