Transformation: What measures can you take to boost business agility? – Brice Malm

In our post-Covid world, this ‘new normal’, where uncertainty rules supreme and change is a constant, the ability to adapt quickly (read: very quickly) is key.

Responsible purchasing, digitisation, innovation, more expensive raw materials, disruptions in the supply chain and renewal of skills are just a few of the many issues that require you to quickly readjust and enhance your business agility in order to embrace change sustainably. So what about opting for new sources of flexibility?

By Brice Malm, Purchasing Practice and Supply Chain Director, Grant Alexander, expert in human capital and purchasing transformation

 

IN-HOUSE SOURCES

 

In order to create favourable conditions for sustainable change, you must first be open and honest with your teams: discuss reasons for pride with them, certainly, but also broach any problems encountered, and what impact they may have on change. Your people must understand where the transformation is leading and be encouraged to be more flexible.

In this respect, successful purchasing managers have made agility a strength. Trained in the ‘agile method’, every sprint brings its own batch of decisions and the necessary adjustments, including in terms of human resources, in order to achieve the desired goals. When all is said and done, they focus more on the results and the ability to exploit temporary market circumstances than on the number of team members. Indeed, they simplify the reporting structures and prefer teams that can be built and unbuilt at great speed.

 

EXTERNAL SOURCES

 

Relying on in-house teams is undeniably a very good thing. However, to achieve sustainable results you no longer have to have an in-house resource for every skill. By taking advantage of the operational expertise of freelance or interim experts and managers, you can become more agile.

As a first example, let’s take the director of a medium-sized healthcare company who, having done some skills mapping, has come to the conclusion that his team was spending 85% of its time on traditional purchasing activities. Only 15% of their time was being devoted to new projects. So he decided that for every one of these new missions, he would assign an in-house project leader who would be supported by outsourced expertise.

Another example would be a company listed on the SBF 120 stock exchange that needed to fill in for a happy event. They decided to make use of an interim purchasing director, whose initial goal would be to take over the management of a dozen buyers and ensure the continuity of operational projects. Thanks to this naturally overqualified interim manager, it was possible to analyse the synergy between commodity purchasing and regional purchasing departments… Which an in-house team member would perhaps not have been in a position to do and especially in such a short space of time. 

In general, the flexibility achieved through the use of freelancers generates a higher ROI for public companies and organisations who thus see their projects accelerate and achieve results faster.

In France, this new source of skills began emerging a little over a decade ago, with some rather highly skilled people initially destined to take on crisis management. Today, the use of such interim managers and freelance experts is growing at the same pace as the increasing need for flexibility in business. These rigorously selected independent experts, very often former operational staff, bring a highly complementary approach to the work of in-house teams. They offer companies agility and are particularly committed to ensuring the success of their missions. Given that many of them are able to pick and choose the missions they want to invest in, they focus more on the goals and the execution of the defined plan than on political and personal career aspects. They enjoy sharing their knowledge and enriching the experience of the people working in hybrid teams. And as a result, those teams will be inspired to emulate the experts in the pursuit of the company’s projects.

The essential thing to bear in mind: it is very complex for one single company to have all the skills they need available at any given time. Today’s companies have understood the need to turn business agility into a competitive advantage by having a network of outsourced expertise at their disposal to complement their in-house skills sets.

Article by Brice Malm, Purchasing Practice and Supply Chain Director, for the Conseil National des Achats’ Profession Achats Magazine. 

What can you do to retain your human capital in a tight job market? – Grégoire Beaurain

Retaining talent is a hot topic that our group is facing in its day-to-day business.

Large groups and SMEs alike are currently seeing increasing numbers of employees leaving, with turnover reaching peaks that can be as high as 25%, in some cases. And for reasons that both directors and managers often find completely disconcerting. Because although these people may be leaving the company of their own free will, this does not necessarily mean they have another job to go to; and, indeed, they may have no inclination or desire to find one…

There are numerous examples of this! Just three, which I heard from clients of mine last April, suffice to understand the extent of the phenomenon. One was an in-house auditor who left the company to become a yoga instructor. Another was a lawyer who resigned to open up their own small grocery shop in their home region. And the third was a financial officer who opted to return to his home region to open a rural gîte there.

There is no getting around it… so HR managers must find new solutions to offer if they are to hold on to their human capital.

