Ace from adhesives crosses swords
What is your background?
Benoît Perrier: I obtained an engineering degree in Systems and Innovation Engineering in Nancy, followed by a postgraduate degree in Systems and Organizations.
I started work in 2001 as a consultant assigned to the automotive markets. I then held a number of positions in the automotive industry for ten years or so. I was involved in logistics as well as production, project management, quality, and sales.
In 2010, I joined Bostik to develop sales in the automotive sector. I first worked as a sales manager before taking charge of distribution in Europe. In 2017, I was seconded to a strategic marketing position before taking over the management of the transport and mobility market within the Durable Goods BU.
We are present in all types of technologies required by the automotive (original equipment and repair), public transport, rail, marine, and aeronautics markets.
What are the applications of our adhesives in the mobility area?
B. P.: Above all, I would stress that our innovative adhesive solutions are at the forefront of the transformation currently underway in the world of transport and mobility. While we used to work a great deal on interior trims, structural adhesives for the chassis, this kind of thing, the electric boom has prompted us to offer bonding solutions for batteries, electric motors, and everything to do with onboard electronics.
The quest for reducing weight, which involves the use of new materials, also raises new challenges in terms of bonding. This is the case with the Alpha Romeo 4C where the body includes lightweight composite parts assembled with specific grades of Bostik flexible sealing modified polymer adhesives. More broadly, the life cycle analysis of adhesives now represents an essential guidance framework. For example, we are working on a grade of methyl methacrylate structural adhesive that is compatible with the Elium® resin recycling process.
Not only does this glue makes it easier to recycle composite parts, but 70% of the raw materials that make up the glue are fully recyclable. All this accounts for a broad swathe of innovation for our adhesives, which are clearly a factor in environmental performance. My goal is to grow this market, in which we virtually started from a blank page. The level of requirement is very high.
Competition is fierce. Players see it as a strong growth driver. You have to get on board. Wherever there is business, we are interested. We are organizing teams in the various countries. We have also been able to convince partners to work with us. Our innovation policy, which is based on targeted acquisitions, such as that of Polytec PT, a company specializing in adhesives for batteries and electronics, allows us to develop, in certain key areas, cutting-edge technologies in specialty hotmelt adhesives. And as a side note, it’s worth noting that Bostik glues are also used for the manufacture and repair of foils!
I was imitating Zorro with my flute!
When did you start fencing?
B. P.: I was six years old. Initially, my parents wanted me to play the flute, but after one year, I still couldn't hold it properly. I preferred to use it as a sword to imitate Zorro (he says laughing)!
Do you enjoy competition?
B. P.: I can't practise fencing purely as a leisure activity. It's either full on or not at all. Tonight for example, I’ll be training for the third time this week. I have joined the Cercle des Escrimeurs Parisiens. Some members have reached global standards. At 46 years old, I’m a veteran member. It's an excellent challenge to train with competitors who are twenty years younger, even though it's difficult to keep up physically. I reached 9th place in the French Championships when I was young. I returned to competition this year, and I just earned a podium place in a national tournament. I’m having a blast.
You look as sharp as a blade. Do you need to prepare well physically to practise this sport?
B.P.: It's a demanding sport. In terms of anaerobic (intense) and aerobic (endurance) effort, it’s the same level as basketball. With the specifics that you are bending your knees all the time. Not to mention the equipment that protects of course but quickly becomes like an oven. It's not easy to have ventilation. In fact, fencing is like playing chess while doing a 100m sprint! You have to have your wits about you and so be able to become aware of when you no longer do.
What would you say to anyone struggling to understand the rules?
B. P.: Foil fencing is not easy to understand even with good practice. It's basically because of a famous convention whereby you have or do not have priority to attack. Fencing bouts are so fast that you're convinced you have priority when you don’t. There are matters of intent, so it's not always easy to judge. Fortunately, there is a video record and, in any case, as in all sports, you have to respect the referee’s decision, if only for safety reasons.
What do you like about this sport?
B. P.: I love the technical dimension, trying to have the best possible execution of your movements. During a step lunge, for example, you must ensure perfect arm-leg coordination. What I also like is having the upper hand in a match, touching without being touched, adapting at high speed in what we call “fencing time”. Mindset, self-confidence, count for a lot.
By the way, I practise sophrology. There's this demand for breathing, focus and determination. Actually, fencing is a sport that puts your feet back on the ground. You're leading 9 hits to 2 (a match is played in 10 strikes) and you can’t manage to score the last one. It's the most important one, but you can't do it. You don't know why, but you still have to remotivate yourself, try to find a solution. It's a bit like in our business where we have to practise in a complicated environment with competitors who are sometimes bigger than us. But we don't let ourselves be intimidated, we hang in there, we move forward one strike at a time.
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