May 25, 2020

Episode 12

Entrepreneurship with Florian Villaumé

In this episode, Greg interviews Florian Villaumé, Director of Memorial University's Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE). Florian completed his Mechanical Engineering education in his native France, following that up with further education in Quebec where he completed a Masters in Fluid Mechanics. He describes his curious early career path working in Africa with Canadian Engineers Without Borders and how that unique experience shaped his thinking with respect to Leadership/ Development and the direction of his working life. The importance of having the courage to trust one’s instincts, coupled with the tools developed from early education, along with being able to sense the “energy in the room” leads this podcast to some very interesting recommendations for young and old entrepreneurs to ponder. The three key messages that he believes drive entrepreneurial growth in NL will intrigue you. Enjoy!

Podcast Outline:
  • 15:05 Florian's background and career path
  • 19:26 Engineers Without Borders and working with farmers in Africa
  • 22:18 Masters in Fluid Mechanics to a volunteer in an African village
  • 24:21 Key leadership elements; head vs heart and trusting your instincts
  • 28:36 Challenges associated with a virtual meeting environment
  • 29:38 Three key messages that lead Florian's thinking every day
  • 35:52 MCE overview and support for entrepreneurial thinking
  • 45:37 GlobalNL and MUN partnership
  • 56:57 Belief in the potential for entrepreneurial growth in NL
  • 58:34 GlobalNLs current activity and future development
  • 1:05:12 Career paths and the jungle gym effect
  • 1:11:02 Florian’s “billboard”