The Lift, episode 1: from Network and security operations engineer to shared SOC manager with Vincent Bastin
TLTR
- In just a few years, Vincent Bastin has gone from a Security engineer position to that of Shared SOC Manager: a true career progression driven by a desire to learn ;
- His professional development was built through internal mobility, skill enhancement, and the trust placed in him by his manager, Hervé Mazars ;
- Leadership, management, and technical expertise: discover the levers that enabled him to change dimensions. Because at Orange Cyberdefense, boldness, the "Hacking Spirit," and career opportunities allow everyone to craft a path tailored to themselves.
"The Lift": how Vincent Bastin became Shared SOC Manager at Orange Cyberdefense
How does one evolve from a technical expert role to a managerial position? In this episode of "The Lift," Vincent Bastin reflects on his career development and the professional growth opportunities offered by Orange Cyberdefense, thanks to internal mobility, skill development, and the trust of his manager, Hervé Mazars.
The Lift: The floor is yours
At Orange Cyberdefense, boldness pays off. With capability and motivation, growth is possible.
Vincent Bastin, Shared SOC Manager, Orange Cyberdefense.
When did your paths cross? In what context?
Vincent Bastin, Shared SOC Manager at Orange Cyberdefense: "As a security production engineer at Obiane, a subsidiary of Orange Cyberdefense, I was already working in Lille for a real estate developer, which required managed services. I was in training for Build (1) (design and architecture of an information system) in Massy, and Hervé and I met in the elevator. Since we took the same train, we started our first exchanges there! Hervé explained that he wanted to build a team in Lille, outlined the objectives and challenges. It’s a memorable moment."
Hervé Mazars, Vincent’s manager and Head of Security Operations Center at Orange Cyberdefense: "The train chat continued with more formal exchanges, of course! It was summer 2017, a period when Orange Cyberdefense was growing very rapidly. I was managing a Shared SOC team of 20 members, and given our strong growth, we needed regional relays, especially in the North. Several internal colleagues pushed me to consider Vincent’s application. Before meeting him, I wasn’t sure that someone with no management experience could start a team from scratch. But when I met him, it was an immediate match."
When you joined Orange Cyberdefense, what what your skillset, and what did you learn?
Vincent Bastin: "When I took the role of Technical Account Manager (TAM) in Lille, I had a very technical profile and had never managed before. When there’s a problem with equipment, you restart, and it works. With teams, it’s very different: I learned managerial management, hierarchical relationships between people."
Hervé Mazars: "Vincent managed to create a team with a very good spirit. It’s worth noting that Vincent is a black belt in judo and teaches the discipline in his personal life. The values of judo, he applies them at work."
What has been your career evolution at Orange Cyberdefense?
Vincent Bastin: "In 2014, I joined Obiane, a subsidiary of Orange Cyberdefense, as a security and network production engineer. Two years later, I joined the group as a security production engineer, then as a client operations engineer, transitioning from 'Build' to 'Run' (1). Under Hervé’s guidance, I moved into a Technical Account Manager role. Today, I am the Shared Security Operations Center Manager. In a short time, I benefited from significant professional growth, with a new challenge every two or three years."
Have you benefited from internal mobility within Orange Cyberdefense?
Vincent Bastin: "Yes, and even double mobility! First internally, moving from Obiane to Orange Cyberdefense. And also managerial mobility, shifting from a technical role to a managerial one."
What technical skills or certifications have you gained to hone your senior expertise at Orange Cyberdefense?
Vincent Bastin: "I expanded my technical skills by obtaining several certifications and participated in a program that values know-how, interpersonal skills, and the ability to showcase one's work. This certification involves presenting a project that becomes an offer or contribution to the company, presented to the Executive Committee. And of course, on the management side, I was trained in communication aspects. Coming from a technical background, I speak the same language as my teams: I understand their work and needs."
Hervé Mazars: "Vincent has another essential quality: he understands that others can take a different path to achieve the expected result. In our fields, where innovation and thinking differently are crucial, this is vital. His mindset: 'I trust you, I let you do, prove to me that it works.' Employees are responsible for their own success. And it works."
