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A former corporate attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions, and later a legal director at major corporations, Solveig Le Pichon has built up more than twenty years of experience in both France and China. A cancer diagnosis turned her life upside down. She left everything behind, earned an Executive MBA from EDHEC, and founded her own firm focused on mental health in the workplace. Today, as a trainer and consultant, she speaks on topics such as the prevention of psychosocial risks, stress management, and conflict resolution, with an energy and sense of humor that make an impact even in the most serious of settings.
As a former corporate attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions, I practiced for fourteen years at various major law firms in France and China. I have a fairly international background: I’m French-Norwegian, moved to France when I was twelve, speak several languages, and I loved that aspect of my career.
After fourteen years in private practice, I joined the company as general counsel, working in a wide variety of settings—public, quasi-public, and multicultural.
Then I was diagnosed with cancer. For me, there was a before and an after. I still loved my job, but my priorities had changed. So I decided to change paths. I earned an Executive MBA from EDHEC to shift my mindset and expand my network. I then ventured into entrepreneurship and founded People Mind a little over two years ago—a firm specializing in the prevention of psychosocial risks and mental health in the workplace.
Anything related to mental health in the workplace, whether directly or indirectly: preventing psychosocial risks, stress management, conflict resolution, psychological safety, harassment, discrimination, and gender-based and sexual violence. These are issues that have been close to my heart for a long time, because I’ve often come close to burnout as a lawyer, and I’ve seen a lot of it around me.
I also teach courses in management and in ethical and inclusive management at EDHEC.
What’s unique about my approach is that I adapt my style depending on the audience. When working with management teams or bodies like the CSE, I tend to emphasize my background as a former attorney: employer obligations and the regulatory framework—that reassures them and grounds the discussion. With managers, I draw more on my experience as a manager. And with employees, I start from that perspective as well. The subject matter doesn’t change, but the angle does.
Actually, it was NUMA that found me. I had posted my profile on a platform for training courses, on the advice of a friend. Then Claudio Vandi contacted me, and that's how it all started.
What made me want to join the team was, first and foremost, the team spirit. I think you’re a really great team—both professional and down-to-earth—with strong values. And that’s something I can relate to. There’s also a strong brand image, great clients, and a rich history. That’s no small thing when you’re choosing your partners.
My background as a lawyer has given me one thing I can't set aside: structure. And that's useful in training—it helps people know where we're going.
But beyond that, what really matters to me is that it’s a two-way street. I have things to share, but the participants also have their own expectations, and meeting those expectations is part of the job. So I ask questions, I listen, and I try to stay attuned to what they’re actually going through. I use a lot of concrete examples drawn from my experience in private practice or in the corporate world.
And then there's trust. Those first few minutes are really crucial. If people don't feel comfortable, they won't talk. So I pay a lot of attention to that right from the start.
First, build a relationship of trust. That sets the stage for everything else. Next, don’t just focus on delivering information. Successful training also involves receiving: listening, asking questions, and addressing the participants’ needs. It’s not a monologue.
And then there's humor. It engages people more, and they remember it better. And neuroscience backs this up: when we experience positive emotions, we remember things better. When we've had a good time, we walk away with something.
It's about using humor to build a connection right from the start, and not coming across as aloof. It really changes the atmosphere in the room. And people appreciate it. Whenever I can do it—at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end—I do it.
I’m a big fan of Daniel Kahneman, particularly for his work on cognitive biases. I’m also a big fan of Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety in the workplace. These are topics I cover today, and their research directly informs my training programs and consulting work.
A former corporate attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions, and later a legal director at major corporations, Solveig Le Pichon has built up more than twenty years of experience in both France and China. A cancer diagnosis turned her life upside down. She left everything behind, earned an Executive MBA from EDHEC, and founded her own firm focused on mental health in the workplace. Today, as a trainer and consultant, she speaks on topics such as the prevention of psychosocial risks, stress management, and conflict resolution, with an energy and sense of humor that make an impact even in the most serious of settings.
As a former corporate attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions, I practiced for fourteen years at various major law firms in France and China. I have a fairly international background: I’m French-Norwegian, moved to France when I was twelve, speak several languages, and I loved that aspect of my career.
After fourteen years in private practice, I joined the company as general counsel, working in a wide variety of settings—public, quasi-public, and multicultural.
Then I was diagnosed with cancer. For me, there was a before and an after. I still loved my job, but my priorities had changed. So I decided to change paths. I earned an Executive MBA from EDHEC to shift my mindset and expand my network. I then ventured into entrepreneurship and founded People Mind a little over two years ago—a firm specializing in the prevention of psychosocial risks and mental health in the workplace.
Anything related to mental health in the workplace, whether directly or indirectly: preventing psychosocial risks, stress management, conflict resolution, psychological safety, harassment, discrimination, and gender-based and sexual violence. These are issues that have been close to my heart for a long time, because I’ve often come close to burnout as a lawyer, and I’ve seen a lot of it around me.
I also teach courses in management and in ethical and inclusive management at EDHEC.
What’s unique about my approach is that I adapt my style depending on the audience. When working with management teams or bodies like the CSE, I tend to emphasize my background as a former attorney: employer obligations and the regulatory framework—that reassures them and grounds the discussion. With managers, I draw more on my experience as a manager. And with employees, I start from that perspective as well. The subject matter doesn’t change, but the angle does.
Actually, it was NUMA that found me. I had posted my profile on a platform for training courses, on the advice of a friend. Then Claudio Vandi contacted me, and that's how it all started.
What made me want to join the team was, first and foremost, the team spirit. I think you’re a really great team—both professional and down-to-earth—with strong values. And that’s something I can relate to. There’s also a strong brand image, great clients, and a rich history. That’s no small thing when you’re choosing your partners.
My background as a lawyer has given me one thing I can't set aside: structure. And that's useful in training—it helps people know where we're going.
But beyond that, what really matters to me is that it’s a two-way street. I have things to share, but the participants also have their own expectations, and meeting those expectations is part of the job. So I ask questions, I listen, and I try to stay attuned to what they’re actually going through. I use a lot of concrete examples drawn from my experience in private practice or in the corporate world.
And then there's trust. Those first few minutes are really crucial. If people don't feel comfortable, they won't talk. So I pay a lot of attention to that right from the start.
First, build a relationship of trust. That sets the stage for everything else. Next, don’t just focus on delivering information. Successful training also involves receiving: listening, asking questions, and addressing the participants’ needs. It’s not a monologue.
And then there's humor. It engages people more, and they remember it better. And neuroscience backs this up: when we experience positive emotions, we remember things better. When we've had a good time, we walk away with something.
It's about using humor to build a connection right from the start, and not coming across as aloof. It really changes the atmosphere in the room. And people appreciate it. Whenever I can do it—at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end—I do it.
I’m a big fan of Daniel Kahneman, particularly for his work on cognitive biases. I’m also a big fan of Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety in the workplace. These are topics I cover today, and their research directly informs my training programs and consulting work.
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