FAIRY TALE Jean-Alexandre Manchès, CEO of Lyon-based company BMV, organized a lottery to give two employees their “greatest dreams”. crazy »
A boss with unlimited generosity. On Wednesday, Jean-Alexandre Manchès granted the wish of two employees by offering them “their wildest dream”. — MOURAD ALLILI/SIPA
- A boss with unlimited generosity. On Wednesday, Jean-Alexandre Manchès granted the wishes of two employees by offering them “their wildest dream”.
- President of the Lyon transport and logistics company BMV, he decided to organize a lottery for the company’s 120th anniversary.
- Christel, one of the winners, was offered a house. Story of a fairy tale.
“It’s been unreal.” Wednesday afternoon, Christel had to sitting down with “too much emotion all at once” when she heard his name. Never, she would have imagined; this “unexpected chance”: being offered a house by his boss. Her dearest dream. His “craziest dream”.
It all started; on September 5 when its CEO Jean Alexandre Manchès wished to crisscrossing the forty sites it lists in France and Germany, revealed Le Progrès. The transport and logistics company BMV, which he manages, was founded in 1902 in Lyons. To mark the 120th anniversary, the man decides to go to fishing for ideas. “We took a truck to visit each site. We had two ballot boxes, one for each of the 1,100 employees to project themselves into 120 years and the other for them to write down their wildest dream,” he explains. With this promise to make two to a reality. the outcome of a draw. A way for him to perpetuate “family values” company and “put it to good use,” he explains.
The dream of the less “crazy second winner”
“We know that every penny counts but no limit. We wanted to show that things, which seem unattainable to us, can sometimes happen,” adds the CEO, wishing to reward the work and dedication of his employees. “The transport and logistics sector is essential to the functioning of the country. During the confinement, we continued; to ensure deliveries of masks, vaccines or medical products. From the outside, it’s not a sexy job, yet it’s essential. I want to make employees aware of the importance of their profession, of which they can be proud,” he argues.
Some dreamed of traveling around the world, taking their family to the Caribbean, taking a cruise on distant seas, others wanted to offer a year’s worth of meals to the Restos du cœ that the war is over in Ukraine. If the second winner – an employee German – was offered a family trip to Turkey, 58-year-old Christel had a completely different wish.
“At first I thought I was writing a trip to Canada and then I changed my mind. I said to myself “Let’s be crazy”. My ultimate dream, the one that meant the most to me. heart, was to access the property because life has meant that I have never been able to afford a house,” she confesses. “Since the Covid-19 epidemic, I’s just dreamed of having a little piece of garden to be in contact with nature every day. I can’t live anywhere but outside. But I really didn’t think I would be drawn,” continues this resident of Chalon-sur-Saône, still “on a little cloud” and overflowing with gratitude to her boss.
A new lottery in 120 years?
“Chance did things well, replies Jean-Alexandre Manchès. There was something very touching about this will in this dream. to be able to support his family; the shelter.” “She’s a very deserving woman who has been with the company for almost twenty years,” Marie-Suzanne, 75, who today represents the memory of the company. She attended for twenty-eight years the father of Jean-Alexandre, whom she knew himself at 4 years old.
“It’sa generous family who have always loved; do good around her. Jean-Alexandre takes very good care of his employees. He is really well esteemed, everyone adores him,” she points out. A “charismatic” boss, “an avant-garde”, “very human and accessible”, adds Christel. “It is unifying,” again 120 years before seeing their boss make their dream come true? The question has the gift of making Jean-Alexandre Manchès laugh. “One thing is for sure, we won’t hold a lottery every year because it will end up creating frustration for the losers, he replies. My dream would be to be able to make every employee’s dream come true. Even if that is not possible, I will continue to put all my energy into it.”