Nathan Darc started to work for Thalias Group two years ago. He was first involved in marketing and communication and he’s now the direct assistant of the CEO of the company.
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
My name is Nathan, I am 25 years old, I am French Thai, and I work for the Thalias Group. I started my education in Cambodia when I was three years old, starting with nursery school. So, I spent almost my entire childhood in the Kingdom.
Tell us about your education
I started at a school called ICAN and then I joined ISPP. Both are international schools. I never learned French. The only reason I can speak French is because I speak with my father and grandfather and my entire ‘French family’. After ISPP, I did my first year of university in London.
But it was very difficult, as it was the first time I had left Cambodia for a new country. I struggled with what is known as ‘culture shock’. And that was really very strange. So, unable to integrate successfully into that environment, I came back here to study business. And now I’m taking a break to discover working life within the Thalias group.
What is your role at Thalias?
At Thalias, I first worked in marketing with the communications and design team. I’m very involved in social media. Thalias has several restaurants and I’m responsible for planning and preparing posts for social media. I also worked with graphic designers to create content. At the moment, I am the personal assistant of the CEO, a role that requests much reporting and meetings organization.
Before, as part of my direct involvement in social media, I also prepared reports on the impact of posts based on statistical data. I analyzed what worked well and what did not work so well. I worked on improvements in coordination with the teams.
What are the challenges?
It’s not always easy, firstly because you have to be able to adapt to different brands and different writing styles, and also because it’s my first time working in a large group.
‘It wasn’t easy at first, but then I realized that I had to be creative, and I like that. I like being creative.’ Also, it’s my first job, I’m only 25, and I’m learning about responsibility and adult life in general.
What are your ambitions?
One day, I would like to follow in my father’s footsteps (Arnaud Darc – CEO of Thalias). I want to go in the same direction because he inspires me a lot. I have enormous respect for him and maybe one day I can become better or at least equal to him.
What does Nathan do outside of work?
I really enjoy sports, especially team sports like basketball, volleyball and rugby. I also like reading philosophy. I think it’s very interesting to learn how people have thought throughout history. I also like watching films, especially those from other countries, because they give you an insight into how society works there.
What’s more, because I’m half Thai and half French and I’ve lived in Cambodia all my life, I have a lot of different cultures within me.
‘When I was young, it was really difficult to understand who I was because my mother is Thai, and my father is French, and I lived here. It was difficult to really find my place.’
But now, with my age and my experiences in other countries, in Thailand and France, I think I understand myself better.
What do you like about Cambodia?
It’s the country where I live and I don’t want to live anywhere else. I want to stay here all my life and visit other countries just for the experience. But in the end, I know that Cambodia is my home base, my headquarters. I like the people here and I believe there are still opportunities and that the country will continue to develop. So, I think it’s a perfect opportunity for me, at 23, to flourish and contribute to this development. I can already see the changes the country is undergoing, and I believe they will continue.
What do you like least?
Ah, that’s difficult. I don’t want to start a controversy. Yes, the traffic jams, the heat and the lack of space to walk around stress me out a bit. If there were more public transport and space to walk or cross the streets, it would be better, as it would mean I wouldn’t have to use Grab all the time.
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