Meet our International Key Accounts Manager for transport, Fred Lepron. Fred covers the Southern Europe & Turkey markets for the rail, bus & coach and marine industries. From Vichy, France, Fred has worked for Forbo Flooring Systems for 7 years.

What is a memorable moment in your career with Forbo Flooring?
All new projects are the beginning of new stories with customers. We face problems, issues, negotiations and we find solutions, compromises, we build relationships and partnerships and this brings me motivation and passion to go further. One of the projects I’m really proud of is the strategy I set up with the French railway in 2008. In 2015, SNCF now consider us as a reliable partner and find solutions with our team, our products and our expertise.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
I really appreciate all aspects of my job. If I had to pick one it would be doing demonstrations of technical characteristics. All characteristics have a positive aspect and a negative one. Opposite acoustic performance you have indentation. Opposite slip resistance you have cleanability and maintenance. Opposite durability you have weight. Opposite cost you have performance. My skill is to work with the customers to find the best choice for them.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Having good time with my lovely daughters (Marylou & Charlie Rose). I love to see them growing but life if very short and this time is limited, so I take every chance I can.

I like restoring my Vespas, which has been a passion of mine since I was 14 years old. It gives me satisfaction, hearing the noise of the motor again.
It’s amusing to see the faces of passers by when I’m riding on a 60 year old motor scooter in the countryside, as if time has stopped. I  also like gardening, it brings me peace knowing that the ground gives us fruit and vegetables after nurturing them for a long time.

What is your favourite film?
I like a lot of films, a few of my favourites are Dracula with Bram Stoker, 1992 / Wolf with Jack Nicholson in 1994 / Troy with Brad Pitt in 2004 / 300 from 2006 / Star wars / Lord of the rings…

Describe yourself in three words.
Passionate, farseeing, humane