News

Managers Meeting-Amsterdam 2018, convergence opens the way to the future!

The Managers Meeting is, more than ever, an important internal event for participants and for all of the Group’s employees. Representatives from the Group’s 52 subsidiaries on 5 continents gather for discussions and speeches over a two-day period. 

Once again this year, the interactions between the various SBUs, RDs and FDs have been greatly enhanced by focusing on workshops and "exhibition-products”, highlighting the innovations presented by each SBU, of which there were many this year. 

The plenary sessions were used to review 2017 and present the strategic orientations for 2018, everyone was aware of the successes achieved and the confidence in the future, but also the economic realities directly impacting some SBUs. 

2017 remains a year of great disparities in terms of performance for the SBUs and RDs, particularly with the difficulties affecting Transmission and the disappointments in South America. However, the Group achieved good orders and good turnover by the end of the year. 

2017 was also a particularly positive year with remarkable successes, such as the integration of SEIFEL and CLAVED, as well as the deployment of SALESFORCE. 

There remain many reasons to be satisfied and a path is emerging through the dynamics initiated in 2016 and are now creating the expected convergence between the Group's areas of expertise and operational field teams directly related with the market. 

Innovation: one of the main drivers of the Group’s future. 

This is a turning point in the organization of the Group with the emergence of the innovation team led by Pierre WILLAMS, the result of lengthy reflections and analyses of the needs of the Group regarding the challenges associated with the changes already in progress in the energy sector. Launched 2016, it is now firmly established in three main areas: 

- An IoT division with the creation of a Group IoT team led by Patrick MORTEL and at the disposal of the subsidiaries. 

- A digital simulation centre led by Pierre GORECKI, equipped with a powerful software system that can optimize new products and also find smart solutions for redesign to cost. 

- A Synthetic Materials Division led by Catherine SOPIN, the purpose of which is to select and qualify the best materials before new projects commence. 

“Success stories”: connectors for solar farms developed by SICAME Australia were chosen by one of the main operators in that market, this bodes well at the global level for 2018 and for the coming years. The development of the overhead LV and HVA core ranges has found great success with the immense needs associated with upgrading the distribution network. 

The meeting was also an opportunity to unveil the initial results of the survey conducted among the Group's employees with some reasons for satisfaction, such as the confirmation of employee pride in belonging to the Group. 

The survey also revealed areas for improvement, particularly regarding internal communication about prospects, innovation policy and the social actions that are dear to the values of our Group. 

As Vincent ROY has pointed out, 2018 is both a year of convergence, with the rise of innovation departments, the new commercial organization in France, and also a year of challenges with the revival of the Transmission business, the assistance required in Argentina and South Africa, not forgetting the daily struggle for organic growth, improving customer service rates and the Group's economic performance. 

Managers Meeting-Amsterdam