Anne-Sophie, Sales Advisor: “Orange has really supported my sporting pursuits and also helped to accommodate my disability after my accident.”

Anne-Sophie is B2B Sales Advisor. She shares her background, job challenges, daily experiences with a disability, and how Orange has supported her in balancing her life as a high-level athlete.

 

Discover the portrait of Anne-Sophie, Sales Advisor on the corporate market.

Anne-Sophie avec un ballon de basket sur les genoux, dans un fauteuil roulant de sport

Anne-Sophie, tell us about your job in a few words

I’ve been a B2B Sales Advisor for eight years now. My role is to work closely with the sales team to manage their customer portfolio. This involves assisting them in various tasks, such as processing joint requests, managing any complaints, and resolving various problems related to invoicing. Overall, my work covers a wide range of activities aimed at ensuring our enterprise accounts are managed efficiently and responsively.  

What sport do you practice ?

I have been playing wheelchair basketball since 2017. I started at a local Marseille club, where I played until last year. In 2022, I decided to do a sports season with the Meaux club in Île-de-France. Being based in Aix-en-Provence, Orange agreed to teleworking, to help me juggle my work in the south and my sporting commitments in Meaux.

How do you balance being a high-level athlete and Orange employee?

It’s true that balancing professional, sporting, and personal life is not always easy. However, I am lucky that Orange supports my sporting pursuits – as soon as I have training camps or competitions with the French team, I am able to go thanks to an agreement established between the Federation and the company. This is a huge advantage, because I don’t have to take unpaid leave for training so I can keep my days off for my personal life. I can continue to train for my sporting career without it impacting my professional career.
Thanks to this arrangement, I am able to juggle these different responsibilities. Of course, the pace is very intense, but it’s a choice I made and it’s an integral part of my life. For the moment, I don't plan to give it up.

As an employee and high-level athlete with a disability, how does Orange support you day to day?

I first joined the sales team at Orange without a disability. After my accident, the company immediately offered me a new role which was better suited to my new lifestyle. This was a huge opportunity, and I never feared losing my job, because I knew that Orange would help me find a suitable position. The company also helped me with a new wheelchair and funding to adapt my car, which were considerable costs that I could not afford alone. Even if my current position does not require any special treatment, I know that I can count on my contacts if new needs arise.

How does your sport help your professional development?

Sport has taught me a lot, and the values within it are reflected in both my professional and personal life. For example, teamwork is a key skill in my job. Even if I can do my work independently, mutual support and collaboration with the members of my team or cross-functional teams are essential. These aspects, which I practice daily in sport, have really added value to the way I work and contribute to teams across the business.

Why did you choose Orange?

At the time, I was an economics and management student, and I joined Orange as a part-time salesperson to help finance my studies. When the opportunity for a full-time position arose, I was 20 and seized the chance to join a large, multifaceted group. In fact, Orange has really supported my sporting pursuits and also helped to accommodate my disability after my accident. I feel good working here, whether within my department, with my manager, or with my team.