Authors and Consultants

Jean-Benoit Parat and Francois Pham are partners with Persona Global President and Founder Jon Gornstein in the Paris-based consulting firm, Open'Act. Messrs. Parat and Pham are highly skilled change practitioners, guiding corporations through structural and cultural transformation, and helping them make effective changes by implementing measurable performance management systems. Open'Act serves as Persona Global's European office. Messrs. Parat and Pham partner with Persona to deliver the entire suite of Persona's programs, and to train other consulting partners in the use of Persona products. They also consult directly with client companies. Since founding Open'Act in 1995, the two have instituted Persona programs for major brands such as Alcatel, France Telecom, Renault, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen France), Schweppes, Kraft, and Mars. Francois Pham, the primary author of Management Action Profile, and Project Management 360°, is an expert in the integration of Internet-based technologies with human resources and training methodologies. He previously served as a consultant with Paris-based ADHECA, where he became a recognized expert in "educational engineering," merging new learning technologies with curriculum development. Jean-Benoit Parat, the primary author of Sales Competency Assessment tool, has conducted extensive sales performance case studies across a wide range of industries. Before co-founding Open'Act, he was a colleague of Mr. Pham's at ADHECA, where he specialized in consulting interventions in the area of implementing measurable change management systems.

Focus

Messrs. Parat and Pham have leveraged their combined 35 years of training and systems experience to develop Persona programs that help people improve their management skills, and that give sales managers a quick evaluation of effectiveness and performance. Management Action Profile (MAP) is a 360-degree survey which managers use to evaluate their performance in eight key practice areas, including leadership and team cooperation. They are given performance-based feedback, based on the survey data. Project Management 360° uses Persona's proven "how-others-perceive-me" methodology to give managers feedback from their team. Managers participate in a workshop to identify where they need to improve in areas of team and change leadership, and project management skills, and what they are doing right. They also receive a 360-degree view of what it takes to successfully plan, execute, and complete a multi-phased project. Sales Competency Assessment (SCA) tool uses 13 key sales performance indicators, such as ability to close a sale and negotiation skills, to evaluate an individual's performance.

Current Activities

At Persona's European office, Messrs. Parat and Pham consult with clients on the entire range of Persona programs and surveys. Clients include AGF, BNP, Frantour, Caisse des Depots et Consignations, Securite Sociale, and Sogerba (Groupe Granada). In their consulting work with Persona clients, they focus on putting in place processes that will sustain cultural change inside client enterprises. Messrs. Parat and Pham also focus on recruiting and expanding Persona's trainer/consultant network in Europe. They are responsible for licensing Persona tools to other consultants.

Experience

Jean-Benoit Parat began his career in the marketing department at Carte Bleue, Banques Populaires, Angers, France. For ten years at ADHECA, he consulted to organizations on structural and cultural change, performance appraisal systems, and training and sales management programs. Later, he became responsible for commercial operations. Mr. Parat then managed a team of ten consultants, focusing on implementing measurable change management systems. He left ADHECA in 1995 to found Open'Act. Francois Pham first served as a trainer with France Telecom. He then moved to Renault Automobiles, Paris, where he implemented training programs that merged technology with management techniques. Later, he directed a team of consultants at ADHECA, where he was responsible for developing strategic solutions targeting the French market. After six years at ADHECA, Mr. Pham left in 1995 to found Open'Act.

Education

Jean-Benoit Parat is a graduate of the Ecole Superieure des Sciences Commerciale d'Angers, (ESSCA), France. Francois Pham has a M.A. in business administration, and a DESS - Diploma for Training and Interventions in Organizations - from the University of Paris IX Dauphine. He also holds a M.A. Economique et Sociale from Paris IX Dauphine, and a license de communications au CELSA, Paris IV.