 

Training… now and always…

 

An employee who receives quality training and the opportunity to follow a dynamic upward path will be more likely to stay on and pursue their career with the company beyond the statutory two years.

Talented people, in particular, are keen to move forwards faster than most. They aim to get out of their comfort zone as often as they can and are more inclined to take calculated risks as a means of accelerating their professional development. To their way of thinking, training is a highly motivating lever and one that will foster loyalty.

 

Proximity… needs work

 

Regular interaction with senior management is guaranteed to be beneficial in fostering loyalty among the most ambitious talent. CEOs nowadays need to understand that they cannot achieve their goals by distancing themselves from their people, in splendid isolation. Rather, they must make a conscious effort to meet with their employees on a regular basis and, in particular, the most promising ones.

Similarly, feedback is becoming increasingly sought after and valued. Good managers should not wait for annual appraisals to sit down and take stock with their employees. Instead, stay interviews are the way to go. As the name suggests, these one-on-one conversations let managers discuss ways of motivating their people to stay with the company, as opposed to encountering unhappy employees whose response to their annual appraisal may be to look for an alternative position in a job market with no shortage of offerings.

 

The importance of remuneration

 

Obviously, salary is a fundamental tool for retaining staff. Indeed, it is in HR managers’ best interests to tailor salaries more in order to hold on to their talent. This might involve offering a range of variables, free shares and long term incentive plans, which companies are turning to more and more.

 

Autonomy… a vital component nowadays

 

Adam Grant, psychologist at Wharton, recently wrote, ‘The flexibility people want most isn’t remote work. It is to set their own hours. They want to control their time, to choose when and how much they work. Offering freedom sounds like a risk but squeezing it is also a risk. Stars are the first to leave’. The warning could not be clearer. When the Covid crisis struck, it opened up a Pandora’s Box. In a very recent conversation I had with an HR manager, she told me, ‘We have come to believe that employees are implementing the following paradigm: “I work when I want, where I want and if I want”‘. This ‘if I want’ corresponds to what our American friends have dubbed ‘The Big Quit’… something that has now become a reality in France and in Europe.

 

The incontrovertible quest for meaning

 

Aiming to satisfy their employees’ growing need for meaning in their work, companies are developing new tools, such as skills sponsorship, as well as encouraging sabbatical leave. Large groups, for example, will sometimes let their most talented employees join an association or an SME on a temporary basis. The employee in question can take advantage of this parenthesis to undertake a mission in line with their personal values, while the employer is rewarded with tax benefits. At the end of this time, the employee will return to the company in high spirits and may even have developed new skills along the way. Everyone wins!

 

The job market may be in the throes of a profound and long-lasting change but, with a range of effective strategies at their disposal, HR managers are once again (as can be seen from these few examples) demonstrating their ability to adapt and enable companies to retain their talent, while looking more confidently to future.

 

Article by Grégoire Beaurain, Financial Grant Alexander – Executive Search Practice Director. 

THE GRANT ALEXANDER GROUP JOINS THE INTERSEARCH NETWORK

Paris, 24 February 2022 – Grant Alexander, the independent French HR consulting and services group and a key partner to organisations and leaders seeking to improve their performance, has joined InterSearch, one of the top international executive search organisations, with more than 90 offices in over 50 countries around the world.

 

A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE TO SUPPORT THE GROUP’S INTERNATIONALISATION

 

Following a rigorous selection process that lasted several months, Grant Alexander has finalised an agreement with InterSearch. The decision to join forces with this powerful network was based on multiple factors which were essential to the group’s decision:

  • It has existed for more than 30 years.
  • It has widespread geographic coverage. 
  • It works with local partners of the highest quality, who are experts in their fields and their markets and who share the same quality standards.
  • Its members are united by shared values and are committed to CSR (corporate social responsibility).
  • Lastly, it is a source of innovation and enrichment of members’ practices.

This alliance is an integral part of the group’s international development strategy which it launched in March 2021 with the opening of its first African office, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to cover the continent’s French-speaking countries. With InterSearch, whose members include executive search and HR consulting firms, Grant Alexander will be able to offer support and guidance to its clients (including large groups and their subsidiaries, as well as mid-sized firms) on subjects ranging from talent acquisition to skills development, and this with the same level of service, everywhere in the world.

