At first glance, her career path might seem unusual: an aeronautical engineer who became the director of an iconic urban cable car in the heart of Grenoble. But behind this career change lies a clear trajectory — that of a woman guided by curiosity, rigour and a deep attachment to the mountains.
Since 2018, Patricia Gallois has been managing the Régie du Téléphérique Grenoble Bastille, the aerial cableway that connects the city to its hilltop fort, a symbol of Isère’s heritage. Combining technical expertise, management skills and a regional vision, she embodies a generation of female leaders for whom altitude is not a challenge, but a state of mind.
In this interview, she speaks candidly about her convictions, her passions and her way of combining high standards with humility. From her beginnings in the space industry to her commitment to a more virtuous mountain, Patricia Gallois speaks with rare sincerity. An open conversation, between steel cables, snow-capped peaks and deeply rooted human values.
Patricia Gallois, can you tell us about yourself and your professional background?
My name is Patricia Gallois, I am 57 years old and I trained as a general engineer, graduating from a Parisian school with a specialisation in aeronautics and space. I began my career in the space industry, a field that fascinated me and in which I would undoubtedly have continued if life had not taken me elsewhere. When I met my husband, who is from Savoie, I chose to join him in the region, giving up on a future in aeronautics. But I have never regretted it: the mountains offered other horizons, other challenges, and above all, a living environment to which I became deeply attached.
When I arrived in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, I completed my engineering studies with a course in business management, which enabled me to broaden my skills and open myself up to other responsibilities. After the birth of my two children, my career shifted towards roles focused on sales, communication and marketing, where I was able to develop a more cross-functional view of management and strategy.
In 2008, I joined the Bastille de Grenoble as the director’s project assistant. This was a decisive period: beyond the technical aspects, I discovered an exceptional heritage site and a unique cable car. Over the years, I literally fell in love with the place and its history. When the director passed away in 2013 and the governance structure changed, I chose to return to the private sector, but still in connection with the mountain environment.
When the position of director of the Régie du Téléphérique de Grenoble Bastille (RTGB) was declared vacant in 2018, I hesitated a little before applying. My dual skills – technical and managerial – as well as my intimate knowledge of the site undoubtedly tipped the balance: out of 18 applications, mine was selected. I then took over the management of this public industrial and commercial establishment, which is dependent on the City of Grenoble and has a dual mission: to operate and maintain the cable car while promoting and animating the Bastille fort.
Today, I manage a team of around twenty enthusiastic employees who are committed to safety, maintenance and visitor services on a daily basis. The cable car, which has celebrated its 90th anniversary, operates more than 4,000 hours per year, making it a unique ski lift in terms of its operating hours, urban location and age: 90 years old in 2024!
My role is to reconcile safety, heritage and tourist appeal in a demanding but exciting process. This career path, built step by step between technical expertise, management and a passion for the region, has allowed me to give meaning to my career: remaining true to my engineering background while becoming deeply rooted in the world of mountains and public service.
Patricia GALLOIS, what are your passions?
At 57, my passions have settled around two main areas: work and the mountains. It may seem surprising to mention work first, but it’s true: I deeply love what I do. I love learning, understanding, solving problems and passing on knowledge. This is undoubtedly linked to my training as an engineer: from my early school years, I acquired the rigour and intellectual curiosity that drive me to get to the bottom of things. Even today, this drive motivates me on a daily basis. Work energises me, not because it is an obligation, but because I enjoy challenges, building things and working as part of a team.
The other great passion in my life is the mountains — in all their forms and in all seasons. I am a skier and hiker, and for a long time I practised paragliding, an activity that I put on hold when I became a mother, but which remains a memorable experience. I love mountain trekking, those multi-day trips that allow you to reconnect with the essentials, test your body and nourish your mind. I have been lucky enough to climb a few peaks, including Mont Blanc, an adventure that remains a very strong memory because it symbolises perseverance and achievement after several attempts.
