Winner's story: Catia Georget
Catia shared a story celebrating her fellow HR colleagues who bring our values to life every day including integrity. In her entry, she also reflects on our 175th anniversary and what it means to be part of a place where people can grow, build and leave their own mark.
There are companies you pass through... and others where you truly build something.
When I joined Smiths, at Titeflex Europe, I didn’t just take on a role. I stepped into a story. A real one. A story that didn’t begin with me - far from it - but one in which, somehow, I found my place.
175 years of history for the Group... it’s quite something.
And as if by perfect timing, this year Titeflex Europe is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Two milestones, two scales... but one shared reality: an organisation that endures because it evolves without ever losing its identity.
And then there is the everyday life.
The part that rarely makes it into the big stories.
The conversations, the difficult decisions, the recruitments where you look for the right person - not just the right CV.
The moments when you need to set boundaries, support, decide... and above all, guide.
Being in HR at Smiths is not about managing files.
It’s about carrying human journeys.
And along the way, I’ve had the privilege — and I choose that word carefully — to meet truly exceptional HR professionals. People who are demanding, committed, sometimes discreet, but always fair.
Men and women who embody what our profession should be: rigor, listening, courage… and a strong sense of integrity.
They are a big part of what makes this journey so meaningful.
I think of those quiet moments where everything shifts:
a colleague regaining confidence,
a team finding its momentum again,
a project coming to life after weeks of collective effort.
These small victories are what build the greater story.
And then there is that quiet sense of pride.
The pride of being part of a Group that has stood the test of time without losing its direction.
One that evolves, adapts, yet remains true to what truly matters: people, expertise, and high standards.
Smiths is not just an industrial company.
It is a finely tuned human mechanism.
So, when I’m asked what it means to me...
It’s simple.
It’s a place where you don’t just work.
It’s a place where you build, where you grow, where you leave a mark — in your own way.
And perhaps that is the most powerful part of all:
Knowing that, in 175 years of history...
and in the 50 years of Titeflex Europe...
we, too, have written a few lines.
There are companies you pass through... and others where you truly build something.
When I joined Smiths, at Titeflex Europe, I didn’t just take on a role. I stepped into a story. A real one. A story that didn’t begin with me - far from it - but one in which, somehow, I found my place.
