Apparently, Caroline Belhumour does not occupy the funniest position. This administrative assistant in the management of a Victoriaville shopping center loves what she has been doing for 26 years. And, even more remarkable, those around him, shopkeepers, maintenance workers and colleagues, adore him.
It was his boss, Martin Sévégny, real estate director of the Grande Place des Bois-Francs in Victoriaville, managed by the Cogir firm, who invited The Press to pay tribute to this “exceptional employee who truly lives up to her name”. We asked her to secretly organize a small meeting with other people who could talk about her.
“Assistants, I have had good ones, average ones, excellent ones,” explains Mr. Sévégny, who will retire on January 18. Caroline, she’s a step above all that. It’s my right arm, left arm, both! I’ve never seen her shocked. It’s a good audience: you start making jokes, she laughs, she laughs, she laughs. »
His successor, Marc Gauvin, who has been preparing the succession since November, agrees with a funny image, as he should. “It’s a Cadillac, a Mercedes, a BMW… He’s an exceptional person. As a replacement director, I am in good hands. »
Feeling “important”
Sylvie Paris sneaks discreetly into the director’s office. She is a maintenance worker and has known Caroline since 2006. “I come to clean the office, we talk about everything and nothing. Caroline has a gift, she senses if we are doing well, if we are not doing well. She is authentic. This is the person you want to have as a friend, who you want to have as an employee. »
She greatly appreciates the never haughty attitude of the administrative assistant. “Even though I’m a maintenance worker, she’s going to make me feel important. »
Christine Arguin is a manager at the Manteaux Manteaux boutique in the shopping center. She has known Caroline since 2004. “She is a person who is very attentive to everyone, who is a little ray of sunshine. We have a small problem, no matter what it is, we call the office, she has the answer to everything, always available, always in a smiling mood. »
A “jack of all trades”
After all this secrecy, it’s time to bring Caroline Belhumour into the office. She arrives laughing, of course, and declaring: “That seems strange, your business!” »
She quickly makes the connection with what her director had confided to her a few weeks earlier. “Martin told me that he had sent a little text where he talked about me. My God, that’s embarrassing… That’s nice of Martin, it’s very flattering. »
We first ask him what his secret is to displaying a permanent good mood. Error. “When there are things that don’t work out in the office, I get angry,” she replies. But not against the person…”
But she admits that she is naturally rather cheerful and that she has a little secret recipe. “You have to believe that I still love what I do. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t be in such a good mood when I came home in the morning. »
What she likes about her job: her jack-of-all-trades side. “I don’t always do the same thing. I can do both administration and marketing, create advertisements, book activities, we take care of rents and invoicing. »
Let’s ask an impertinent question: does she think she deserves this tribute? ” No ! There are others who deserve it more than me! I care about what I do, perhaps too much. You don’t get off that job, it’s seven days a week.”
Caroline Belhumour
- Administrative assistant at Grande Place des Bois-Francs, in Victoriaville
- Employer: Cogir Immobilier
The former director in 2016 told me: “You have to take care of Caroline. Caroline, this is an essential part of your job.” I always took the time to tell him: “nice job”, “I’m happy to work with you”.
Martin Sévégny, real estate director and superior of Caroline Belhumour