A marked desire to renew 100 personal decision

The scene is going in the early 1980, in the laboratories of IBM in La Gaude, in the Alpes-Maritimes. Young engineer Telecom, Patrick Starck sees one of his colleagues "read of the hex in text", i.e. a sequence of numbers and letters calling the language of mainframes. "I then said to be to do something else", remembers, aware that a technical career would not allow him to evolve. In a site closed. A discussion with an American colleague of marketing, France crossing, will help to correct shooting.

With success. For more than twenty years after, and fifty years, it is a new page of a career in commercial dominant Patrick Starck has just turn taking the head of the area south of Computer Associates (CA) Europe. Thus, it adds software competence in computer culture, and international guidance responsibilities. A marked desire to renew "100 personal" decision. And this in a business, CA, itself in full renewal.

To do this, this scientific training graduated from physics and then SupƩlec can count on his experiences of large structures. IBM first, leaving the South, young MontpelliƩrain takes the responsibility of customers telecoms for Brittany. "After six months, I realized that this was what I wanted." The experience will last two and a half years and will lead to the IBM France seat in the Paris region, where it will support the major aviation accounts. Classified as "high potentials", Patrick Starck then performs a "rotation" of 18 months on the 40th floor of the Tower of defence, the floor of the branch. A position key, one of the Organization, since, under the aegis of Lou Gerstner, IBM must reinvent itself.

But the Cape of ten years of House approach, conducive to reflections. "I was able passive." It is time to go look elsewhere. This will be in Compaq, as responsible for large accounts and servers. Hesitating initially, Patrick Starck was persuaded finally in 1994 by the ambitions of the "PC company" in the enterprise computing. The opportunity for him to learn to fly a distribution channel. But also to implement a social plan.

The late 1990s, Compaq indeed bought Digital equipment, ex-gloire of the sector, the French subsidiary has continued restructuring. Appointed Director General France in 2000, Patrick Starck will eventually work, smoothly. To restore the trade on the work a few months later when HP will absorb... Compaq. Named CEO of the new set for the France, he then spends 70 of the time fusion. "I have taken with my 10 years at IBM, because Compaq was the precise opposite of that of HP," said. Follows a "happy" period, which the end is drawn a few months ago. As the arrival of ADR Hurd at the head of the computer manufacturer accompanied by new cuts. "I then thought that it was my last restructuring." The last Not quite. Because in CA also, deletions of posts are planned. The opportunity to enjoy the company of his experience of the social dialogue in addition to sales channels.