Fauve, Quebec’s trailblazing talent acquisition firm, is developing across the South of France

Fauve aims to democratize headhunting and talent acquisition throughout France

Identifying the perfect candidate, especially for high-impact strategic positions, is a challenge for companies. Fauve, which was founded in Quebec in 2013, is revolutionizing recruitment methods for top professionals and sought-after experts by making the talent identification process more accessible.

Fauve has had a presence in France since 2021, and the company set up an office in Marseille in September 2023. The company’s business vision is centered around HR innovation and a robust approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The firm donates between 4% and 10% of revenues to projects that create jobs with a positive impact or to help Fauve support companies working in the socially responsible economy. Provence Promotion met with Olivier Cuilleret, the president and co-founder of Fauve, during a prospecting mission to Montreal alongside Corinne Orsoni from Euroméditerranée and Kevin Polizzi, the Chairman of the Unitel Group. The agency has now developed close ties with Cécily Bretel, who heads up the Marseille-based Fauve office and leads the effort to expand across the South of France.

The Quebec-based HR firm Fauve’s recently opened office in Provence is the latest step in the company’s successful strategy to have a regional presence across France. Fauve’s expansion into France started in 2021 when the company opened an office in Nancy to cover the eastern part of the country. This regional expansion strategy continued with branches in Lille, Paris, Lyon, and now Marseille, which will be used as a base to cover the entire South of France from Monaco to Biarritz.

“Coming from Quebec, we consider France a cousin because of the cultural and linguistic affinities. Since our three co-founders are of French origin, it was natural for us to choose France as the starting point for our international expansion. Marseille appealed to us as a location because of its energy and effervescence, its openness to Europe and the Mediterranean, its industrial base, and its innovations in digital technologies,” explains Olivier Cuilleret, who is the president of Fauve and co-founded the company alongside Lorenzo de Angelis and Benjamin Leclaire.

Founded to help Canadian companies deal with shortages of skilled professionals, Fauve has forged pioneering expertise in the field of talent acquisition and retention that involves a system of clear objectives and efficient, supportive methods for attracting, keeping, and developing top managers, executives, and leaders.

“Our goal is to bring a new approach to talent recruitment to France, just as we are doing in Montreal. Over the past ten years, we’ve developed innovative tools that simplify customer relations, and our HR assessments have been proven to be tremendously effective,” says Olivier Cuilleret.

Fauve strives to be accessible to small and medium-sized businesses by positioning itself halfway between a consultancy and a headhunting service. Fauve’s regional presence is essential for ensuring a proximity to its clients that both builds trust and allows for a rapid response to local employment needs.

Opening of a regional office in Marseille

The Fauve Méditerranée office in Marseille opened in September 2023 under the direction of Cécily Bretel. The company chose to set up its office at the Cité Fab coworking space, which is dedicated to shaping the business and social fabric of the metro area. “We capitalize on our past experience to offer the best possible support to our clients, and since I spent a large part of my career involved in the world of building and construction (general contractors, project management, and contracting), Cité Fab is the ideal place. It offers an enjoyable working environment, top-quality events, and the opportunity to meet new people,” says Cécily Bretel. In this initial development phase, Fauve Méditerranée is working in collaboration with Provence Promotion to increase its visibility within professional networks.

“Fauve’s platform is truly innovative. It’s an interactive portal that allows our clients to follow everything we do at every stage of the recruitment process in real-time. We attach a particular importance to the transparency and fluidity of our communication,” notes Cécily Bretel, who is counting on the vitality of the business ecosystem in France’s second-largest city to help Fauve grow and develop in the South of France.

Fauve currently employs 30 people, including 11 in France, with a team of two already active in Marseille. The next step in the company’s expansion is to open in Nantes in the west of France.