Grant Alexander will be InterSearch’s partner in France.

 

At InterSearch we strive to partner with the best independent Executive Search firms and are very excited to strengthen our operations in France. We welcome Grant Alexander and look forward to boosting their clients’ Talent pool in 70+ countries worldwide” says Frank Schelstraete, Chairman of InterSearch Worldwide.

We are thrilled and proud to become a member of InterSearch, one of the world’s leading international networks for executive recruitment and support ” notes Henri Vidalinc, Chairman of Grant Alexander.The relationship based on trust and convergence that we immediately formed with Frank and the network’s leaders was an important driver for us, as further evidence that we have the same approach to the business and to the support we offer our clients, and that we all share a strategy of excellence and have a strong sense of community. This alliance comes at a key moment in the group’s development and will now enable us to offer tailored responses to our clients, wherever they may be” he concludes.


About Grant Alexander: For more than 30 years, Grant Alexander has been a key partner to organisations and leaders seeking to improve their performance, assisting them with all their skills development and management needs, and offering tailored responses to every situation. The group has multiple areas of expertise in HR consulting and services, with four business lines (Executive Search, Executive Interim, Leadership Development and HR & Organisation Transformation). It works with every business sector, and every role (executives, experts, rare profiles, etc.), all across the planet. It has several offices in France (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Toulouse), an office in Abidjan for Africa, and is the exclusive partner in France of InterSearch, a leading global executive search network. Grant Alexander has earned the Lucie 26000 label for its social engagement. www.grantalexander.com
About InterSearch Worldwide: InterSearch Worldwide is a global organisation of executive search firms consistently ranked amongst the largest retained executive search practices in the world. Established in 1989, today InterSearch operates in 70+ countries with over 90 offices. The InterSearch members are carefully selected among the best executive search firms to match the global organisation’s high integrity and transparency, quality of service and depth of experience. InterSearch prides itself on having a global reach with local impact. www.intersearch.org

Grant Alexander group launches new “Organisational Transformation & Human Resources” initiative

In its role as a key partner to organisations and leaders seeking to improve their performance, the Grant Alexander HR services group is launching a new Organisational Transformation & Human Resources initiative. The aim is to help organisations and businesses work towards more rapid change through a combination of innovative digital technology and bespoke human support.

 

 

Henri Vidalinc, President of Grant Alexander, has entrusted the management of this new scheme to Bruno Chaintron, whose company Role Crafting, founded nearly 11 years ago, has become part of the Group.

 

 

TRANSFORMING ORGANISATIONS FOR GREATER RESILIENCE

In a year that has been unprecedented for companies, and in which the challenge of mobilising teams to ‘build back better’ remains daunting, Grant Alexander has decided to consolidate its HR expertise to create a new initiative dedicated to organisational transformation. Headed by Bruno CHAINTRON, a strategy expert who specialises in helping companies and executives bring about change, this new business offers a smooth, collaborative approach and radically new digital tools to transform the organisation and develop roles and talents.

 

With objectives focused on improved performance and agility, clearer, more legible and more committed organisations, and new practices designed to contribute to greater employee well-being, centred on customers and employees, Bruno Chaintron’s team relies on the proven methodologies and powerful and ergonomic digital tools developed by Role Crafting.

 

 

A COMPLETE SUITE OF DIGITAL TOOLS TO ACCELERATE AND MANAGE TRANSFORMATION

With the acquisition of Role Crafting, the company created by Bruno Chaintron, the Grant Alexander Group relies on an innovative tool called “Role Scanner”, which creates a rapid and in-depth 100% scan of the organisation, taking into account the views of employees, customers and partners, to analyse hot spots and sticking points. A diagnosis of the status quo that takes less than a month, regardless of the size of the company!

 

Second, the tool enables you to identify action levers, priorities and risks, the obtain feedback on action proposals from the field, and align your teams in a lively and visual way around a diagnosis and shared action priorities. Finally, the Role Scanner also enables you to measure the progress of change over time. 

 

In addition, “Role Crafting” helps you to optimise and reinvent roles, analysing them in depth, mission by mission, activity by activity, as well as identify past achievements, plus the skills and motivations of employees, and finally to build scenarios which enrich the roles within your company. It can also be used to renew jobs, arbitrate between different scenarios of roles and responsibilities, and initiate a dynamic of continuous and sustainable improvement.

