Clotilde Pfister's impressive and ambitious career path includes a final year at engineering school, an English-language Master's degree in Management and a career as a top-level sportswoman.
After completing her studies at the INP Preparatory School in Nancy, Clotilde went on to study Engineering at Ecole des Mines de Nancy, one of more than 30 engineering schools in the INP Group. She wanted to deepen her knowledge of management and improve her English, so in the last year of her engineering course she joined Grenoble IAE - INP, UGA for a dual degree in Engineering and a Master 2 in Applied Corporate Management. This degree trains managers and executives for positions of responsibility in an international environment.
As Clotilde readily admits, her decision to come to Grenoble for a management course was also guided by the quality of the support and infrastructure available to high-level athletes. "Grenoble is very well equipped in terms of climbing facilities, and it also brought me closer to Pôle France, located in Voiron. Fabien Stange, in charge of high-level athletes at Grenoble INP - UGA, is always available to find solutions on a case-by-case basis, so that we can keep up with both competitions and studies." She already had this status at preparatory school. For this Master's degree at Grenoble IAE, INP - UGA, Clotilde decided to spread her course over two years. She also appreciates the facilities available to high-level athlete students, such as access to a weight room and a recovery area with sauna and cold bath.
« This status has helped to balance my life for six years now. My arrival in preparatory school was hard, with a drop in my grades and the intense work schedule. Climbing and training also help to relieve the pressure and take a break. »
Her discipline is competition climbing, although she "really likes bouldering. I found it hard to choose between the two, so I decided to continue in both disciplines, even though I'm stronger in competition climbing." After a podium finish in the French Cup, several finals to her credit and a top 15 finish in the European Cup, she will soon be taking part in several World Cup and European competitions.
She is currently doing her end-of-study internship with Visiativ, a company specialising in digital transformation, and is looking far ahead to a future in entrepreneurship. "I'm also lucky to have a special arrangement at Visiativ, as managers and recruiters are increasingly aware of the skills that top-level athletes can bring to the company. As sportspeople, we are, just like our managers, constantly striving to improve our performance. In Grenoble, I also train a lot at Le Perchoir, an environmentally responsible climbing gym with a co-working office. This makes it easy to juggle business meetings and training. If I had any advice for younger people, it would be to believe in your plans more than anyone else. There will be hard times, but hang in there. And above all, don't hesitate to ask for advice from guides for high-level athletes like Fabien, who can help you with every aspect of your project."
Congratulations!!
Photo Credits © Aurele Bremond
