Images of exotic white beaches, lush jungles and dreamlike architecture are the stuff social media pages are made of, but if you had the choice, would you truly pick a life of travel? Constant movement is key to progress, but so many resist it in favor of predictability and safety – ideals which have had little place in the career of Cécile Peyrard.
Cécile began her working relationship with the high-end interiors firm in a quite unexpected way. “I had completed my university degree in Business Studies two years previously and was working in Lyon in the export business. Back then my work was focused on compressors for construction… I knew nothing about furniture and would never have thought it would become the focal point of my career.”
In 1989, though, something changed, Cécile decided to move to Paris and, not one to shy away from novelty, responded to an ad in a newspaper for a company that was already an established brand in the city: Roche Bobois. “The company was looking for an export assistant to launch new stores,” she says, “and they also needed someone who was fluent in various languages.” Cécile fit the bill perfectly, owing to her proficiency in English and Spanish (she had lived in London and Mexico as part of her studies).
Meeting François Roche, founder of Roche Bobois, was undoubtedly a turning point in Cécile’s life. “I attended three interviews before I was selected, but once I was hired, François Roche took great effort to acquaint me with everything to do with furniture and interiors and I developed a true passion for design. I learned so many things from him: how to present furniture, the different collections, materials, style, history… it is a rich world I am delighted to be part of.”
The job allowed Cécile to indulge another of her biggest interests: travel. “I almost immediately began launching stores for Roche Bobois abroad – in a plethora of countries and cities, including the U.S., Spain, London, Athens, Buenos Aires and Mexico, which is one of the most wonderful countries I have lived in. I first visited Mexico when I was in the final stretch of my degree. We had to study a third language and mine was Spanish. Through the father of a friend, an opportunity arose for me to go to Mexico, which was dangerous but also incredible…”
Words Marisa Cutillas / Photography Kevin Horn
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