Interview Entreprendre & Manager January 2024

Dominique Bellos, the power of authenticity

She has succeeded in integrating, and flourishing, in the world of industry, without ever encountering a glass ceiling.

After half a century of a brilliant career, Dominique Bellos decided to set up her own consulting firm, to share her experience and be of use to many others. Meet an inspirational woman.

Dominique Bellos is convinced. ”It’s by daring to be yourself in all circumstances, with authenticity and kindness, that you give yourself every chance of achieving the career and life that suits you.”

And it’s fair to say that this has worked out very well for her. Among the various positions she has held, she was Director of Human Resources for the Hutchinson group (40,000 employees).

“ Over and above my qualifications or skills, it’s the fact that I’ve always been myself that has enabled me to climb the ladder. ” In 2019, she retires. But full of energy, rather than cultivating her garden, she seized the opportunity to set up her own business. “I’m at a time in my life when I want to pass on my experience and remain useful to the industry,” she acknowledges.

No sooner said than done. She began by writing a book, “ Il était une fois… une femme dans l’industrie ” (published by L’Harmattan), in which she explains how she managed to succeed in a male-dominated world. This will be the backbone of her offering.
Then, in January 2020, she opened her own management consultancy, Dominique Bellos Consulting, dedicated to both companies and individuals. With a triptych in mind: efficiency, sharing, inspiration. In particular, she supports women in achieving their goals, breaking through the glass ceiling, negotiating a strategic shift… 
“Women often have great difficulty asserting themselves and finding their place. I have a deep-seated desire to help them overcome these barriers.” How can I do this? By teaching them the audacity to be themselves, beyond appearances. “More than a method, I work on intuition, and I draw on my many experiences to help others. Each person is unique in the world. The company must not stifle this uniqueness, which in turn makes it unique. On the contrary, it should turn it into a competitive advantage. If you’re not yourself, you run the risk of missing out on your life.”

It’s a necessary step if you don’t want to be out of step with what you want to do. “ Being yourself means not hesitating to ask the questions that can shake things up. Even if it means sometimes receiving a negative answer “. But it also often means getting a yes that you weren’t necessarily expecting. “ We all, and women in particular, have a certain number of obstacles and fears, particularly the fear of failure. What does the company stand to gain from cultivating authenticity? “Everything ”, answers Dominique Bellos. “It’s even the antidote to the great resignation. Authenticity is the guarantee of a virtuous circle, which talent will then want to join. It makes the company more attractive. And to quote Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself, the others are already taken.” Aristotle, for his part, said that “Where your talents and the needs of the world meet, there lies your vocation.”

With her tailor-made offers, this is exactly the path that Dominique Bellos leads the customers who call upon her services…