Digital Proust Questionnaire: Pierre Pôlet

Emakina Group has rapidly grown in recent years, in part thanks to our managing directors leading the way. But who are these MDs, besides leaders in digital, creative and business growth? Let’s sneak a peak inside their heads with this new series: Emakina’s Digital Proust questionnaires!

The Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlour game popularised (though not devised) by Marcel Proust. The French essayist and novelist believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature. This is an adapted basic Proust Questionnaire for the digital age.

After graduating from UCL as a civil engineer, Pierre worked in IT as a developer before becoming project manager. After joining Emakina in 2004 as a project and account manager, in 2005 he became a member of the Emakina.BE management, leading several teams before being appointed Director of Operations in 2011. In January 2016, Pierre became Managing Director of Emakina.BE alongside David Bredael.

1. What is your idea of happiness?

Perfect happiness is… spending quality time with family and friends, in the mountains with sunny weather and some good food.

2. What is your greatest fear?

Losing the people I love.

3. Which historical figure do you most admire?

I have always been inspired by adventurers. Two of them have been of a big source of inspiration to discover the world as it is. The first is Philippe de Dieuleveult, the first adventurer on television, who gave me the will to travel with my backpack. The second is Maurice Herzog, who was the first man to reach the top of a 8000m summit.

4. Which living person do you most admire?

I don’t admire one person in particular. However, I am constantly inspired by the people who are around me in my private or professional life. I feel blessed to have those people around me.

5. Who is your favourite writer?

It’s a shame but I don’t take too much time to read novels or books anymore. When I was a bit younger, I was a big fan of Jean Van Hamme, one of the most successful comic book writers. His stories include Thorgal, XIII, and Largo Winch.

6. Who is your favourite fictional character?

Why do I always have to choose one ? Okay, I’ll go for Thorgal, then.

Nerd alert! Luckily, Game of Thrones made it all cool…

7. What part of the digital media industry makes you happy?

It’s the mix of personalities you have the chance to work with on a daily basis : creatives, technical experts, strategists, commercial people, pragmatic project managers…

8. What part of the digital media industry makes you unhappy?

When a talent leaves Emakina.

9. Who/what inspired you most in your career?

Some might think this is somewhat of a fake response, but I have truly been inspired by the combination of expertise and qualities of the top management of Emakina (Denis, John, Brice and Karim). I learn(ed) a lot by working at their side. Their complementary talents make them stronger.

10. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being considered a godfather five times (by my best friends). This honour is one of the things that make me quite proud of the friendships I have been able to build over the years.

11. What tech company do you wish you had started?

I would have loved to be part of launching Facebook and seeing how quickly it became extremely popular. That must have been an incredible experience.

Artist rendition of the application Pierre sent to Mark Zuckerberg.

12. What digital project would you have most loved to be a part of?

Another of my passions is board games. I would have loved to be part of the digital development of some of the most successful boardgames, understanding how the IA works and how it can be improved progressively.

13. What is your favourite digital app/ tool?

For those who like boardgames, I can certainly recommend Agricola.

A nice app to kill time when you’re playing the Agricola board game and it’s not your turn to play…

14. What digital app/tool that does not exist would you would like to create?

An application that allows you to travel through space and time.

15. What is the trait you are most proud of in yourself?

Being able to listen to others and to question myself regularly.

16. What is the trait you most admire in others?

I love passionate people, whatever their passion is.

17. What is the trait you most dislike in others?

I hate manipulators, people who don’t care about others and are pretending to be someone else to get selfishly what they want and often against the interests of others. Fortunately, I didn’t meet many in my life.

18. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

I would love to be a successful sportsman (tennis, football…) playing in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Why choose?

19. What is your most treasured possession, and why?

Possessions are less important than people and the moments you can spend with them.

20. What is your motto?

When you make a mistake, own it. There are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.