Joao Ramos was appointed President of La Providence on February 3, 2022, by Yannick Duret, after serving as General Manager in charge of operations for four years.
On this occasion, we take a look back at his career through this interview.
When did you join La Providence, and what has been your career path within the company?
I joined La Providence in August 1992. When I first arrived, I was responsible for maintaining a beautiful Parisian house in the cosmetics industry. This first experience allowed me to discover the cleaning profession as a whole and the full range of services it entails.
I quickly became interested in more specialized tasks such as window cleaning, carpet shampooing, and marble crystallization, which allowed me to climb the ranks, first as a qualified service agent and then as a team leader.
Over the years, I gained confidence in my duties and began to understand the inner workings of the cleaning industry. This led to a position as a customer service manager.
After several rewarding years at La Providence, I embarked on an entrepreneurial project, creating a company, before returning to La Providence in 2009 as Regional Director.
This new phase was marked by numerous ambitious projects and the opportunity to complete a training program at HEC. I was later appointed General Manager and now President.
What are your ambitions for the company?
My main goal is to continue growing the company while maintaining its family spirit and human scale. It's crucial to nurture internal talent while also attracting new hires.
We aim to keep expanding, both in the Paris region and across the provinces.
Can you introduce the company in a few words?
La Providence was founded in 1961. We celebrated the company’s 60th anniversary last November 18th, alongside our clients, teams, and partners.
Today, our company has 3 850 employees who work daily to meet the expectations of our 850 clients in Paris and across the provinces.
We are proud to surpass the symbolic milestone of €100 million in revenue this year and continue to support our clients in their development projects.
We build genuine relationships of trust with our clients, creating strong and lasting partnerships. This is reflected in an average loyalty of ten years and a recommendation rate of 90%.
What advice would you give to young people starting out at the company?
The message I want to share is that with hard work, perseverance, patience, and motivation, we can grow both professionally and personally.
The service industries will continue to expand in the coming years, and La Providence will be a key player. Numerous promotions and geographical mobility opportunities will be available, and I am eager to help the talents of tomorrow emerge.
