Laure Darmon, Light Industrial Director at Segro France: “I Like Learning”

Like many professionals in the sector, Laure Darmon, now Light Industrial Director at Segro France, began working in logistics somewhat by chance. After completing preparatory mathematics classes at Lycée Saint-Louis in Paris, she earned a construction engineering degree from ESTP, choosing real estate finance as her final-year specialization. She then carried out financial audits in the construction sector at Ernst & Young, before moving for three years into a more “hands-on” role and developing expertise in different asset classes, including shopping centers, offices, and warehouses... “At the same time, I took evening classes to obtain the ICH diploma, accredited by RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors),” Laure Darmon adds. “It is a program in real estate law and economics delivered by CNAM. My goal at the time was to become an asset manager.” This new qualification led her to manage the sale of office and warehouse portfolios at Icade Foncière. “In 2010, logistics was still a new sector for Icade, and they needed my engineering expertise to understand the technical issues associated with these assets. That is how I truly discovered the logistics sector.” Five years later, she was hired by AEW as an asset manager for logistics and business parks, where she played an active role in creating the fund dedicated to business parks. She subsequently joined the Segro France teams in 2021.

Eager for knowledge, Laure Darmon particularly enjoys the diversity of challenges to be solved in this field. “In a logistics building, every tenant has specific needs depending on their business activity,” she explains. “You have to understand and analyze every request, and it is not uncommon for us to deliver turnkey solutions for our clients. In short, what drives me in my day-to-day work is this continuous learning.” The development of a forward lease of nearly 18,000 m² in Marseille in 2023 for food wholesaler PassionFroid PACA, a Pomona Group company, particularly stood out to her. “For this project, we had to convince the tenant by showing that we could be flexible, notably with a large part of the building needing to be below freezing.” According to Laure Darmon, the challenge was met commercially, financially, and technically. “For me, it was also an opportunity to learn more about cold-chain management in the food industry!” The aim is also to make this project an example for future developments at Segro France and to sustain this new partnership. “It is a long-term undertaking, and we must remain attentive to our client’s new needs in order to anticipate any future fit-outs.”

Day to day, Laure Darmon is responsible for development, asset management, and property management. “However, most of my time is devoted to development, where I have to define the program, identify the most relevant type of activity, and carry out a financial analysis of the project.” To do this, she relies on a team of 14 people, six of whom report directly to her. “I help them with negotiations that may be complex, for example by drawing on my network or giving them ideas,” she explains. “More broadly, my role is to orchestrate projects and create momentum.” She also says she comes to “bother” them when necessary, while remaining mindful of work rhythms and maintaining a degree of flexibility as a manager.

Passionate about her day-to-day work, which “allows me to learn new things every day,” she does not plan to begin another course of study in the immediate future… But, even if she says so jokingly, an MBA would certainly tempt her!