Meet Alexandra Roux,
bringing the best of ICDP to Lalique.

Raised in Le Mans, about 200 kilometers southwest of Paris, 26 year-old Alexandra Roux has been a Young Professional trainee at the North American headquarters of Lalique in New York City since October of last year. After attending La Sorbonne, Alexandra earned an advanced degree in finance from Nanterre University. Upon graduation, she remained in Paris for two additional years, working as a corporate officer in banking.

How did you find your internship at Lalique?

I knew I wanted a career that would be more exciting than the financial world in which I had my schooling. My dream goal has always been to manage a prestige boutique. Since my fiancé was already living in Manhattan, I focused my search on a number of corporations in that area. Ultimately, Lalique expressed interest in my background, and then I turned to the French-American Chamber.

Was the FACC-NY helpful in arranging your visa?

They were wonderful! When I started the application process, I spoke to Elliot Repko in your ICDP department many times. He was so helpful to me, and to Lalique, because I was their first intern and they were unfamiliar with the process. I think Lalique will definitely participate in the program again when my time is over. Everything went very easily.

What talents do you think made you the right candidate?

I think the management team at Lalique was intrigued with the business sensibility that I could contribute to their world of luxury crystal and jewelry. I believe they sensed that I could offer a different point of view - a fresh vision you might say – that would allow me to contribute quite a bit while I was also learning.

Discuss the skills that you’re learning.

I’m spending most of my time at Lalique’s fabulous store on Madison Avenue, so I’m really mastering the fine points of boutique management skills, including the vital awareness that business is more than sales. Excellent follow-up service is essential, plus knowing all the latest trends in home décor and fashion. A well-operated store must have a staff that’s intelligent as well as dedicated. I’m also learning so much about what makes our crystal so unique. It’s fascinating.

What surprised you the most since you’ve been working here?

The pace of New York is totally different from Paris. Here, everything is quick, quick, including the way people buy. In France, we take more time before we buy something or sign a document. I love the energy here. It’s much more like me!

Any advice for other young professionals about the FACC?
I would really encourage people to participate in the internship program, and to turn to the FACC for their excellent assistance. They’re very reassuring. They make you feel like you’re not alone in this international learning experience. I feel very lucky.