What role did Hervé play in your professional development?
Vincent Bastin: "He trusted me, even though I had a 100% technical profile, with no management training. He also taught me the right posture in hierarchical relationships within the team."
How do you breathe Orange Cyberdefense's Hacking spirit?
If Vincent were an animal, he would be a grizzly bear: he manages crisis situations very well, with great stress control, says Hervé.
What hard skills and soft skills immediately standed out with Vincent?
Hervé Mazars: "I immediately appreciated his integrity, energy, humility. His words are clear, simple, well-structured, with a high quality of listening. I didn’t need to challenge Vincent on technical matters because he had already demonstrated his skills. He was already on my list for a 'TAM' role, thanks to his humility, team spirit, and ability to highlight others. I saw in him all the elements of a good manager, with a lot of interpersonal skills. In 2017, as we were growing every six months, the challenge was to anticipate each step and manage our success. Vincent was on all fronts: taking the lead on accounts, supervising apprentices, managing 'Build' and handling 'Run' alone (1), being involved in pre-sales and sales. He met each challenge. This experience also challenged me in my role as 'manager of managers.' I grew by understanding that when a team expands, you need to pass on the keys to other managers."
What is your shared vision regarding career development opportunities at Orange Cyberdefense?
Vincent Bastin: "If you want to evolve, you need to put energy into it, without waiting for opportunities to be handed to you on a silver platter. I moved from Build to Run (1), from SOE (2) to TAM because I wanted to grow: I discussed it with my manager, and things happened quite naturally. At Orange Cyberdefense, boldness pays off. In our team, we welcomed a young apprentice, Julien, who was very shy. It turned out he was a tech monster. He joined the Talent E-Booster group, and now he’s become a TAM managing a major institutional client on his own. With capability and motivation, growth is possible."
Hervé Mazars: "Indeed, boldness counts, and as managers, we support those who demonstrate it. Orange Cyberdefense offers real opportunities, but you need to be attentive, seize chances, and discuss with HR. We are fortunate to be part of a Group with interesting prospects and a stimulating environment. Our age pyramid is around the thirties. Seniors benefit from the input of juniors, who bring a generational perspective, new ideas, and a different outlook."
And what is your view of our company culture, the famous "Hacking spirit"?
Vincent Bastin: "At Orange Cyberdefense, of course, there are processes and Business Units. But we can also break free when necessary to meet client needs. We’ve managed, regionally, to create bridges between 'Build' and 'Run' (1), even though we were in different cells. This is an example of a 'seamless' approach, a transversal way of working that’s possible at Orange Cyberdefense. We have the latitude to step aside."
Hervé Mazars: "The 'Hacking spirit' is indeed knowing how to think beyond established frameworks and known boundaries. It’s about being imaginative while remaining integrous. Thinking differently, approaching differently - this is the challenge Vincent has brilliantly met."
An anecdote to share? A piece of advice that left an impression? Something you’ve never dared to say before?
Hervé Mazars: "I challenged Vincent on a client project in the aerospace sector, and he surprised me greatly. The topic was complex, outside our scope, and I admit I was considering a backup plan because I feared failure. And here’s Vincent taking the matter head-on, mobilizing teams, structuring things... He impressed me with his calm strength. By the way, if he were an animal, he would be a grizzly: he manages crises very well, with great stress control."
Vincent Bastin: "And you, you’d be an owl, with a mix of wisdom and observation, a 360-degree vision. As for me, I believe Hervé saw where I was headed before I did. I’ve progressed step by step, with a solid foundation at each stage. But Hervé can see further; he helps me lift my head when I’m too focused on the task. And who knows, tomorrow in my professional development, I might have both feet in management or in technical leadership."
Artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing in cybersecurity: is it already impacting your work?
Vincent Bastin: "I regularly use AI to develop tools; I use it technically for research, but always under control."
Hervé Mazars: "We are still in an awareness phase. We place many things behind AI without fully defining them. Of course, we need to facilitate supervised use, but it’s necessary to mature collectively on this subject."
Explore the other episodes of our series "The Lift: the floor is yours" at Orange Cyberdefense, by clicking below.
