What is your professional background?

My career path is fairly classic. After graduating from business school, I joined the corporate world where I spent more than 25 years, 15 of which were dedicated to communications and marketing. More specifically, I was Director of Communications and Public Affairs for Valeo from 2004 to 2008, then Director of Marketing and Communications for Philips France and VP Brand and Corporate Affairs for the Philips Group.

For the past 4 years, I've been head of Entreprises et Médias, an association and think tank bringing together the communications directors of France's 150 biggest companies. Our mission is to help them understand the changes their companies are going through. I also draw a lot of inspiration from teaching, as I've been a professor at ESSEC for 14 years.

What is your commitment to the raison d'être of organizations?

In 2019, the Plan d'Action pour la Croissance et la Transformation des Entreprises (PACTE) law introduced the notion of raison d'être, derived from the work of two Harvard professors who demonstrated that a company cannot sustainably win in a losing world. This is all the more true in a world in the throes of ecological, technological, economic and social transformation. It is indeed in the company's interest to take into account the grievances of the stakeholders with whom it interacts.

"61% of French people believe that companies have the power to change the world. It's only natural that we should reflect on their place in society."

As a consultant, I've helped groups and start-ups develop their raison d'être. This involves asking three fundamental questions: why does the company exist, how does it act, and how does it contribute to making the world a better place?

These philosophical and economic questions give raison d'être an intrinsic strength that will enable it to establish itself as the company's roadmap. It is also a key component of corporate identity, alongside the essential brand platform (vision, mission, positioning, values, brand signature, tone of voice).

The Michelin Group's raison d'être - "To offer everyone a better way forward" - is one of the finest I know. In addition to underpinning the company's uniqueness and ambition, it is a powerful lever for commitment, performance and transformation. In line with this, Michelin has, for example, decided to switch from the sale to the rental of tires for vehicle fleets, creating a circular activity beneficial to all.

What are the conditions for success?

Defining a raison d'être is a difficult exercise. It aims to assert, at the same time, the company's uniqueness and its contribution to improving the world. The greatest risk is to adopt a raison d'être that is too consensual, too general.

After involving a large number of employees, and possibly external stakeholders, a multi-disciplinary team, often led by the communications director and supported by a consultancy firm, will propose the results of its work to the company's general management. The chosen raison d'être will then have to be embodied at all levels of the company, with everyone becoming its architect and ambassador.

What role does the communications department play in reminding the company of its role in society?

We need to remember the etymology of the word "communication". The Latin verb "communicare" means "to put or have in common". The role of the communications department is to generate meaning, trust and commitment, and ultimately contribute to the company's development.

By placing its raison d'être at the heart of all its actions, it reinvents the company's relationships with its various stakeholders to generate lasting, effective interactions.

In this context, what qualities should a Dircom have today?

As well as knowing the full range of communications professions, being a communications director requires a number of qualities: a taste for human relations, diplomacy, open-mindedness, creativity, resilience, leadership and general culture... These qualities enable you to understand the world in which your company operates and to devise the best possible communications strategy.

"The art of being both very bold and very careful is the art of success". Napoleon's words could inspire any communications manager.