Laurent Derote
CEO
Laurent Derote has always worked within the real estate and construction worlds. After graduating from ESC Nantes-Audencia, he held various positions working for the three major players of the French private housing sector (Phenix, Bouygues and Bruno Petit). In 1987 he joined Daniel Porte Consultants – a recruitment consulting firm which successively became TMP Worldwide, Hudson Global Resources and Morgan Philips Hudson after a number of takeovers and spin-offs – where he established and led the Real Estate & Construction department for 25 years.
In 2013, Laurent Derote launched his own firm “Laurent Derote Consultants Executive Search”. In 2015, the company became DVA Executive Search, following a partnership structure. Since then he has been leading the company along with Sophie Vatté-Refes.
Laurent Derote and his team have helped their clients to succeed over many years in all types of market conditions, they became the leader in recruitment of executives and senior managers within the real estate and construction industries.
Sophie Vatté-Refes
CEO
Graduated in law and literature, Sophie Vatté-Refes started her carrier in communication and event management as a recruitment manager. In 1990 she joined the Real Estate & Construction division at Daniel Porte Consultants, an Executive Search firm which was later acquired by TMP Worldwide before becoming Hudson Global Resources. In 1995 she became Director of the Commercial and Retail Real Estate Practice and took the lead of the Real Estate & Construction division in 2014.
In 2015 she joined DVA Executive Search as a partner and is leading the company along with Laurent Derote. Sophie is bilingual French-Spanish and has a passion for those two cultures.
Caroline Schütz-Ferreira
Partner Consultant
After moving from Fribourg in Germany to France, Caroline Schütz-Ferreira obtained a Maîtrise LEA from Paris X University in 1988 and joined the Real Estate & Construction division at Daniel Porte Consultants, an executive search firm which was later acquired by TMP Worldwide before becoming Hudson Global Resources. She started her career within the international recruitment department as a Research Officer for the German market, before being promoted to Senior Consultant in 2000. In 2014, Caroline Schütz-Ferreira joined Laurent Derote Consultants – which became DVA Executive Search a year later – as a partner consultant.
Trilingual French/German/English, Caroline has developed extensive skills and networks, especially among international investors.
Pascale Ben Baruch
Senior Research Officer, partner
A grade in Labour Economics and Social Policy, Pascale Ben Baruch started her career as a Research Officer more than 20 years ago. She worked for various recruitment firms, first as a generalist before becoming a recruitment specialist for an IT services company. In the early 2000s she specialized in the construction and real estate industries.
Pascale joined DVA Executive Search in 2014 as a Senior Research Officer and partner. She is an expert in cold calling, direct approach and has a wealth of recruitment expertise across French regions.
Christophe Blas
Partner Consultant
Bilingual French-English, fluent in Italian, Christophe studied business management and holds a Licence LCE. He joined the Real Estate & Construction department of Daniel Porte Consultants in 2000 – which later became TMP Woldwide and then Hudson Global Resources. He started as a recruitment Research Officer before becoming Senior Consultant in Recruitment and Human Resources from 2006, developing his skills in recruitment, evaluation and reconciliation.
Christophe joined DVA Executive Search in 2015. Leader of various real estate clubs, he cultivates a special link with the North of France and Italy.
Catherine Lefevre
Senior Consultant
Catherine Lefevre, an engineering graduate of EPF, initially held a construction management position for 5 years in a leading construction company. In 2000, she joined a renowned recruitment firm as HR consultant. For the past 20 years, she has specialized in executive and senior-level recruitment within the complex project domains of construction, infrastructure, real estate, and industry.
She provides counsel to construction and engineering firms, industrial companies, infrastructure managers, and public and private project owners. Catherine Lefevre also incorporates current ecological transition and energy efficiency challenges into her missions.
Furthermore, Catherine Lefevre is a member of “Women Executive” and “Cercle InterElles.”
Sonia de Foucaucourt
Consultant
A graduate of the Institut Supérieur de Gestion, Sonia de Foucaucourt began her career as a Research Officer in a direct-approach recruitment firm, where she advised large accounts in the retail and IT sector. Wishing to specialize in real estate, she then joined a dedicated team within a recruitment firm as a Consultant. As part of her role in the real estate practice, Sonia supported key decision-makers in their recruitments. After 7 years of experience, Sonia joined DVA Executive Search and brought her expertise of the real estate sectors, from promotion to asset management, including associated services and the digitization of sectors.
