What makes Kahina run?
Can you tell us about your educational background and your first steps in the professional world?
Kahina Makhlouf: I obtained a Master's degree in Marketing and Management at iaelyon. To supplement my theoretical knowledge, I opted for a fifth year of work-study, which I completed in 2005 in Issoudun, central France, at Zodiac Aerospace (now part of the Safran group), a company specializing in the manufacture of aircraft seats. I worked in marketing and communications. It was a very good school. I was thrown in at the deep end right away. I remember working hard to dust off the product sheets used to support the sales team's arguments.
I was able to extend my work-study contract to go to the United States, to Seattle, right across from the Boeing assembly plants. I had a wonderful year there, with a great welcome from the teams and awesome roommates. Then I returned to France, where I thought I would easily find work in aeronautics.
I went through a challenging transition period after returning home. Despite my master's degree and enriching experience in the United States, opportunities in aeronautics did not come as easily as I had hoped, due to my lack of an engineering degree. Determined to find my place, I invested all my time and resources in looking for a job, going to lots of interviews and highlighting my recommendations. Despite the challenges, this experience taught me perseverance and strengthened my determination.
“You don't realize how much technology goes into a diaper.”
In 2008, I signed a temporary contract in the construction industry to conduct a marketing study on insulation. After that, I replaced the marketing manager for France, who was going on maternity leave. Everything went well, but the company was hit hard by the subprime crisis. That's when I responded to an ad for a digital marketing manager position at Allia, a company specializing in the manufacture of bathroom equipment (acquired by the Swiss group Geberit).
I spent 10 years there, until 2020, with a series of restructurings. It was tough. I had a three-hour commute every day between Paris and Fontainebleau. I learned to adapt, to take a step back, and to manage priorities. Above all, the team was great and very supportive. And while talking about toilet bowls may not seem like much fun at first glance, I loved doing it. Meeting the ceramists and discovering all their expertise is really exciting.
Similarly, at Bostik, you can't imagine all the work that goes on behind the scenes, all the R&D that goes into responding to calls for tenders. You don't realize how much technology goes into a “simple” diaper.
Meeting all the professionals who work on our sites is essential for me. Because in marketing and communications, behind our computers, we have to promote all the work that is done every day and convey that message. It's extremely important.
So in 2020, you met Bostik...
K. M.: Yes, I was headhunted, as they say, by a recruitment agency. The contact was great. We spent an hour talking and discussing strategy. That made me want to sign with Bostik, want to move forward with them, participate in what they want to build, share their vision, and spread the word. I also liked the fact that I would be able to work internationally with different cultures. It really took me to the next level.
I appreciated the fact that I was trusted, that I was given the keys and told, “Here are your goals, now it's up to you to find the right ways to achieve them.” I liked the idea of being able to collaborate, think together, and be a source of new ideas. Being constantly pitted against others at work isn't my thing. Here, we exchange ideas, we test things out, we move forward. I really like this way of working.
How would you sum up your experience five years on?
K. M.: It's exciting. There's no time to rest on your laurels, thinking, “I've got this, everything's fine.” I started out on my own, and now I've built a team of five people. I've taken on other roles and projects, such as AI chatbots and the rollout of Salesforce for Bostik Consumer and Construction. The further we go, the more the role expands and the more visibility I have. My colleagues trust me. I'm happy.
“We are here to help our visitors and customers find the right information.”
K. M.: In Bostik's Global Digital department, we are here to help our visitors and customers find the right information. When you want information about a product, the first thing you do is look for it on the Internet. Our goal, regardless of your profile, whether B2C or B2B, is to be visible and respond as quickly as possible to your questions, whether they are very simple or very technical. We need to support you. When two products or services are equal, what makes the difference? It's the contact. If you trust me, if the relationship is maintained, you will undoubtedly choose Bostik more easily.
We also have our internal customers who work online all over the world, preparing for trade shows, etc. And when they ask us a question, they expect support.
