Taking the Best of Both Cultures
Other than Lavigne’s instincts about how to listen to surgeons, what else is responsible for the overwhelming success of LDR?
“First of all, growing and managing a French-American company was far from easy. I had to learn to ‘read’ the different cultures. For example, in France you can be more direct with people…that is expected. I found out quickly that this doesn’t work here. When I first came to the U.S. I met with several reps and I asked a question that, for me, was quite normal. But one of the reps started to cry and my American partners pulled me aside and told me, ‘You can’t say things like that.’”
“People in the U.S. tend to be more positive and are always open to new things. In France, we often like to criticize and end up in tense situations. If I could merge the two cultures, I would take the enthusiasm of the American people and merge it with the detailed nature of the French people. You could say that French people go so deep into something in order to find something to complain about.”
Sound of Success
A musician at heart, Christophe Lavigne says, “All those years of playing music in front of an audience was helpful later because I got accustomed to speaking into a microphone. In France we are not trained to speak in front of people. With music I had to learn to control my stress, so I was already somewhat ahead of the game.”
And another cultural difference that likely pushed LDR toward success? “In France people can have six months or more of sick leave, so there is not as much financial pressure. In the U.S. you have to get back to work pretty soon. Thus, the fact that we had the type of technology that could restore someone’s normal life meant that our company had an even better chance of doing well here.”
Post-LDR Life
“My wife and I finally have a chance to travel together. We have explored many countries and cultures, taking out a good amount of time to pursue our passion of hiking.’
These days, Lavigne and his 23-year-old son share a love of music and spend hours in the recording studio. “My son, who has an international business marketing degree, is working with me on a major project. We should be able to release our music in about two months. As for our 21-year-old daughter, she is getting a master’s degree in equine business master program and revels in training riders.”
Asked if he is out of the corporate game, Christophe Lavigne states, “I am an operating partner at a major European private equity fund, and we have just raised $1 billion. Other than that, I haven’t seen anything particularly enticing.”
Well, he might just have to create it.