I have also always enjoyed personal sporting challenges. For example, I ticked the ‘marathon’ box: I ran it at my own pace, in five hours, without any impressive time, but with the satisfaction of having seen the project through to the end. My next challenge, which I have in mind, would be to take part in a triathlon — a way of combining swimming, cycling and running, three disciplines that I already practise.
Finally, a significant part of my balance comes from my volunteer work. I enjoy giving my time to causes that are meaningful. I regularly participate in local initiatives, particularly at an organic market garden and with winegrowers. I also volunteer at sporting events, especially when they take place in the mountains. For example, I helped organise the UT4M and the World Ski Championships in Méribel-Courchevel, and I was lucky enough to volunteer at the Paris Olympic Games. These experiences are very powerful on a human level: they nurture social ties, knowledge transfer and pride in belonging to a dynamic region.
What motivates you? Why do you get up in the morning?
I wake up every morning with a deep sense of motivation: the feeling of being useful and the pleasure of seeing my team again. What drives me is the conviction that my presence matters, that my decisions have a real impact on the smooth running of the cable car and on the experience of those who discover it. I know that my colleagues often look to me to arbitrate, make decisions and provide support, and I like that dynamic. I like the human connection, the constant back and forth between collective reflection and decision-making.
There is also a sense of shared pride: seeing the teams succeed, seeing a project come to fruition, seeing things unfold as we had planned together. Those moments when we say to ourselves, ‘We did it,’ are my greatest reward. When I see my employees happy with their work, or when they show me a project they have completed, I tell myself that the energy invested has been worthwhile.
And then there’s the attachment to this unique place. Some days, I take the time to get into a cabin, simply to observe the passengers, listen to their comments, and feel their wonder. Seeing their eyes light up when they arrive at the top of the Bastille is a privilege that I never take for granted. This cable car is part of Grenoble’s history, and I feel that I am the custodian of this responsibility.
Finally, I believe that my motivations also stem from the environment in which I work. The Bastille is an exceptional site — a veritable balcony overlooking the city. Organising a meeting, an appointment or simply starting your day up there is an incredible source of energy. The panorama, the light, the natural setting in the heart of the city… all of this contributes to making work more inspiring.
Patricia GALLOIS, what gives you the greatest satisfaction?
My greatest satisfaction is seeing my children flourish in lives and careers that suit them, filled with passion, meaning and commitment. My daughter is a ski instructor and interior designer, and my son is a PhD researcher in the field of Olympism, politics and sport. Seeing them happy, fulfilled and motivated by their work is a source of immense pride. I tell myself that, in some way, I have managed to pass on an essential value to them: that of passionate work, sincere commitment and the pleasure of doing things seriously, without counting the hours.
Professionally, my satisfactions are more diffuse, but just as strong. They lie in those discreet but sincere acknowledgements: an employee who thanks me at the end of a project, a board of directors that highlights the quality of the work accomplished, or the mayor of Grenoble who, during a meeting, congratulates me on the management of the site and the quality of the welcome. These gestures and words, even simple ones, are very valuable to me. They remind me that collective work, when done well, leaves a positive mark.
I am also proud of the technical and managerial credibility I have been able to build in a world that can sometimes be demanding, even sceptical at first. Being recognised and respected in my field today is an honour that touches me all the more because it has been a long journey, requiring rigour and perseverance.
Patricia GALLOIS, do you have any regrets?
I don’t have any real regrets, but if I had to name one, it would perhaps be not having pushed my athletic abilities further when I was younger. I have always loved sport, I have always had this desire to move, to learn, to try… but I remained a ‘jack of all trades’. I never really sought to perform, to specialise in a particular discipline, or to aim for excellence. Perhaps with a little more guidance or determination at the time, I could have reached a higher level, won medals, or simply felt the satisfaction of pure achievement. It’s a small regret, not remorse, but a recurring thought: I would have liked to have been more involved in a sport, to have gone further in my performance.
At the same time, I realise that this diversity of experiences has also allowed me to have a more open relationship with movement, nature and free effort. So I haven’t lost anything, but I do retain this nuance.
