About us
Discover the story behind our ambition.
Discover the story behind our ambition.
UNREST emerged from a personal journey marked by encounters with leaders from all walks of life. UNREST is the story of these defining encounters. Some, fleeting yet impactful, sketched its first outlines. Others, deep and lasting, built its foundations. These figures, both historical and contemporary, taught me a fundamental lesson: to transform the world, a leader must first transform themselves.
The Origins: Thomas Edward Lawrence and Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The British officer and the Genevan philosopher: two destinies separated by two centuries, yet united by the same quest. Lawrence challenged the Arabian deserts while Rousseau explored the uncharted territories of the human soul. Two sovereign spirits who made their lives a manifesto of freedom and courage, both physical and moral. It was in their absolute thirst for truth and rejection of conventions that I found my first bearings.
Philippe Etienne: Humanism as a Corollary to Competence
I had the rare privilege of meeting Philippe Etienne at the beginning of my career. Behind the exceptional journey of one who embodies the excellence of French diplomacy lies a man of rare humility, combining intellectual brilliance with profound generosity. His leadership, blending excellence and humanity, became my absolute reference. Through him, I understood that true greatness lies in this subtle alliance between competence and humanism. This encounter provided me with a valuable lens through which I've since evaluated every leader I've met.
The Encounter with Absurdity and Model Confirmation
Fifteen years spent transforming organizations from the outside, then from within, allowed me to identify two faces of leadership.
On one side, those exceptional decision-makers who place their organization's interests before their personal comfort and status. Their managerial courage confirmed my convictions about the essence of authentic leadership.
On the other, the troubling encounter with absurdity. Like that transformation director who, faced with repeated complaints from his Executive Committee about obvious dysfunctions, shamelessly indicated there was no need to address them since "the company's numbers" were good. Cognitive dissonance. Personal shock. Collective disbelief.
This encounter with reality, even through the lens of absurdity, was my fortune. It fueled my desire to help decision-makers overcome their fears and biases to emancipate themselves and enable the flourishing of the collective they're responsible for.
Romil Barthwal: The Catalyst
During a Himalayan ascent, I had the fortune to cross paths with Romil Barthwal, our expedition leader. His journey – from Indian army officer to professional mountaineer and entrepreneur – is the kind that confronts you with your own surrenders. In the cold silence of Ladakh, his mantra "refuse mediocrity" resonates as a call to action.
This encounter was a wake-up call, a reminder that life only reaches its full measure through boldness and embraced uncertainty. Romil reminded me of this fundamental truth: we all need to accept an element of risk to let our finest achievements blossom. All this, of course, with great humility and profound kindness, which takes nothing away from the power of the encounter...
UNREST emerged from a personal journey marked by encounters with leaders from all walks of life. UNREST is the story of these defining encounters. Some, fleeting yet impactful, sketched its first outlines. Others, deep and lasting, built its foundations. These figures, both historical and contemporary, taught me a fundamental lesson: to transform the world, a leader must first transform themselves.
The Origins: Thomas Edward Lawrence and Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The British officer and the Genevan philosopher: two destinies separated by two centuries, yet united by the same quest. Lawrence challenged the Arabian deserts while Rousseau explored the uncharted territories of the human soul. Two sovereign spirits who made their lives a manifesto of freedom and courage, both physical and moral. It was in their absolute thirst for truth and rejection of conventions that I found my first bearings.
Philippe Etienne: Humanism as a Corollary to Competence
I had the rare privilege of meeting Philippe Etienne at the beginning of my career. Behind the exceptional journey of one who embodies the excellence of French diplomacy lies a man of rare humility, combining intellectual brilliance with profound generosity. His leadership, blending excellence and humanity, became my absolute reference. Through him, I understood that true greatness lies in this subtle alliance between competence and humanism. This encounter provided me with a valuable lens through which I've since evaluated every leader I've met.
The Encounter with Absurdity and Model Confirmation
Fifteen years spent transforming organizations from the outside, then from within, allowed me to identify two faces of leadership.
On one side, those exceptional decision-makers who place their organization's interests before their personal comfort and status. Their managerial courage confirmed my convictions about the essence of authentic leadership.