 

“This new solution is unique, complete, modular, lively, and intuitive, and provides rapid and concrete benefits, and has achieved strong positive impact on the organizations and teams where it has already been implemented,” said Henri Vidalinc, President of Grant Alexander. “With the integration of this new dimension into our service offering, our group is consolidating its position, thinking outside the box and supporting companies with their organisational transformation, recruitment and skills development issue, helping them build an exciting future.” 

 

1 The major French groups that have implemented the solution posted a 93% employee satisfaction rate

 

 

About:

For 30 years, Grant Alexander has been a partner in the performance of organisations and their leaders, providing comprehensive and tailor-made support for all their competency management and development needs. A multi-specialist HR services group with four main activities (Executive Search, Executive Interim, Leadership Development, HR and Organisation Transformation), it operates in all sectors, across all roles (managers / experts / rare profiles), all over the world, via several offices in France (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Toulouse), an Africa office in Abidjan, and a network of first-rate international partners. As a socially committed company, Grant Alexander is in the process of obtaining Lucie 26000 certification.

Françoise Derolez joins the Grant Alexander Group as Associate Director of Executive Interim

 

 

 

GRANT ALEXANDER, THE HR CONSULTING AND SERVICES GROUP THAT IMPROVES BUSINESS PERFORMANCE, IS PURSUING ITS GROWTH STRATEGY AND ANNOUNCES THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, FRANÇOISE DEROLEZ, WHO JOINS THE TEAM TO DEVELOP THE INTERIM MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY.

 

 

Françoise Derolez has been involved in change management and innovation for 25 years and has mainly worked for companies in the high-tech sector that are leaders in their markets. She started at Alcatel-Lucent as a marketing communication manager, then joined Cisco France as a partnership manager, then as marketing communication director for smart cities in 2015, as part of a partnership with the government. She then joined Hewlett Packard Enterprise to represent the public sector. Finally, in 2020, she supported the development of an Edtech start-up.

 

 

In addition to her expertise in the support of new transformational projects with the Executive Boards of organisations ranging from start-ups to large groups, Françoise Derolez is also a committed woman. She is notably co-President of PWN Paris – Professional Women’s Network Paris -, and Vice-President of 2GAP – Gender and Governance Action Plaform-, two associations that act concretely to make companies and society evolve towards parity, source of performance and societal balance.

She now joins Grant Alexander to contribute to the development of the group’s Interim Management activity, within an “Executive Interim” team headed by Alban Azzopardi, which now includes 8 Associate Directors and 3 Talent Assessment Managers.

She is also a graduate of Sciences-Po Paris and holds a “Women Board Ready” certification from ESSEC. She is also co-author of “Shaping tomorrow’s workplace: circular economy applied to human resources management” published in 2015 in “Tendances Sociales et Culturelles de la Valeur” by L’Harmattan.

About: For 30 years, Grant Alexander has been a partner in the performance of organisations and their leaders, providing them with comprehensive support for all their needs in terms of skills management and development, always with a tailor-made response. A multi-specialist HR services group with 3 activities (Executive Search, Executive Interim, Leadership and Organisation Development), it operates in all sectors, for all functions (managers/experts/rare profiles), all over the world, via several offices in France (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Toulouse), an office in Abidjan for Africa, and a network of first-rate international partners. As a socially committed player, Grant Alexander is in the process of obtaining Lucie 26000 certification.

Grant Alexander Group opens first office in Africa, the continent of opportunity

A PARTNER IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR MANAGERS, THE GRANT ALEXANDER HR SERVICES GROUP IS EXPANDING INTERNATIONALLY AND SETTING UP ITS FIRST OFFICE ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, IN ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST. IN ORDER TO MEET THE STRONG NEEDS FOR EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT OF COMPANIES IN THE REGION, AND TO BE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO ITS CLIENTS, HENRI VIDALINC, CHAIRMAN OF THE GRANT ALEXANDER GROUP, ENTRUSTS THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS AFRICAN REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE TO EUGÉNIE ATTIA KASSI.

 

A CONTINENT WITH HIGH HR CHALLENGES

 

According to a PwC study[1], nearly 90% of business leaders in Africa are concerned about the availability of key skills. This is a structural problem which, as the African Development Bank[2] points out in its report on the regional economic outlook for Central Africa, threatens the area’s future growth.

