By Ambre Pellarin
July 23, 2026
Hi there, I’m Ambre, based in our Paris office, working as IIL’s EMEA Marketing Project Manager Intern since April. Honestly, these months have flown by. I am keeping my fingers crossed (and everything else!) for the chance to stay with the team for my apprenticeship next year.
My roots are a mix of France, Italy, and Germany. Growing up with an Italian dad and a German mom meant our home was always filled with different languages, rich cultures, and lively conversations. Even if my German is still a work in progress, I am getting there, I promise!
Living between cultures made bridging gaps feel completely natural to me. It is also why I fell in love with the IIL EMEA team. There is something truly exciting about connecting different markets, adapting to diverse mindsets, and building bridges across regions.
What Drives Me at IIL
My daily mission revolves around forging new partnerships and creating fresh growth opportunities for IIL across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions. I am learning so much about new marketing strategies, leaning into my creativity, and I am grateful for the chance and encouragement to build things from scratch.
One of the best parts of this internship has been getting to work with Jennifer Sabine, Head of IIL EMEA, and the rest of the team. Jennifer has been such an inspiring person to learn from, the way she leads, the vision she has for the region, and the way she brings the whole team along with her has taught me more in a few months than I could have imagined.
Watching how Jennifer navigates challenges, makes decisions, and still makes time to mentor and support the people around her has genuinely shaped how I think about leadership and what kind of professional I want to become.
I have learned that it is entire IIL team has made my experience what it is. Everyone brings so much energy, willingness to teach and include me, and a sense of “we’re building this together.” I have learned that a great team is not just people doing good work side by side. It is people who lift each other up, share knowledge freely, and enjoy showing up for one another. That is exactly what I have found here.
My Offline Time: Listening to 1,000-Pound Mentors
When I am away from my screen, you will certainly find me at the barn. Horses are my absolute passion, specifically horse ethology, the study of horse behavior. I spend much of my free time working with horses and helping owners build clearer, kinder communication with their horses.
Here is the thing about horses: they are giant mirrors of ourselves. They teach us patience, trust, how we show up for other beings, and how we handle pressure. A horse does not respond to authority the way a person might; it responds to consistency, clarity, and genuine presence. That lesson translates directly to the workplace too whether you are managing a project, a partnership, or a relationship with a colleague.
My horses have never planned a marketing strategy, but they have taught me plenty about leadership. 😊 What they do teach me about leadership, empathy, and clear communication shows up in my projects every day. Turns out, managing and guiding a 1,000-pound animal requires surprisingly similar skills to managing a marketing project and, funnily enough, some of the same skills I see in the way Jennifer leads our team: patience, reading the room, and communicating clearly even when things aren’t going as planned.
Let Us Stay in Touch!
At the end of the day, I am just someone who loves marketing, animals, and connecting with people across different cultures. I cannot wait to see where the rest of this adventure takes me.
If we have not had a chance to collaborate or chat yet, I would love to connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambre-pellarin/. I look forward to continuing to share our story and hearing yours.
So happy to be here with you all and for being invited to contribute to IIL’s Thought Leadership News!
— Ambre
