Quick fire – Guillaume Schavann

Guillaume Schavann, Sales Account Manager Europe for Fotokite 

What does ‘Fire protection’ mean to you?  

To me, Fire protection means all the measures, equipment, tactics and expertises to reduce the impact of Fire in most situations. Fire protection definitely makes people safer and helps save lives and properties. 

 What’s your all time favourite movie?  

Life of Pi movie is one of my favourites. I like how the narrator tells his journey, during which many different emotions come, but always full of poetry and astonishing visuals.  

 If you weren’t in the fire industry – what would you be doing and why? 

Robotics and new technologies have always driven me around. Yesterday in the 2D/3D mapping and today in the Fire industry. Tomorrow I might try to engage myself more in Environmental Protection & Sustainability, as it is a very important topic for me. 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? 

As a basketball player, I live by the quote ‘’ You miss all the shots you don’t take’’. 

More than just a piece of advice, a person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. It is usually after a failure that we find the best out of ourselves. ‘’Fail, fail again, fail better – Samuel Becket’’ 

 Describe yourself in three words? 

Perceptive – Honest – Resourceful 

 What makes you excited about the future of the fire industry? 

The ongoing digital revolution is already very exciting, with many projects such as Smart Fire Fighters, Electric Fire Trucks, 5G devices and A.I implementations. The future of the fire industry will definitely be connected. 

 Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 

In 5 years, I’d like to see myself living a peaceful life with my family and continue to work daily on having a positive social impact, still most probably in the drone/robotics industry.I would like to use my energy to develop sustainable solutions for a better world. 

Describe a funny thing that happened to you recently? 

People often ask me where I did my engineering studies, usually after technical talks or demonstrations with clients or partners. It turns out that I did not study engineers but an MBA Business Management & Entrepreneurship, but today with 8 years of experience in industrial robotics. 

What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your CV?  

My love for travels and cross-cultural meetings. Coming from France, I’m grateful for the day I’ve started to learn foreign languages (English and Spanish). This has always helped me think outside the box and avoid value judgements. 

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