Interview Sandrine Etchebehere

1. Who are you and what is your current role / position at Loomis?

I am Senior Financial Controller at Loomis Switzerland and have been with the company for three years. In my role, I am responsible for controlling, which includes the monthly, quarterly, and yearly closings, and the reporting and budgeting cycles, as well as financial analysis to support the operational business. In addition, I support the Finance Director with specific projects or strategic topics when needed.

2. How was it for you when you were informed that you can take part in the Catalyst  program?

I was honestly very surprised, but also incredibly happy and grateful to have been selected. For me Catalyst is a great development opportunity – both professionally as well as personally. I find the exchange with colleagues from different areas and countries of the group particularly valuable.

We are 20 participants from diverse backgrounds within the group, and this diversity is exactly what makes the program so engaging. Catalyst helps break down silos, build new connections across the group, and learn from one another.

3. How is it currently for you to work at Loomis, also in connection with the Catalyst program?

Loomis operates in cash management as well as in the transport of valuables, in an international environment that is evolving very quickly and where adaptability and responsiveness are essential. 
What I particularly appreciate about Loomis are the people. Responsibility, reliability, and a down-to-earth mindset are essential in our business, and this is clearly reflected in everyday work. It creates a positive and motivating environment on a daily basis.

In the Catalyst program, you collaborate with colleagues across the group who share similar values and a common ambition to shape the company’s future. We work on strategic topics related to the future of Loomis, and these exchanges broaden perspectives and strengthen collaboration. It truly feels like you are actively contributing to the company’s ongoing development.

4. What makes your job so exciting or unique and what do you particularly like?

I find our industry particularly interesting, as it combines stability with continuous change. Cash remains essential, while at the same time we must constantly adapt to evolving market and customer needs.

What makes my job especially rewarding is the transversal nature of the role. I interact with many different functions across the business, both locally and at Group level. I help teams better understand their data, how their activities contribute to the overall success of the company, and how their actions impact performance. 

By doing this across multiple departments, we can progressively drive more informed decisions and ultimately see a real improvement reflected in the financial results.

Another aspect I find exciting at Loomis is the opportunity, despite having a local role, to contribute beyond a local scope by participating in international projects or development programs like Catalyst, gaining broader perspectives across the group.

5. What are the challenges in your job?

A key challenge is supporting a business in transformation while ensuring financial transparency in a fast-changing environment. 

From a finance perspective, this means supporting operational teams with solid analysis, managing multiple topics in parallel, and maintaining the right balance between performance, control, and adaptability.

6. Which characteristics and skills do you need to be successful in your job?

In my role, it is important not only to look at numbers but to understand what drives them. A large part of my role involves analyzing and structuring data to develop relevant KPIs and support decision-making.

This requires strong prioritization, the ability to maintain an overview, and the capacity to step back in complex situations. Data, systems, and transformation projects are also becoming increasingly important.

7. Which Loomis value is personally the most important for you and why?

The Loomis values are People – Service – Integrity.
For me “Integrity” is the most important of the three Loomis values. I believe that integrity is the basis for everything else. If people act with integrity, they automatically deal respectfully with others and create trust – both within the teams as well as towards customers. 

8. What is particularly important to you in daily interaction?

My father always said with his huge Basque accent: “Good Behavior is the most important in life.” And I think there is a lot of truth in that. For me it is important to work with people who have good values, treat each other with respect and simply give their best.

I appreciate people who are reliable, trustworthy and supportive and for whom the ego is not in the center. Exactly that is what I experience in everyday life at Loomis, and that is why I like working very much with my colleagues.

9. Is there a moment in your working day or in the program that has particularly remained in your memory so far?

About the contents of the Catalyst program, I of course cannot speak in detail. But what personally impressed me particularly was the human reality behind careers.

Through the conversations with colleagues from different countries I became aware of how different cultural, social and personal situations can be – and which personal sacrifices some people make for their career or their family. Exactly this openness and this human side made the program particularly valuable for me.