Warrior event was still in everyone’s memory. It is for these reasons among others that STC (UK) rejected the Alcatel‘s suggestion to come with a joint bid, to offer a “European” solution. One of the winning factors has been the Port-Botany cable factory. Such a factory was a strong requirement from OTC (now Telstra) and the Australian Government. Alcatel was the most motivated. Such a factory could expand its influence in the Pacific where the three other players were historically well established in this region, which represents a large part of their market. They saw this factory as a risk for their existing facilities! much perceived as a necessary tool that most of the At that period the project review meetings were SubOptic ‘87 in at the right time. premises located tooVersailles far fromcame a decent restaurant, held in FCR (France Telecom) Paris office. have their in house “salle à manger,” their own the FT counterparts were mainly people from the It is where the Australian teams discovered dining room ! Mediterranean and African countries. Despite a and l’Astrolabe, landed in 1788 that French model, a close cooperation between heavy agenda, the most expected partto of discover the meeting describe the numerous face to face Captain Cook wasat already bearing was the lunch break a nearbyaround restaurant, the “Stthe I cannot Alcatel and FT, exactly what they wanted to eslunches I had with senior people within customer’s Amour.” A ritual nobody was prepared to skip. It British Sothis Botany is now me the organizations. tablish in their country. It became for me a sort of marketing was oftenflag. around table Bay that the main for decisions method! My It is friend, incredible what are these kind of lunches symbol of a dream becomes a reality! were elaborated and, which even more important, the things changed since, but can bring; nothing to compare with face to face place where people get to know each other better! Tasman 2 has been yet another chapter meeting one thing stays true: When you offer something, in your office! A special relationship is everyone The dininglong room of CS Vercorscompetition! has seen many in this Anglo-French The automatically the reader established, can see between theunveils lines ifmuch you are more than he would normally do! I can tell you, lunch or dinner especially after final splices. I do award tovery Alcatel came as aofbig surprise to a good or not genuinely motivated sincere.that Then meal in a properly selectedand restaurant, remember well the finalout splice a Marseillesto sayoffer well becomes adapted toreally the personality of your Algiers The ship wasAlcatel. supposed to reach the many,cable. including inside Everybody was is your attractive and this visitor is a good investment! It is amazing what a harbor around 7pm where the highest Algerian naturally expecting the British to win that batopens the route to “Botany Bay.” good bottle of Bordeaux can achieve! authorities were awaiting the possibility to come ontle, board enjoy good dinner was at theatinvitation andand such an aexpectation that time One dinner I do remember very well happen in of their French counterpart. The cable ship was very logical. soon. Tokyo. ISee hadyou been trying for several months, by known for its great cuisine! That very day the final splice had to bewere cut and the cable ship There soredone manyand difficulties and phone, faxes, letters, etc. to get a “yes” from a Japanese firm. It was becoming obvious that they could embark the guests at mid night only! The misunderstanding between Australia and had no intention to move from their “we are sorry dinner took place between 1 and 3 am and I found but we cannot.” I made Consulting suddenly my mind to fly to out that the were verythe keen to getpresence some France, thevisitors main one being French Submarcom Japan, proposing them to meet for dinner. I landed French cheeses, at that time impossible to buy in in the Pacific area, the worse being Algiers! Cheese as a reconciliation tool! the nuclear at 4pm and due to the heavy traffic I reach the bomb experiment in Tahiti! The sad Rainbow restaurant just in time. The full team was attending
Letter to a friend from Jean Devos
My dear friend, Many thanks, my friend, for your kind invitation. The restaurant you picked up for our lunch the other day in the middle of the “Bois de Boulogne” was great, allowing us to quietly exchange information on our business, and our views on its evolution. We have together rebuilt the world,”between the pear and the cheese”! And congratulations for your choice of wine! “Botany Bay” You definitively are an “amateur”!
My Dear Friend
Looking back to my personal business history I
Imeasure published recently a modest novel,meals whose title all the importance of business under their various forms. know that in notAustralia everybodywhere will is Botany Bay. It isI the place agree with me here and I run the risk of not being established taken seriously. But this is Alcatel a very serious matter!a “My friend” can be translated in Frenchcable by “mon submarine faccopain” and “copain“ stands for “co-bread; “ in tory inwith 1989 as part other words, a friend is someone whom youof “share the bread .“ You share him whatever its with contract for the you have, and you do so when you want someone Tasman 2 link. In this to become your friend! same bay, where two My very first experience of this goes back to the centuries the 1960’s. I was then working at the Calaisbefore submarine cable factory where we hadFrench quite a expedition few visitors from all around the world. The tradition there was “La Pérouse” made to pick them up at the railway station upon theirof arrival from Paris around 11 a.m. visitLaitself was two The ships, Boussole
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a two hour tour of the plant followed by a lunch in a good local restaurant called “Le Sauvage.” Believe me or not, but I can still remember today the menu which was served, always the same. But more importantly, I cannot count the number of people I met around the world later on who had never forgot their trip to Calais, a town with almost no attraction but an interesting factory and a warm welcome around a great “Meursault” white wine!
“The pear and the cheese”
Jean Devos
In my country it is normal practice to invite visitors for lunch and quite often a long lunch! It is not perceived as a loss of time but as the peak of the visit, the moment of truth! The morning working session is usually a detailed review! The first part of the meal is an opportunity for a broader discussion and the second part of it, “between the pear and the cheese,” is the right moment to cut a deal or at least to check whether a deal is possible. It is so
a very formal, Japanese style, dinner. I didn’t touch the subject during the full dinner. At the very end the senior guy stood up holding a little glass of sake and made this statement, “Now we understand your request and we can agree with it. “ One of the nicest moments of my business life!
Jean Devos
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