MARION RIVAUD
Marketing & Communications Coordinator / Social Media & Content Creation Specialist / Public Relations & Media
MY JOURNEY
🎓 Academic Journey: Understanding Before Acting, Thinking Before Building
2018 – General Literary Baccalaureate, International English Option
I chose a literary baccalaureate, going against conventional advice. This path allowed me to develop a rigorous relationship with words, analysis, and critical thinking. It nurtured my passion for cultures, languages, and understanding contexts, laying the foundation for an approach where understanding comes before action and meaning comes before output.
2019 – BTS Tourism, École Hôtelière de Grenoble
I naturally progressed to hospitality school, earning a BTS in Tourism. This stage marked my entry into environments where people, experience, and service are central. I gained solid operational skills and a first-hand understanding of the tourism, hospitality, and customer relations industries.
2020 – DEC in Tourism Product Development, Cégep de Matane (Canada)
Driven by a strong desire for international exposure, I pursued my studies in Canada, in Gaspésie, at Cégep de Matane. This program, focused on territory development and event management, gave me a strategic approach to tourism development. I obtained my diploma while developing discipline, autonomy, and adaptability.
2021–2022 – Bachelor in Event Project Management, ISEFAC (Nice)
Returning to France at the end of 2021, I joined the Bachelor in Event Project Management at ISEFAC. This program allowed me to structure my skills in project management, event production, and coordination, while strengthening my ability to transform ideas into tangible experiences.
2022–2023 – Master 1 in Communication, Sup de Com Bordeaux
In September 2022, I began Master 1 in Communication at Sup de Com Bordeaux, in alternation within luxury event management. This stage was pivotal in my academic journey: I discovered the demands of brand positioning, consistency in messaging, and the importance of storytelling in high-end environments.
2023–2025 – MBA in Strategic Marketing (Full English) & Master in Communication, EFAP
Wanting to deepen my understanding of marketing and communication strategy, I joined EFAP to pursue an MBA in Strategic Marketing, entirely in English, while completing a Master in Communication. This intensive program sharpened my analytical skills, understanding of brand challenges, and ability to build coherent, differentiating strategies.
2025 – Valedictorian
I completed this dual program as valedictorian, a proud achievement and the culmination of a demanding journey built with coherence, commitment, and a constant desire to connect reflection, practical experience, and strategy.
💼 Professional Journey: From the Field to Strategy
From the very start of my BTS, I discovered the realities of the job market through experiences in travel agencies, receptive services, and tourist offices. Being in direct contact with clients taught me to manage expectations, handle unforeseen situations, and understand what truly defines a quality experience.
In 2019, I spent three months in the heart of Cairo, Egypt. This professional and cultural immersion was a turning point. Working in such an intense and radically different environment pushed me to step out of my comfort zone, adapt quickly, and challenge preconceived ideas. It was my first real international experience, and it permanently shaped my perspective and approach to work.
The following year, the global health crisis disrupted my plans in Canada. Deprived of the professional experience initially planned during my studies in Gaspésie, I chose to adapt. I worked as a sushi commis while traveling across the country. I discovered Canada in a different way: living on the road, sleeping in my car, writing, observing, and taking the time to reflect. This period, outside of traditional paths, deeply strengthened my resilience, autonomy, and ability to thrive in uncertainty.
At the end of 2021, I returned to France to continue in event management, before heading abroad again for my internship, this time in Cape Town, South Africa. I worked as a Travel Project Manager at a specialized agency, designing and organizing trips across Southern Africa, from initial concept to operational coordination, with significant responsibility and a comprehensive view of projects.
Alongside this professional experience, I also committed to humanitarian work. I met the founder of a local association and spent time with the most vulnerable populations, in townships and informal settlements. This human immersion, outside traditional professional frameworks, profoundly strengthened my awareness of social realities, humility, and perspective on inequality, and continues to shape how I approach projects and human relationships.
In 2022, in Bordeaux, I entered the world of luxury event management through an alternance position at LP Floral Designer. As Social Media and Communication Manager, I discovered the demands of luxury, the importance of attention to detail, visual coherence, and brand positioning. For the first time, I managed social media in a structured professional environment and developed a more strategic approach to communication.
After several months of intensive training at EFAP, I chose to return to my original fields - tourism and hospitality - while retaining the standards and expectations of luxury. In 2024, I returned to Canada and joined Fairmont Le Château Montebello as Marketing & PR Coordinator, where I worked on social media, content strategy, and the launch of a new restaurant, while representing the brand to the media. This experience bridged all aspects of my journey: fieldwork, brand image, strategy, and client experience.
In 2025, I returned to Quebec, continuing my trajectory with Fairmont at another property, still as Marketing & PR Coordinator. My journey at Fairmont today embodies my professional identity: understanding operational realities, translating brand DNA, and building communication strategies grounded in reality, human-centered, and demanding excellence.