Portrait of Théophile Pahlawan, treasurer ofthe AMJE on the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille.
A new treasurer for the AMJE
After completing a preparatory class in physics and technology, Théophile Pahlawan enrolled at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille to begin training asa general engineer. As soon as he arrived on campus, Théophile wanted to get involved in the school's community life. He joined the VoilZ'Arts association (the school's sailing club) as treasurer. Building on this experience, he offered to take on the same role forArts et Métiers Entreprise (AMJE). From November to February, he served as assistant treasurer of AMJE, and in March 2018, Théophile was elected treasurer of the association.
A self-taught treasurer
His role as treasurer allows Théophile to develop new skills. "Being treasurer of the AMJE is a real learning experience because it gives us accounting knowledge that we don't get in class, which is normal, since I didn't choose this school for that reason," explains Théophile. He adds, "When you think about it, I don't know many 20-year-olds who regularly visit the impots.gouv website." The young treasurer is self-taught, but he is not left alone to deal with the association's accounting. "Céline, the vice-treasurer, and I were able to take advantage of training courses at the Junior Enterprises Spring Congress and the experience of the previous treasurer." The two engineering students also took a few courses on Open Class Room to learn how to program dynamic balance sheets in Excel.
New perspectives
His role as treasurer has given Théophile new perspectives for the future. He says, "Being treasurer of the association makes me want to deepen the knowledge I'm acquiring through the position. Knowing how to read a balance sheet could be an asset in the future. Managing a company requires rigorous analysis of figures, and my position allows me to understand cost accounting and see the strategic prospects of a business."
Théophile concludes: "We can't wait to get started on new projects. These will be completed by future first-year students." The association's objective can be summed up in three letters: RFP, which stands for Recruit, Train, and Sustain. Théophile will then have the opportunity to train his successor next year.
