Two Kedgers at Social Security!
Graduates of KEDGE in 2003 and 2015, Benjamin Damiens and Romain Pourquier are currently training to become senior executives in France’s social protection system.

"Together with my colleague Benjamin Damiens, we are two former KEDGE students and, as such, we share our unique career paths within the Alumni network — paths that have led us to join the École Nationale Supérieure de la Sécurité Sociale (EN3S). Since January 2020, we’ve become students once again at another prestigious French institution, and we’re proud to represent KEDGE at EN3S." – Romain Pourquier

INTERVIEW 💬
1️⃣ Tell us about your career after graduation: what roles have you held, and what have you learned from them?

Benjamin:
I started in IT project management, spending two years at FNAC in the ticketing department, where I led the testing phase for a new back-office system. I then moved into consulting, working across various sectors — energy, media, industry — in roles focused on business analysis and organizational consulting.

What I take away from those six incredibly rich years is the ability to adapt, work under pressure, and take initiative. The assignments were intellectually stimulating and rewarding. However, after six years, I felt the need to join an organization that serves the public interest, which aligned better with my personal values.

In 2012, I applied to the MSA (Mutualité Sociale Agricole) for a senior business analyst role. One of my key projects was integrating a software system for managing supplementary health insurance within the MSA’s operations.

Romain:
I discovered Social Security during an internship at a CAF (Family Allowance Fund) during my gap year. I was deeply motivated by the CAF’s mission — financial support for families and vulnerable populations, and social action across regions — and wanted to continue working within this network.

Right after graduating in June 2015, I joined the National Family Allowance Fund (CNAF), the head office for 101 CAFs, managing over €80 billion in benefits. I worked as a strategic management controller, overseeing the National Observatory of Costs and Performance, which evaluates resources and gains from reforms or major IT system changes in coordination with the State (Social Security Directorate).

I contributed to evaluating reforms such as the creation and evolution of the activity bonus (following the Yellow Vests movement), housing aid reform, and the modulation of family allowances. My main responsibilities included:

• Supporting negotiations for the 2018–2022 performance and objectives agreement
• Strategic management control linked to monitoring the agreement (resources, performance indicators)
• Project prioritization within the IT master plan
• Social Security benchmarking
• Developing methods for budget allocation and productivity analysis
• National analysis of cost accounting results

2️⃣ What is your current role/project? What inspired you to pursue it?

Benjamin:
I had the EN3S entrance exam in mind as soon as I learned it required four years of experience. My managers had praised the quality of the training and the career prospects it offers. I wanted to complete the project I was hired for before applying. After an internal transfer within CCMSA, I felt it was the right time to take the exam and joined the UCANSS prep program in November 2018.

Romain:
Wanting to continue progressing within the Social Security network, I decided to prepare for the EN3S entrance exam to open up new opportunities in terms of roles, responsibilities, and geographic mobility. After a year of intense preparation — during which I experienced great support from fellow Kedger Benjamin — I joined the EN3S program, which trains future leaders of the social protection system.

The school prepares us to manage a constantly evolving network (pension reform, Health Plan 2022, RSI integration, anti-poverty strategy, etc.).

Social Security — Why not you?

At the heart of solidarity in France, the Social Security system includes 400 organizations and 176,000 employees who provide financial benefits to all, improve access to support services, and lead prevention efforts throughout people’s lives.

Each year, over €500 billion is redistributed through Social Security (health reimbursements, hospital and childcare funding, family allowances, housing aid, pensions, etc.). These expenditures are 1.5 times greater than the State’s budget.

Social Security includes many actors: all Cpams, Cafs, Urssafs, and Carsats, as well as specific schemes like the MSA for farmers and other special regimes for certain professions.

3️⃣ How did your education at KEDGE Business School help shape who you are today, and how did it support your career development?

Benjamin:
KEDGE offers excellent training for developing teamwork and adaptability — especially in high-pressure situations. These skills are increasingly valuable in the professional world. What I remember most from my time at the Bordeaux campus is the school’s open-mindedness, which encourages exploration of new horizons. Our current path, far from CAC 40 companies but equally exciting, is proof of that openness.

Romain:
My years at KEDGE BS in Marseille gave me a strategic and cross-functional vision thanks to the diversity of courses. These management topics are highly relevant within Social Security, given the financial scale and societal expectations around healthcare, pensions, poverty reduction, and family policy.

KEDGE also gave me a managerial perspective that will be very useful in my future roles. In short, I gained the ability to adapt to the many challenges of professional life!