From Ambition to Action: Building an International Career at SCOR

Théodore Giffard started his professional journey with a clear ambition: to broaden his horizons through international experience. After earning a master’s degree in IT auditing in France, he was determined to find the global exposure he had missed during his work-study years.

“Very early in my studies, I was already working as an apprentice, so three days a week I would be working in the company and two days a week I would be in university,” Théodore said. “That was extremely enriching experience, but because of that I couldn't have an international experience or do Erasmus, so the VIE felt like the perfect solution.”

The VIE program, or Volontariat International en Entreprise, is a French program that allows young professionals to work abroad for up to two years on a special French contract. These contracts are often in roles designed to provide international perspective and can serve as a steppingstone in young professionals’ careers once they return to France – or if they decide to take the next steps in their career abroad.

Finding a VIE in IT audit wasn’t easy. VIEs can be hard to come by and are highly competitive, especially in niche areas like IT audit. So, Théodore leveraged his network: “I reached out to my classmates and alumni. I found SCOR’s head of audit in Singapore in my master’s alumni register, and a classmate gave me an HR contact in Paris. That’s how the opportunity came to life.”

His aspiration for international experience aligned well with SCOR’s culture. As a global company with an international client base, diverse perspectives and cultural adaptability are strategic advantages that strengthen the organization and drive innovation.

But why Singapore? From the beginning, Théodore had his sights set on an opportunity further afield than the UK or US.

“I wanted something dynamic and English-speaking, but I didn’t want to do a VIE just to cross the sea and go to England which was too close for my taste, or to go to the US, which seemed like the place everyone around me was aiming for,” he explained. “So, then I looked the other way and that was Hong Kong and Singapore. I decided to focus on Singapore because it offered a unique mix of global business and cultural diversity.”

So, in October 2015, Théodore started his VIE in Singapore as a junior auditor within SCOR’s Internal Audit team. His responsibilities included supporting senior auditors in planning and executing audits across the APAC region.

“Audit may not sound glamorous,” he said, “but it gives you a deep understanding of how a company operates.”

His work required rigor: documenting interviews, validating controls, and drafting reports to senior management and the Board Audit Committee. Beyond these technical skills, the role taught him adaptability towards different cultures: he learned that when speaking to colleagues from certain countries, he should present findings concisely and confidently, while when working with colleagues from other regions he did better to adopt a more diplomatic tone in order to maintain harmony.

After two years, with his VIE coming to an end and no local positions available in Singapore, Théodore returned to SCOR’ Paris office. But only six months later, an unexpected job opening arose: a senior auditor role back in Singapore, and he jumped at the opportunity.

“I never planned to stay in audit forever, but SCOR offered mobility and growth,” he said.

In the years that followed, Théodore led audit assignments across the APAC region, until he found a new role that promised him room to grow in a strategic position where he could leverage his knowledge of SCOR’s processes and compliance. That’s how he ended up in IT Risk Management, this time back in Paris, where he now works as part of the SCOR Tech department, acting as a bridge between external auditors and internal IT teams.

“I had accumulated so much knowledge about processes and compliance at SCOR that it made sense to use it in a new role,” he said.

Beyond the concrete progression of his career at SCOR, Théodore appreciates SCOR’s international culture and recognition of transferable skills. At SCOR, international experience fosters adaptability, cultural intelligence and strong communication across borders, all of which are critical qualities for a company that operates globally and serves clients in diverse markets.

Looking back, Théodore recognizes that his VIE experience gave him a unique advantage in his career – but so did his determination to create opportunities when he wasn’t finding roles that he was excited about. He thinks it’s important to create your own career path by networking and reaching out to professionals in the fields you’re interested in, while also staying open to unexpected possibilities that might arise and lead you in a different direction. But no matter where the opportunity comes from, he emphasizes the importance of adding real value to your role: “My mantra was simple: make my boss’s life easier. Don’t just bring problems, bring solutions as well.”

And while international experience can open doors for new career opportunities, Théodore also recognizes that it requires you to step out of your comfort zone, especially when it comes to language barriers. His advice? Don’t aim for perfection; confidence matters more than speaking flawlessly.

But if he could share one piece of advice with his younger self, it would be this: don’t be afraid to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. And never hesitate to ask for what you want: “If you never ask, you’ll ever get it.”

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