Caroline Merkin
Senior Research Officer
Caroline discovered executive search during her final year internship as she graduated in private law and obtained an MBA in Audit and Human Resources Management. Caught up in the game, she continued on this path as a Research Officer at Hudson Global Resources in the Real Estate and Construction team.
Passionate about this sector, its multiple ramifications and functions, she worked for 8 years at Hudson before pursuing the adventure at DVA in 2015, within a team that she particularly liked. Caroline developed a strong expertise in designing scenarios to identify and approach potential candidates in target companies. She also provides on-going support to the consultants and helps them succeed in their missions, at the “short-list” stage in particular.
Romain Burget
Research Officer
As part of his Master degree in “Human Resources Management” at IPAG business school, Romain joined DVA for a work-study programme as head hunter. Thanks to several previous internships, first as a salesman at FNAC DARTY, then as a business developer at Remixt and finally as a headhunter/marketing and communication assistant at Batenborch in Belgium, Romain developed a rich and diversified professional experience. Passionate about fitness and sports dietetics, his main qualities are self-sacrifice and determination which are values conveyed by his sport which he practices rigorously. At the same time, Romain is in charge of communication for the IPAGAMING association and has a keen sense of interpersonal skills which he uses to share opportunities with real estate professionals.
Marie-Laure Douglas
Partner Consultant
Marie-Laure is self-employed and founded Nord Caraïbes RH in 2014, partnering up with HR consulting firms. She works in the French overseas departments and territories on HR consulting, personal development, recruitment and training missions. She is a partner of DVA Executive Search.
Matthieu Fradon
Head of Finance & Administration
After studying business management and administration, Matthieu Fradon began his professional career in 2000 within the Massoni Group, Distributor and Repairer of Mercedes Trucks and LCVs, as a Management Assistant based in his native region, Dordogne. In 2010, he discovered recruitment and headhunting by joining Hudson Global Resources in Paris to assist the Business Unit directors and Consultants of various teams: first RPO, then Finance, IT, Legal and finally Real Estate & Construction.
In 2014, Laurent Derote Consultants, which became DVA Executive Search a year later, hired him as Office Manager to support the young firm in its launch, development and management. In 2018, Matthieu was appointed Administrative & Financial Manager, providing an essential support to the Partners and the team as a whole in the areas of financial and administrative management, customer and supplier accounting, communication, service provider management and human resources.
Laetitia Lettier
Office manager
Literary trained, trilingual, Laetitia Lettier holds a degree in Spanish. In addition to her linguistic studies she worked at Grand Optical, trained in optics and occupied a number of roles within the organization after graduation: first Madrid, then Paris as Head of the luxury department at the Opera store and finally Deputy Director of multiple stores.
After 15 years in commerce, Laetitia wished to capitalize on her people management skills and in-depth knowledge of Retail. She turned to recruitment, applied to DVA Executive Search in 2015 to join a company on a human scale, a set of important values which echo particularly well with hers.
Today, Laetitia is Office Manager. A true “Swiss Army Knife”, she works closely with all members of the team. Development and commercial management, administrative management, organization, communication and international recruitment missions punctuate her days. Serving clients, candidates and the team is at the heart of her concerns.
Cécile Meunier
Office Assistant
After studying the piano and classical music at the Conservatoire and the ENMP, Cécile took a business course and decided to explore the corporate world. She worked 6 years as a receptionist mostly for BNP Paribas, before retraining and obtaining a BTS Manager Assistant. She joined DVA Executive Search in February 2018 as an assistant, providing a very strong support to the whole team. She “orchestrates” logistics, welcomes professionals, candidates, clients and prospects, prepares application files including tests, arranges registrations and participations to conferences and events for our consultants.
Alexandra Apostolescu
Head of Talent Development
Alexandra Apostolescu joined DVA as director of the Talent Development department. Her mission is to establish and grow the business to serve all types of corporate clients including real estate companies.
Alexandra is a work psychologist, certified coach with a specialization in neurocognitive approach and more than 25 years of professional experience in human resources. After 10 years at Paribas she moved to consulting: senior consultant, head of the Assessment-Development centre practice at Hudson before joining Haxio, a subsidiary of the Alixio group, as director of Talent Management.
While the field of talent management encompasses a variety of practices and expertise, Alexandra and her team support you specifically in creating and fostering sustainable performances of all your Talents through innovative and stimulating approaches, anchored in their day-to-day professional environment.
