My name is Valérie Richard and I work at Société Générale Hong Kong, currently managing an IT and Operation team on EQD Vanilla and I am also the Chairman of the SG Staff Club which organizes activities for employees outside of their day to day job, from running and swimming to freediving and mindfulness.

Since when have you known Olivier?

Since 2015 I think. Around that time, Olivier helped launch the Staff Club Swimming and Running through his company Beyond The Line and I was in charge of the Staff Club running group. He was also a regular speaker as he shared with us his 80km Swim around Lantau Island challenge, talked about how to prepare for the Trailwalker (the largest and oldest 100k trail running race in the region), how to choose your running shoes, how to deal with stress in a corporate environment, etc.

Tell us more about Olivier’s coaching style.

Olivier’s main business with Beyond The Line is in fact online coaching, but he loves coaching us bankers during lunchtime because he was himself one of us. Olivier usually runs along with us and he has incorporated many different practices, such as video analysis, running plans, drills, stretching, STRAVA challenges, while providing Zoom group calls when he felt that there was a need for them (e.g. hydration in summer). His main point has always been to keep us motivated even when all he gets is slightly under 60min of a bunch of stressed employees during their lunch break.

What about Olivier’s performance as a coach?

Some employees that were not running at all became regular runners. Some runners who used to run 45min for a 10k now comfortably go under 40min. Some who were afraid to do long distances have tackled 100k races. We all learnt a lot in the process, in terms of how to train, technique, recovery, nutrition, mental strength. Olivier has a knack for understanding what it is to work in an international banking environment and adapts the training accordingly. He knows when to push and when to release the pressure.

Anything else that stands out?

COVID time has obviously pushed everybody out of their comfort zone. Olivier was no exception, and it’s in times of crisis that we see the true value of someone. In order to compensate for the impossibility to gather to train and the resulting drop in runners’ motivation, Olivier created training plans that were structured towards time trials that can be run alone. Each time there was a respite in the restrictions, Olivier made sure to be physically present -while following the rules- to help re-create an impetus.

I personally follow Olivier on a few other projects of his -like the introduction of the sport of Swimrun in Hong Kong and the launch of successful group rides on the ZWIFT indoor cycling platform- and I am equally impressed by what he has created in these arenas.

Finally I want to insist again on the quality of the coaching and support we received along all these years; It is not easy to step out of the desk to exercise at lunch time, but we kept on coming back, under the scorching sun or under pouring rain because we knew it was worth it!

— Valérie Richard, Société Générale

What a great guy! So inspiring that such a “tough” man can share so openly his experience and his thoughts. He comes across as very authentic and “real”. I think he is a good proof that you don’t have to be aggressive, exaggerating or overwhelming to be strong. Actually all the men in my group referred to him later as a thought provoker on how they balance their own work and life.

We loved him sharing his work experiences and his passion.

Olivier seems to me to be a nice guy and very humble. His manner and attitude is caring and approachable.

The sharing of his personal story came across in a very natural way and touched my emotions. It certainly provoked some deeper thinking from my part which, I believe, was the purpose of his presence. I also have the impression that the rest of the group appreciated him in the same or similar way.

In summary Olivier seems like a wonderful extremely likeable man and obviously has great personal determination / depth and has an extremely interesting personal history.

As an “external consultant” he has a very different profile than what we are normally used to and his message is less in the words but rather than on a personal and emotional level. A different and new angle when it comes to “personal development”.

All in all, the three people on my group who NEVER had hiked before ALL said they will now start walking in nature with their families as it gave them such a great feeling.

— Extract of testimonials gathered by IKEA's managers