Interview with Olivier Gignoux, Groupe Renault's employee and volunteer at the Paris 2018 Gay Games
Olivier Gignoux has worked at Groupe Renault for over 20 years as an engineer in Kangoo series production and upgrades, in collaboration with the Maubeuge plant. He is currently based at the Villiers Saint Frédéric site specialized in light commercial vehicles. Like other Groupe Renault's employees, he is a volunteer at the tenth edition of the Paris 2018 Gay Games, which takes place in the French capital from August 4 to 12.
What is your background and how long have you worked at Renault?
I studied as an engineer at Ecole des Arts et Métiers with a view to working at Renault. I wanted to be an engineer at Renault from a very young age. I joined the company in 1990. I held a number of positions before moving on to the Villiers Saint Frédéric site – a Renault subsidiary at the time – to work on special vehicles, notably for the police and gendarmerie. Today I am a technical synthesis engineer, synthesizing technical upgrades for the body and body equipment of Kangoo.
Why did you decide to be a volunteer at the Paris Gay Games?
I have often done voluntary charity work – it’s a way for me to contribute and commit. At the Groupe Renault, I was elected to the Works Council of the Renault site at Villiers Saint Frédéric. I also look after the new recruits at the site to help them settle in. In 2015, I was a volunteer driver for the Group for the COP 21 event. I am also in close relations with the Groupe Renault’s LGBT organization, which provided me with considerable support when I decided to switch from a heterosexual to a homosexual couple. In a personal capacity, I have presided over the sports competitions of the students of Ecole des Arts et Métiers for over 20 years. And I also serve as interface between students in the second and third years at the Paris campus and the Ecole des Arts et Métiers alumni organization, devoting three or four evenings a month to this commitment. My involvement in the Gay Games is a way of representing the company and its employees in a positive manner in all their diversity.
As a volunteer, what will be your role at the Paris Gay Games?
I will be on the Groupe Renault stand at the Paris Gay Games Village on the square in front of the City Hall in the first arrondissement of Paris. I will be manning the stand for the opening on Saturday August 4 and that entire weekend, and on Monday after work from 6 pm to 10 pm. Unfortunately, I am not sufficiently available to compete in a sports event. I would have liked to play squash or volleyball – sports I play on a regular basis.
What do you think of Groupe Renault’s CSR policy?
I think the Group has a dynamic and positive policy. The various organizations present at the group provide advice, listen to people, dialogue and build relationships, which helps people to feel less alone when faced with issues liable to lead to exclusion. Besides the LGBT organization, there are other initiatives favoring inclusion, actions that create a fresh perspective on disabilities and promote gender equality, among many others, and at all our business sites. Groupe Renault is a company with a proactive and open CSR policy.
Groupe Renault’s CSR policy focused on inclusion
Groupe Renault’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, called “Mobilize”, focuses on two main issues in which the group is particularly involved: inclusion and sustainable mobility. The policy comprises five commitments: diversity, education, social entrepreneurship, the environment, and road safety. Regarding inclusion, Groupe Renault aims to create an environment of trust and mutual understanding in which each person at the company, regardless of their age, physical condition, disability, gender, sexual orientation, origin or religion, feels at ease and can be themselves. This enables them to express all their individual potential and thereby contribute to collective performance.
