The HR Lieutenant-Colonel

A ‘free electron’ is how Rosa Batosti Rossignol defines herself. Although she graduated from Bocconi University in economics and social sciences, she always preferred the humanities subjects of her program. She was part of the Generation Zero project of the Erasmus program, one of the first groups of students to study abroad “when recognition of exams passed abroad was not even automatic”. She then moved to Paris for an exchange at ESSEC Business School, one of France’s leading Grandes Écoles. As a student, she already knew that she wanted her career to be on the other side of the table during job interviews, so she specialized in personnel selection and management. She has also worked abroad at trade associations, consulting firms, automotive companies, temporary employment groups, and even FMCG brands. Today she is founding partner of Carnet d’Adresses RH (Resources Humaines, or Human Resources) but she remains “curious and creative, which is why I launched MiniRosa – a brand and e-commerce platform specialized in international artisanal products, ranging from belts to jewelry, from Europe to Kenya or Nepal”, underlines Rossignol, who offers some advice for today’s students. In her dual role as graduate of the Milan-based university (where she was former head of the Bocconi Alumni Career Service) and people manager, she cautions that “recruiters need to be reassured. You need to know how to communicate that you have reached a good educational level and that you have set goals for yourself even during career breaks, such as a specialization or foreign language course. Personal experiences also belong on a CV,” says Rossignol. “I have lived in France, Morocco and Sweden. I have four children. For each of these changes, I had a plan B to put into action to fulfill my professional aspirations at the same time. You do not have to be Don Quixote tilting at windmills, but you should set concrete goals at all times to enrich your skills. For example, managing MiniRosa online brand sales today helps me acquire new digital skills.”

Rossignol is also lieutenant-colonel of the French Army’s citizen reserve, after she specialized in supporting military in their transition from public institutions to private companies due to budget cuts. “I learned that the military does not leave anyone behind. This is why the consultancy service was created for those who had to change jobs,” recalls the manager. “Soldiers and athletes have one thing in common: a strong sense of resilience. They are better at dealing with the blows, especially sudden ones – like a big life change – arriving at the last minute. That is why I recommend always staying focused and remaining the main character of your career.”
Throughout her varied career in human resources, Rossignol maintains that corporate hierarchies should be more permeable: “In Sweden, for example, even a director responds to client requests. They are pragmatic; they take few breaks during the working day, but leave the office at 5pm. Once they have created consensus around a point, I like the fact that they proceed without calling everything into question.” Organization, practicality and cohesiveness are professional traits that the manager puts in the spotlight during mentoring, without forgetting to suggest networking and to maintain a collective vision. “I firmly believe in associationism, as well as in meeting opportunities as the conferral of an award,” concludes Rossignol. “The only thing is that there needs to be more gender equality between awardees; more female role models are needed to lead by example.”