Sébastien is our very own Frenchman who many are excited to know more about because of his one-of-a-kind humor. So, we are starting off this year with a story to get you smiling for the rest of the 11 months.
The heading might have tipped it off, but when Sébastien was growing up he wanted to become no other than Luke Skywalker – drive spaceships, discover planets and take down bad guys with a lightsaber. Also just do some cool moves with a lightsaber and cut down things for fun. If he has to give a more realistic answer, on who he wanted to become, then a teacher or jet fighter pilot, which is not that far from being a Jedi Master.
Science fiction also got him interested in science. In his opinion science-fiction is close to philosophy – you draw a hypothesis, such as there are other civilizations in the universe, you have a warp-speed engine to reach them, and whatnot. Then you see how it will evolve. Change a parameter in the hypothesis and it’s a totally different story.
Science fiction doesn’t get all the credit though. His math teacher M. Francis Jamm also played a big part in getting Sébastien into the world of science. Led by the math teacher he belonged to a small group outside the regular teaching schedule in high school where they were using math to solve some “mysteries”. The big project was with sand heaps: “On a heightened plate, sand is poured until it overflows everywhere. What shape of the sand heap is obtained?” It may sound simple at first, but not when you really start to think about it. Eventually they were able to solve the problem and get some great experience out of it. If you want to try it out, then go ahead: http://www.lycee-lavoisier.net/TasSable/tdslesite/anglais/p1.html
After sand heaps Sébastien also got to go with his team to regional science competition, which they won, then the national one, which they also won, then the international one. The last one they did not win, but he did get to see other 16- to 18-year-olds with a bunch of crazy machines. He has believed ever since then that science is a game changer.
All this experience didn´t get him immediately working in science though. He wanted to go to a military academy and become an officer. This plan was put on hold eventually, because it turned out the whole world doesn't speak French. So, he went to Strasbourg business school with the goal to develop language skills and to have an education that could land him a job after the army. During that time he did an Erasmus year in Tallinn, after which the idea of walking in the mud with poor equipment didn’t feel like the best choice anymore. Still, he went to the army as a reservist, but decided he was better off in the business world.
He then went into banking, but it was boring and not the best thing to do during the Great Financial Crisis. After that he did an MBA in competitive intelligence, which was and still is awesome. Although getting a job in France turned out to be not what he was expecting: “Ohh you have an MBA, ok can you do the coffee for 6 months for 3€? Thanks, but no thanks.” He then decided to send out his resume all over the EU and found a company doing some kind of CRP – no, RPC - no, PCR and they were looking for a French speaking person. He found the technology interesting with a high probability that it wasn’t junk science. He knew the country; knew he would continue to like it and that’s how he ended up in Solis BioDyne. So here he is selling things. Things to see if people are sick and if they need specific treatment etc.
Having lived such an interesting life, he has some excellent life advice to share: “Do sports, read, think by yourself, always question and be smart. Don’t do nonsense, don’t mingle negatively in other people's lives. And most importantly: laugh, laugh, laugh. Life is too short to be serious all the time. Also, if you plan to build a giant machine to destroy the universe, don’t build an unprotected exhaust port and tell your plans for ten hours before pressing the red button: IT. NEVER. ENDS. WELL.”
He also has some great motivators – success, always going further and swimming in his pool of money on the weekend. More seriously though, taking care of his family, having a very supportive (and beautiful) partner, even when he had a late call during Covid time and she just managed to put their 1 month old baby to sleep. So, the best he can do is make sure to not let them down.
During his free time Sébastien likes to go on walks with his family, teach stupid things to his son, read science fiction or whatever is action packed and not boring, also watch some nice movies or TV shows.
In Solis BioDyne he likes that it feels like a family, it’s easy to connect and solve technical issues. He also likes that his colleagues have the capability to go deep into scientific details, but still be clear enough for him to understand what they are talking about. Basically, there is always someone able to explain difficult scientific things in layman’s terms. Other things that are cool about Solis BioDyne is that it’s located in Estonia, Tartu - a big village by Western standard, but a big city in Estonia, where you can reach one part of the city to the other, by foot, within 1h. Celebrating each other’s birthdays is another plus, as is not having to wear a formal business suit all the time.
During the years in Solis BioDyne, he has gathered some great stories and experiences as well. One of the most memorable memories is his first time at the company’s summer days where he got stuck in the bathroom. Obviously in the middle of the night - he was forced to climb out of the window using a ladder. There are of course better memories like writing together to customers before Christmas with some hot wine and a lot of laughs (before the virus). Best team experiences also include skiing in the Estonian “mountains”, going to international exhibitions and solving the COVID-19 penury for reagents worldwide.
Others at Solis BioDyne have said that Sébastien is funny and has a very good sense of humor. He's never afraid to say what's in his mind and as he calls himself, he's an arrogant Frenchman but in his sweet way. He is awesome and beautiful. He always pays attention to the details and performs ultrafast analysis, never accepting new information as a fact without context.
In the next 9 years Sébastien will probably just continue doing what he is doing now, although he might write a sci-fi novel, if he finds the time. He is also looking for sci-fi book or series recommendations, so be sure to contact him, if you have any good ideas. The same, if you happen to have a working lightsaber just lying at the back of your closet.
To put a nice finish to this story, here is a quote from Sébastien: “If you go looking for trouble, you're sure to find it.”
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