A day in the life of Sylvain Ventre
Photos Louis Canadas
Words Matthieu Morge-Zucconi
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A conversation with Sylvain, co-founder of Willie Beamen, about sports, advertising and surfing.
"Shaving for me is simple, it takes me ten years to grow a beard!" laughs Sylvain Ventre when asked about his grooming habits. At 35, Sylvain has already pursued several careers, and, one might say, lived several lives: that of a professional sportsman, but also that of an advertising executive. First for the Lagardère Group, then for Willie Beamen, the agency he co-founded. He welcomed us to his home, a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower, to talk about his daily life as a company director, life as a former sportsman and his passion for surfing (which he obviously doesn't practice in Paris).
How do you go from being a top sportsman to co-founder of an advertising agency?
I was a professional handball player, in the first division, in Nîmes where I spent my entire life as a handball player, from the age of 7 to 28. In addition to handball, I continued my studies, which gave me the option to change careers.. At one point, when I felt that I had done all I could in my sport, I had the opportunity to attend ESSEC under the right circumstances. High-level sport is a good training course because there are real requirements and real rigour. In terms of management, managing a locker room of 20 testosterone-laden guys gives you the keys to managing conflicts in a company.
Today, what does Willie Beamen represent in terms of numbers?
The company was founded 4 years ago, and we are 4 founding partners. We all come from the sports world. We have 20 to 20 employees, this number evolves according to the freelancers who join us on occasional missions.
You started working in advertising after your sports career. How did you get into this field?
I started at the Lagardère Group, where I joined Romain Collinet, who is now my partner at Willie Beamen. We dealt with the advertising contracts of the group's sportsmen and women, their image rights. At the time, we managed the interests of Joakim Noah, Gaël Monfils and Laura Flessel, now a minister. We were the middle-men between the brand and the athlete. After giving advice, we thought we could do it ourselves, and we decided to launch our agency.
What is your role in the agency?
I'm mainly in charge of creation. I like telling stories, whatever the platform: film, photo, digital.Our roles are divided according to the affinities of each person, but we are quite flexible. It's essential for us to be creative and flexible: we're a small structure, and that's what sets us apart from bigger agencies.
What type of clients do you work with today?
There are all types, but we mainly work on campaigns in France. Recently, we worked with Peugeot for whom we won the 2017 campaign for tennis activation, Samsung for the Rio 2016 Olympics, Mumm with Usain Bolt, Lidl with Nikola Karabatic, among others... Most of our clients are French brands.
What is your working day like?
I'm in the office at around 8:15. Before that I have a sweet or savoury breakfast, depending on what I want, muesli and fromage blanc or avocado toast, and then I hit the road. I often have coffee with my associates right next to the office. My associates arrive around 9:30, so I have some time alone. I travel a lot for appointments and filming. The days are quite long: when you set up your own agency, you have to work all the time, you don't really want to take time off. It's a job where you have to be present, visible. You have to go and see the clients, even once the campaign is out, to discuss it. There's a real human side to it, in addition to the creation. You have to tell people about the campaigns you've done and make them aware of your work.
We can see your collection of surfboards, is it one of your passions?
Yes, I started when I was playing handball. When you play a professional sport, at some point it becomes repetitive and the constant competition takes a toll on your mental state. I found surfing peaceful, it helped me let go and clear my head. I still cut today, it's essential: I go surfing in Morocco, Portugal, the Maldives, the Landes... To be good at my job, I need balance.
What is this balance for you?
Balance and happiness should come first, in my opinion. I wouldn't mind being away from Paris for a few days a week, for example. I would love to be able to do 4 days of intense work in Paris, and 3 days on the Basque coast or in the Landes surfing and working remotely.
I imagine that your sporting career has left you with a high level of fitness. Do you still do a lot of sport?
I do all the sports that are offered to me. I'm not in a club or a team, because I didn't want to have any training constraints. I wanted to do it at my own pace. I run, I play tennis... I try to do 2 or 3 sports sessions a week. If I don't do it, I feel I'm a bit more irritable, let's say (laughs).
When you go surfing, what products do you take with you?
SPF50 or Horace SPF30 sun cream, that's essential. I can tan, but I'm really careful. When it's hot, I wear a t-shirt when I'm surfing. It protects me from the sun, but also from the reef if I fall. Otherwise, I have a sun stick, for the "mask": the nose and the eye area. In case of strong sun, it's essential.
And in Paris, what do you use?
I like to use something when my skin is a bit dry after the shower, like Horace cream which is very moisturising. I shave regularly, even though I don’t have a full beard...
Isn't appearance very important in your line of work?
Yes, of course, but it's quite relaxed. I don't wear a suit, but if I have to meet the CEO of a client company I wear a jacket and shirt, and a pair of boots. When it's a producer, I'll be in jeans and trainers. It depends on the client!