In this episode, Greg interviews Florian Villaumé, Director of Memorial University's Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE). Florian completed his Mechanical Engineering education in his native France, following that up with further education in Quebec where he completed a Masters in Fluid Mechanics. He describes his curious early career path working in Africa with Canadian Engineers Without Borders and how that unique experience shaped his thinking with respect to Leadership/ Development and the direction of his working life. The importance of having the courage to trust one’s instincts, coupled with the tools developed from early education, along with being able to sense the “energy in the room” leads this podcast to some very interesting recommendations for young and old entrepreneurs to ponder. The three key messages that he believes drive entrepreneurial growth in NL will intrigue you. Enjoy!
Podcast Outline:
15:05 Florian's background and career path
19:26 Engineers Without Borders and working with farmers in Africa
22:18 Masters in Fluid Mechanics to a volunteer in an African village
24:21 Key leadership elements; head vs heart and trusting your instincts
28:36 Challenges associated with a virtual meeting environment
29:38 Three key messages that lead Florian's thinking every day
35:52 MCE overview and support for entrepreneurial thinking
45:37 GlobalNL and MUN partnership
56:57 Belief in the potential for entrepreneurial growth in NL
58:34 GlobalNLs current activity and future development
1:05:12 Career paths and the jungle gym effect
1:11:02 Florian’s “billboard”
