Meet Jean-Yves Beaugrand, a Senior Firmware Engineer at Le Thuit Anger (Molex France). He went to school in Paris and joined Molex about 15 years ago. What attracted him to a company like Molex?

Jean-Yves: I wanted to work at a company that offered plenty of training and development opportunities. Fifteen years later, I’d say I made the right choice! The motto in our office is to “Be a strong team.” Each person genuinely wants to help their colleagues improve their skills and succeed.

• Where are you from?

Jean-Yves: I’m from Cour-Cheverny in France, near the The Chateau de Cherverny.  Fun fact: The castle was the inspiration for the Belgian comic series, The Adventures of Tintin. Today, the chateau has an interactive exhibit that showcases the universe of the Tintin comic strips.

• Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Jean-Yves:  I am the youngest in a family of seven children. With that many people in one house, I learned about kindness, sharing, compromise and communication. That definitely prepared me for working in a big team! At the end of the day, family is so important to me. My wife and I enjoy traveling and we spend most weekends visiting friends. We also enjoy working on fun projects around our house like gardening. Also, no matter how busy I am, every week I take the time to call my family and share my accomplishments with them.

• What is one item on your bucket list?

Jean-Yves:  Take a cruise on the Nile River and visit the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

• Why did you want to become an engineer?

Jean-Yves:  Ever since I was a kid, I loved building and repairing electronics. I’d challenge myself by taking new computers apart and putting them back together. As a student, I found my passion for math and computer programming early on. When it came time to decide my career path, engineering seemed like an easy choice to me. 

I was also inspired by my father. He was clever and conscientious, always thinking of ways to find a better solution. I wanted to make him proud and show off what I learned from him growing up!

• What does your day-to-day look like?

Jean-Yves:  I always start the day with some coffee and read the news to catch up on current events. It’s important to keep track of the latest technology trends so we can propose the best solutions to our customers. Then, I check my emails that came in overnight and plan what needs to get done for the day.

• What’s your favorite part about your job?

Jean-Yves:  My favorite part about my job is the programming. It’s fun to build code, debug and see that everything I built works smoothly. But I also enjoy coaching my colleagues or setting up brainstorming meetings to improve and design new functionalities.

• How do you overcome challenges?

Jean-Yves:  Challenge is necessary to keep employees motivated and strive for something better. Every project is different and it’s inevitable that we will face challenges along the way. What keeps me going is remembering that solid teamwork and collaboration are the ingredients to overcome any business challenge. Don’t see challenges as a negative – see them as an opportunity to learn, test your creativity and see what you’re capable of!

• How do you keep track of good ideas?

Jean-Yves:  One trick I often use is to Post-it. That means, if you have a random idea while you’re working on a project, write it on a Post-it note and come back to it later. That way, you don’t divert your attention to the new idea and lose track of your current project. It’s a great way to stay organized while keeping track of something that you want to follow up on down the road.

• What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Jean-Yves:  Molex will bring you great opportunities when you’re motivated to lean into the experience and demonstrate that you’re willing to work hard. Every success and failure is an opportunity to learn. So network with other employees, work hard and stay motivated.