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Who says an expat posting is the preserve of young graduates with no ties? Certainly not Véronique CHAMBAUD (who graduated the Grande École Program in 2001), who followed her husband Bruno (who also graduated the Grande École Program in 2001) to Spain with their three children. She looks back at a carefully considered life choice, the preparation required and its consequences – both personal and professional.

Your career is closely linked to that of your husband, Bruno. How has it developed over the years?

Our story is essentially that of a family with three children who has always done its best to find a work-life balance. This has required adjustments and sometimes sacrifices, but none of us has ever regretted them. Bruno joined the Mars Group in 2008, when we were living in Paris, and the first nudge came when he was given an assignment in England in 2012. He was traveling across the Channel every week while I was looking after the children as well as doing my own job. It was exhausting for both of us. The situation made us want to try a new adventure, which became a reality when he became CFO of the Royal Canin (Mars Group) factory in Cambrai. It felt like our first posting!

In what way?

We moved from Paris to the provinces, it was a big improvement in terms of standard of living, but with a more complicated employment market. I resigned from my previous job and concentrated on my children. This enabled us to relax and enjoy time together as a family, while allowing Bruno to get on with his travels across Europe. I then got the opportunity to join LADAPT, which was looking for an accounting and payroll assistant. That lasted until Bruno was offered the position of Financial Director Spain/Portugal for Royal Canin’s Madrid office.

What was your reaction? Did you have any hesitation?

At first, we thought we’d left it too late, that an experience like that was better suited to younger people without children. Our eldest daughter was just going into the second year of high school, she was settled there, and we were in our own rhythm and routine. We were wrong: when you move abroad, you quickly realize that there’s no age limit for changing your life, and you meet as many grandparents as students! We talked about it at length and decided to take the plunge. Bruno started in March 2018, and we joined him at the end of the school year.

A life change like this is not one to be taken on lightly, especially with three children. How did you prepare for it?

We got a head start by visiting the area during the spring break to get a feel for the place and to introduce the children to their future home. We went to some tapas bars, a Real Madrid match… and it rained! We also visited a number of apartments and took a family vote to choose the most suitable: a flat with a terrace in a residential complex or urbanization, a very Spanish concept based on buildings with communal areas (garden, swimming pool, small soccer pitch, etc.). It was the perfect place for the children to make friends nearby and spend a good part of their time outdoors in complete safety.

Bruno’s company also sent someone to make sure that the decision to move abroad was a family choice, not something I had to simply accept. I found the process very comforting and reassuring. On more than one occasion, we’ve seen couples return to France after a few months because one partner no longer agreed with the decision.

What was it like during your first days there?

We arrived at the beginning of August to allow us plenty of time to settle in. The first shock was the unbearable heat: it was 40 degrees, with deserted streets. Then came all the administrative tasks, and the stress of the language barrier. Seeing how my children coped despite not speaking a word of Spanish helped me put my own difficulties in perspective and stay focused. I was blown away by their ability to adapt! After that, everything went smoothly until the start of the new school year, with a few weekend visits from relatives. The Lycée Français is used to welcoming new students, and despite the size of the school (4,000 pupils), I felt that everything was in place to help them integrate. Finally, I contacted the Madrid Accueil network, which puts French people in touch with each other to exchange tips and advice.

Did you go back to work once you’d settled into your new life?

It’s not easy to find a job when you don’t speak the language. First, I thought about teaching (I passed the CAPES in 2014), but a contact got in touch looking for help developing their digital marketing business and got me set me up on my own. I specialized in SEO and worked on the referencing of around 30 websites using content optimization techniques designed to move them up the internet search results.

My freelance status allowed me to work from home and fit my working hours around family life, especially during COVID when we were locked in our apartment for several months. At the end of lockdown, I felt like the need to join a company.

Was it difficult?

Luckily, there are a lot of French people in Madrid, and some French companies take advantage of this to set up local support offices. This is what happened with APRIL, a wholesale insurance broker from Lyon, which first recruited me to manage the administrative files for mutual and provident insurance of their business customers, before entrusting me with the management of their subscriptions. I work a 40-hour week and don’t get any RTTs (reduction in working hours), but it’s an exciting and caring work environment.

I work with many Spanish colleagues, who are always cheerful and ready to help. On the whole, they’re much younger than I am, but age isn’t a barrier in Spain, especially for APRIL, which is all about diversity. I love a multicultural environment, so I’m in the right place at APRIL, where there are 25 different nationalities!

What do you consider to be the most positive aspects of living in Madrid?

It’s a big city, but everything is accessible by public transport, and the city center is magnificent, as is the climate. We’ve also taken up padel, a rather technical game with rackets played by four people. I particularly like the historic part of the city with its Plaza Mayor, Mercado San Miguel and the surrounding streets. My favorite district is La Latina, renowned for its calm, despite being just a stone’s throw from the crowds in the center. The houses have colorful facades, the streets are clean and there are numerous hidden parks and terraces where you can relax.

We also make the most of our free time exploring other regions of Spain, and spent a wonderful vacation last summer with a IÉSEG alumni. I’ve rediscovered the feeling of being part of the IÉSEG family, something that always made an impression on me, even when I was a student. The School was truly our second home…

Where does this family feeling come from, and how have you kept it going over the years?

When I was at highschool, I was looking for a path that involved math, and I discovered IÉSEG. I’ll never forget the welcome I received at the open day: I knew I was going to go there, nowhere else matched up. I felt so at home that my sister followed in my footsteps six years later! She met her husband there. We also have two nieces who currently are in their fifth year. This helps us to keep up to date with what’s going on at the School. Needless to say, it comes up regularly in family discussions! We’re proud to see IÉSEG evolve from year to year and to regularly meet alumni who share the same values as we do.

Are there any other IÉSEG graduates in Madrid?

There are around 30 alumni here, and we always have a great time when we get together. The easygoing friendliness that typifies the IÉSEG family spirit is always in evidence.

Do you think you will return to France one day?

Even though we miss France and our families, we’ve found a great work-life balance here and have no plans to leave for the time being. We enjoy an incredible quality of life, plenty of space, a superb climate, unforgettable adventures less than 30 minutes away and a lifestyle that makes it difficult to think of leaving. But who knows what the future may bring…

This article was written by Luna Créations for IÉSEG Network’s magazine, IÉS.