This is a new stage for the Brest automotive group Sofipel (400 employees, €240 million turnover) in its history of family transmission. Two months ago, Clémence Pelleau, 33, daughter of Marc Pelleau, the president, and sister of Antoine Pelleau, director of commercial strategy and development of Sofipel, joined the management of the group which brings together, among others, J. Bervas, Kersaint Automobile and Careco. A no-brainer for her who grew up in this family business environment.
The eldest of four children, however, initially chose to cut her teeth elsewhere. A student at the Paris School of Commerce (ESCP), for example, she began an eight-month world tour in 2016 for a dissertation on the circular economy.
A duo at the head of the group in the future
Upon leaving school, she joined the Paris office of the strategy consulting firm Boston Consulting Group for six years. She advises large French and international groups. And it was at the end of 2023 that she left Paris to answer the call from Brittany and the family business in order to “put these achievements at the service of Sofipel”, she explains. “It was also a possibility because the group is growing and has great projects for which there won’t be too many of us,” smiles Antoine Pelleau, who joined the company four years ago.
“Our father and our uncle have already formed a duo at the head of the company”
At the beginning of 2024, Clémence joins the management committee (codir). She is now in charge of human resources strategy and development as well as institutional communication. Like her brother before her, she will learn by doing, alongside her father and the two other members of the codir, Yannick Sevestre and Catherine Douard.
A management duo is a sort of family tradition at Sofipel. “This is not the first time: our father and our uncle have already done it,” notes Antoine Pelleau. We also have good examples of duos or trios in the region that work well.”
Electrification and reconditioning
Since her arrival, Clémence Pelleau says she is reassured in her choice. Anyone who is not necessarily a car fan is nevertheless passionate about this market. “The used car sector is very dynamic, it’s a real challenge,” she believes. Electrification, reconditioning, increasing the lifespan of cars… So many challenges that the Sofipel group has identified. “Today, we have the know-how on these subjects because our specialty is really used vehicles. It must now be promoted, particularly through institutional communication. This will be one of Clémence’s roles,” says her brother.
The two representatives of the fourth Pelleau generation in the company intend to complement each other in order to “perpetuate and develop the group”, with a few projects already in the works.