On the other, the troubling encounter with absurdity. Like that transformation director who, faced with repeated complaints from his Executive Committee about obvious dysfunctions, shamelessly indicated there was no need to address them since "the company's numbers" were good. Cognitive dissonance. Personal shock. Collective disbelief.
This encounter with reality, even through the lens of absurdity, was my fortune. It fueled my desire to help decision-makers overcome their fears and biases to emancipate themselves and enable the flourishing of the collective they're responsible for.
Romil Barthwal: The Catalyst
During a Himalayan ascent, I had the fortune to cross paths with Romil Barthwal, our expedition leader. His journey – from Indian army officer to professional mountaineer and entrepreneur – is the kind that confronts you with your own surrenders. In the cold silence of Ladakh, his mantra "refuse mediocrity" resonates as a call to action.
This encounter was a wake-up call, a reminder that life only reaches its full measure through boldness and embraced uncertainty. Romil reminded me of this fundamental truth: we all need to accept an element of risk to let our finest achievements blossom. All this, of course, with great humility and profound kindness, which takes nothing away from the power of the encounter...
UNREST emerged from a personal journey marked by encounters with leaders from all walks of life. UNREST is the story of these defining encounters. Some, fleeting yet impactful, sketched its first outlines. Others, deep and lasting, built its foundations. These figures, both historical and contemporary, taught me a fundamental lesson: to transform the world, a leader must first transform themselves.
The Origins: Thomas Edward Lawrence and Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The British officer and the Genevan philosopher: two destinies separated by two centuries, yet united by the same quest. Lawrence challenged the Arabian deserts while Rousseau explored the uncharted territories of the human soul. Two sovereign spirits who made their lives a manifesto of freedom and courage, both physical and moral. It was in their absolute thirst for truth and rejection of conventions that I found my first bearings.
Philippe Etienne: Humanism as a Corollary to Competence
I had the rare privilege of meeting Philippe Etienne at the beginning of my career. Behind the exceptional journey of one who embodies the excellence of French diplomacy lies a man of rare humility, combining intellectual brilliance with profound generosity. His leadership, blending excellence and humanity, became my absolute reference. Through him, I understood that true greatness lies in this subtle alliance between competence and humanism. This encounter provided me with a valuable lens through which I've since evaluated every leader I've met.
The Encounter with Absurdity and Model Confirmation
Fifteen years spent transforming organizations from the outside, then from within, allowed me to identify two faces of leadership.
On one side, those exceptional decision-makers who place their organization's interests before their personal comfort and status. Their managerial courage confirmed my convictions about the essence of authentic leadership.
On the other, the troubling encounter with absurdity. Like that transformation director who, faced with repeated complaints from his Executive Committee about obvious dysfunctions, shamelessly indicated there was no need to address them since "the company's numbers" were good. Cognitive dissonance. Personal shock. Collective disbelief.
This encounter with reality, even through the lens of absurdity, was my fortune. It fueled my desire to help decision-makers overcome their fears and biases to emancipate themselves and enable the flourishing of the collective they're responsible for.
Romil Barthwal: The Catalyst
During a Himalayan ascent, I had the fortune to cross paths with Romil Barthwal, our expedition leader. His journey – from Indian army officer to professional mountaineer and entrepreneur – is the kind that confronts you with your own surrenders. In the cold silence of Ladakh, his mantra "refuse mediocrity" resonates as a call to action.
This encounter was a wake-up call, a reminder that life only reaches its full measure through boldness and embraced uncertainty. Romil reminded me of this fundamental truth: we all need to accept an element of risk to let our finest achievements blossom. All this, of course, with great humility and profound kindness, which takes nothing away from the power of the encounter...
UNREST est le fruit d'un cheminement personnel parsemé de rencontres avec des leaders de tous horizons. UNREST est l'histoire de ces rencontres déterminantes. Certaines, fugaces mais marquantes, en ont tracé les premiers traits. D'autres, profondes et durables, en ont bâti les fondations. Voici leur récit.
Aux origines : Thomas Edward Lawrence et Jean-Jacques Rousseau
L'officier britannique et le philosophe genevois : deux destins que deux siècles séparent, mais qu'une même quête réunit. Lawrence a défié les déserts d'Arabie quand Rousseau explorait les territoires inexplorés de l'âme humaine. Deux âmes souveraines qui ont fait de leur vie un manifeste de la liberté et du courage, tant physique que moral. C'est dans leur soif absolue de vérité, leur refus des conventions, que j'ai trouvé mes premiers repères.