And even if we don't have the answer right away, we acknowledge their query, reassure them, find the information, and put ourselves in their shoes. I would like to thank them for their talent, their commitment, and... their patience (laughs). Because we depend on other departments such as purchasing and cybersecurity, and that can slow down the process.
Ultimately, we work for them so that they, like our Internet users, have the best possible experience. And we also learn a lot from them because they challenge us and present us with new solutions. For example, on tools such as AI, we work with a service provider who was introduced to us by one of our business units.
“As soon as I'm on the starting line, I'm not there to make friends!”
Let's talk about your passion for running. How do you practice it?
K. M.: I've been running with a club for 15 years. Today, I'm in the Master category (born before 1990) and, strangely enough, I'm faster and have more endurance now than when I started (laughs)! I'm a member of the running section of the Paris Université Club (PUC). We're lucky and honored to be able to train at the Charléty stadium. It's such a joy to have such a beautiful setting, to be so well supported, and to wear the purple colors of this magnificent club founded in 1906. There are 140 of us at PUC Running, motivating and challenging each other.
What is your best performance?
K. M.: My last 10 km, I ran in 38 minutes and 50 seconds. The goal is to get even faster. As long as it works, as long as we have fun!
Are you competitive?
K. M.: As soon as I'm on the starting line in a competition, it's not to make friends (laughs)! People often tell me it's impressive, that my expression changes at that moment. I have my stopwatch, my goal. That's all there is. That said, you might think it's an individual sport, and it is, but deep down, you never run alone. In training, there are always friends around, and there's a great atmosphere. You meet all kinds of different people. We all have a great time together and encourage each other. It's amazing how much emotion we share.
I have run with women who are incredibly talented. It is a tremendous opportunity to be able to stand alongside them at the starting line. I was honored to be selected for the French Cross Country Championships in 2023 and 2024. This is something that seemed unthinkable just five years ago. However, I remember that I wasn't very happy with my ranking in the last third. And then my coach said to me, “You're joking, Kahina! Sure, you can tell yourself you're in the last hundred. But you can also think that you're one of the 300 best women in France. It's up to you.”
How do you prepare?
K. M.: I train six times a week. I go straight to the stadium after work. Tonight's program is strength training. It's a high-impact sport, and muscle strengthening is essential to avoid injury. You have to work your ankles and muscles to have strong knees. In running, it's all about your legs, but it's also very much a mental game. It teaches you to hang in there. It also teaches you humility. I remember this much older lady who overtook me. There was no way I could catch up with her. We crossed the finish line and fell into each other's arms. At that moment, you can't help but admire her, get back to work and persevere.
Do you think it's too late for people who don't run to start?
K. M.: It's never too late. Everyone starts at their own level, does what they can, how they want, alternating between walking and running if necessary. The main thing is to feel good. There's no need to compare yourself to others. And honestly, all the endorphins you release when you go jogging are pure happiness!
Are you also active in community organizations?
K. M.: I volunteer with Petits Frères des Pauvres, an organization that fights isolation and loneliness among the elderly, primarily those who are most disadvantaged. I have been very aware of the cause of the elderly. It's linked to my own history, as my mother worked for the French Red Cross, looking after elderly people, and as she didn't always have childcare, she would take me with her to their homes.
How does your commitment manifest itself?
K. M.: I work in a community café. The T-Kawa, as it's called, is a place that aims to bring together residents of a neighborhood in southern Paris and isolated elderly people. It's a friendly place that also offers services. We offer computer workshops, help with administrative procedures and homework, readings, concerts, karaoke nights, and more. I volunteer every other Saturday. I joined the association in 2018 after responding to an ad on their Facebook page.
I wanted to dedicate myself to others, but in the end, I realized that I was probably doing it for myself (laughs). I've been able to form very strong bonds with other volunteers and beneficiaries. It's extremely moving and enriching to be able to follow their life journeys. Between my work at Bostik, athletics training, the community café, and my social life, I've got plenty to keep me busy. In fact, on Sunday afternoons, I take a nap and everything is fine (laughs).