On the other hand, if there is one thing I am particularly proud of, it is my commitment to solidarity. For the past twenty years, I have been sponsoring a young girl in Nepal through an association. I met her when she was a child, and today she is almost twenty years old. Seeing her grow up, flourish, receiving her letters written in English in which she tells me about her life, her progress, her studies, touches me deeply. It’s a wonderful human adventure: by giving €30 a month, a modest sum, I feel that I have made a real contribution to building a future. It puts everything else into perspective: there is no greater satisfaction than knowing that you have been able to change someone’s trajectory, even if only a little.
I have also set myself some rules for living that I consider to be personal commitments. For example, I limit my air travel to once a year because I am aware of the environmental impact. I have travelled a lot and enjoyed it, but today I want to live in a way that is consistent with my beliefs. I favour organic products, short supply chains and gentler modes of transport. These are not spectacular gestures, but they contribute to my inner balance.
So no, I don’t have any deep regrets. Instead, I feel grateful for the journey I’ve been on and the opportunity to commit, in my own small way, to what I believe in.
If you had a list of three wishes for the mountains, what would they be?
If I had three wishes for the mountains, the first would undoubtedly be for the glaciers to stop retreating. Because without them, the mountains lose part of their soul, their balance and their beauty. Glaciers are powerful markers of climate change, and seeing them recede year after year is deeply saddening. If I could grant one wish, it would be this: that the mountains regain their snow, their water, their purity, and that the seasons return to their natural rhythm.
My second wish would be for respect and moderation. I would like to see an end to indiscriminate construction, to the proliferation of these ‘cold beds’ that disfigure the landscape and betray a certain imbalance between economics and common sense. The mountains are not meant to be a consumer product. They must remain a living, inhabited, breathing space. I would like to see a return to a form of sobriety in development, a more coherent approach between biodiversity, habitat and tourist appeal.
Finally, my third wish would be for the mountains to become truly virtuous, in every sense of the word. Mountains that give, but to which we give back. When I spend several days walking in mountain refuges, I appreciate everything they offer me — silence, beauty, inner strength — and I often wonder how, on my own small scale, I can give back what they give me. For me, the mountains should operate on a ‘win-win’ basis, where humans do not exploit but cooperate with their environment.
This also involves making more responsible mobility choices. It pains me to hear that certain train lines to the valleys are being abandoned, when we should instead be developing these valley lifts, alternatives to cars that would facilitate access while reducing our carbon footprint. That last kilometre, which we still too often travel by car, symbolises what we still need to reinvent.
Patricia GALLOIS, how do you see the future?
I naturally see myself in the mountains, it’s obvious to me. That’s where I feel at home, in an environment that is demanding, inspiring and deeply human. I see myself continuing in Grenoble for a few more years, because there are some great projects to be carried out here, developments to be consolidated and deployments to be completed, both around the cable car and the Bastille site. I still feel a lot of momentum, a lot of things to accomplish before turning the page.
But in the medium term, I would like to finish my career in a small or medium-sized mountain resort on a human scale. What I would like is a place where you can combine proximity, authenticity and gentle innovation, where every decision is made with a view of the mountains and not from a distant office. I would like to bring what I have learned here: a sense of community, technical rigour, the management of an iconic tourist site, while integrating a more pronounced snow and nature dimension.
So I see my professional future as a continuation, but with a step closer to the heights – both literally and figuratively. Gaining height, broadening my field of action, and perhaps passing on to others what I have been fortunate enough to learn.
And then, I also see myself continuing to be involved in the networks that have given me so much. I am vice-president of the urban, tourist and industrial cable car commission within Domaines Skiables de France, and a member of the network of iconic sites in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. These two professional circles have enriched me enormously, whether through exchanges, the sharing of best practices or the human wealth they represent. I find them a valuable source of energy and inspiration. It’s also my way of giving back what I’ve received — I’m a big believer in this ‘give and take’ approach, where everyone contributes according to their skills and learns from others.