Philippe Etienne : l’humanisme comme corolaire de la compétence
J'ai eu ce privilège rare de croiser Philippe Etienne aux prémices de ma carrière. Derrière le parcours exceptionnel de celui qui incarne l'excellence de la diplomatie française se cache un homme d'une humilité rare, alliant brillance intellectuelle et profonde générosité. Son leadership, mêlant excellence et humanité, est devenu ma référence absolue. À travers lui, j'ai compris que la vraie grandeur réside dans cette alliance subtile entre compétence et humanisme. Cette rencontre m'a offert une grille de lecture précieuse pour évaluer, depuis, chaque leader croisé sur ma route.
La rencontre de l'absurde et la confirmation du modèle
Quinze années passées à transformer des organisations de l’extérieur, puis de l’intérieur m'ont permis d’identifier deux visages du leadership.
D'un côté, ces décideurs d'exception qui placent les intérêts de leur organisation avant leur confort personnel et leur statut. Leur courage managérial a confirmé mes convictions sur l'essence du leadership authentique.
De l'autre, la rencontre troublante avec l'absurde. À l'image de ce directeur de la transformation. Face aux récriminations répétées de son CoDir devant une série de dysfonctionnements manifestes, il préféra indiquer, toute honte bue, qu’il n’était pas nécessaire de s’y attaquer, puisque "les chiffres de la boîte" étaient bons. Dissonance cognitive. Sidération personnelle. Incrédulité collective.
Cette rencontre avec le réel, même par le truchement de l'absurde, a été ma chance. Elle a nourri chez moi la volonté d’aider les décideurs à surmonter leurs peurs, leurs biais pour s’émanciper et permettre l’épanouissement du collectif dont ils ont la charge.
Romil Barthwal : le catalyseur
Lors d'une ascension himalayenne, j'ai connu le bonheur de croiser la route de Romil Barthwal, notre chef d'expédition. Son parcours – officier de l'armée indienne devenu alpiniste professionnel et entrepreneur – est de ceux qui vous confrontent à vos propres renoncements. Dans le silence froid du Ladakh, son mantra "refuser la médiocrité" résonne comme un appel à l'action. Cette rencontre fut un électrochoc, un rappel que la vie ne prend sa pleine mesure que dans l'audace et l'incertitude assumée. Romil m'a rappelé cette vérité fondamentale : nous avons tous besoin d'accepter une part de risque pour laisser éclore nos plus belles réalisations. Tout cela évidemment avec une très grande humilité et une profonde gentillesse, ce qui n'enlève rien à la force de la rencontre…
Maxime Rabéchault
Fondateur, UNREST
Our Values
Freedom
Breaking free from established thought patterns is the first step toward meaningful transformation.
Autonomy
Accountability
Freedom
Breaking free from established thought patterns is the first step toward meaningful transformation.
Autonomy
Accountability
Freedom
Breaking free from established thought patterns is the first step toward meaningful transformation.
Autonomy
Accountability
Freedom
Breaking free from established thought patterns is the first step toward meaningful transformation.
Autonomy
Accountability
Curiosity
The drive to question, explore, and challenge assumptions fuels progress and continuous growth.
Creativity
Lifelong Learning
Curiosity
The drive to question, explore, and challenge assumptions fuels progress and continuous growth.
Creativity
Lifelong Learning
Curiosity
The drive to question, explore, and challenge assumptions fuels progress and continuous growth.
Creativity
Lifelong Learning
Curiosity
The drive to question, explore, and challenge assumptions fuels progress and continuous growth.
Creativity
Lifelong Learning
Collaboration
Empowering individuals to thrive collectively creates a foundation for well-being and shared success.
Teamwork
Engagement
Collaboration
Empowering individuals to thrive collectively creates a foundation for well-being and shared success.
Teamwork
Engagement
Collaboration
Empowering individuals to thrive collectively creates a foundation for well-being and shared success.
Teamwork
Engagement
Collaboration
Empowering individuals to thrive collectively creates a foundation for well-being and shared success.
Teamwork
Engagement