Despite the pandemic, the continent has been able to resist and show resilience, and 70% of its leaders are generally optimistic about the speed of the recovery[3]. Thanks to its dynamic demography, the technological changes underway, and its unique and exponential economic potential, notably with the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) which came into force last January, which “paves the way for Africa, with a population of 1.2 billion and a combined GDP of 2.5 trillion dollars, to become the largest common market in the world”[4], the African continent possesses, in its great diversity, real strengths. However, to support its development and transformation, it must have the capacity to strengthen its human capital and make the development of local skills one of its key priorities.

It is in this context that the Grant Alexander Group has chosen to deploy its expertise locally and sustainably.

 

AN OFFICE TO SUPPORT COMPANIES IN ALL THEIR HR ISSUES AND PARTICIPATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL SKILLS

 

Based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the representative office will be managed by Eugénie ATTIA KASSI, a seasoned human resources professional who is well known on African soil. With more than 25 years of experience as a Human Resources Director of large national and international companies, Eugénie ATTIA KASSI, Officer of the National Order of Merit, is strongly involved in HR associations and the local economic fabric.

Eugénie ATTIA KASSI’s mission will be to support the establishment of the Grant Alexander group in French-speaking Africa and to promote the group’s four business lines: direct approach to senior executives, interim management, development of managerial skills and advice to human resources departments to assist them in the transformation of the organisation.

“The establishment in Côte d’Ivoire is part of our internationalisation strategy and corresponds to our desire to support markets that are facing strong recruitment and skills development challenges. I am delighted that we are doing this on this continent with Eugenie, a local HR expert, by creating a close and lasting relationship with the companies present in the region, in order to help them develop with the best talent, in the service of their performance” underlines Henri VIDALINC, President of the Grant Alexander Group.

 

About Grant Alexander:

For 30 years, Grant Alexander has been a partner in the performance of organisations and their leaders, providing them with comprehensive support for all of their skills management and development needs, always with a tailor-made response. A multi-specialist HR services group with 3 activities (Executive Search, Executive Interim, Leadership and Organisation Development), it operates in all sectors, for all functions (managers/experts/rare profiles), all over the world, via several offices in France (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Toulouse), an office in Abidjan for Africa, and a network of first-rate international partners. As a socially committed company, Grant Alexander is in the process of obtaining Lucie 26000 certification.

1] Source: PwC, 22nd annual global CEO Survey, 2019

2] Source: African Development Bank, Central African Regional Economic Outlook Report, 2020. https://www.afdb.org/fr/documents/perspectives-economiques-en-afrique-centrale-2020-faire-face-la-pandemie-du-covid-19

3] Source: Deloitte, Africa CEOs Survey, 2020

4] Source: Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), Challenges and opportunities on the occasion of the 57th Africa Day, 25 May 2020 – emagazine Africa Renewal

Grant Alexander joins 60 000 Rebonds

AS A PARTNER IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR MANAGERS, THE GRANT ALEXANDER GROUP CONTINUES ITS INVOLVEMENT IN EMPLOYMENT BY SUPPORTING THE 60 000 REBONDS GRAND OUEST ASSOCIATION, WHICH ASSISTS POST-LIQUIDATION ENTREPRENEURS TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER AN ENTREPRENEURIAL FAILURE.

 

 

 

AN ACTIVE SUPPORT APPROACH TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER A FAILURE

The mission of the 60 000 rebonds association is to encourage and support entrepreneurs after liquidation. They can thus reorientate themselves or return to the business world with the help of advice provided by the association’s partners, and now also the consultants of Grant Alexander Grand Ouest.

According to the Bilan National des Entreprises des greffiers des tribunaux de commerce (1) published in January 2021, 5,217 judicial liquidations were recorded in 2020, representing more than three quarters (77.5%) of the collective procedures opened over the period, four points more than in 2019 (73.5%). This is a particularly difficult period for many entrepreneurs, and Grant Alexander wants to support them by providing its multi-specialist HR consulting and services expertise to all those who have experienced failure and want to continue to invest in a new professional project.

 

SUPPORTING SO THAT NO ONE IS LEFT ALONE IN THE FACE OF FAILURE, THAT IS ALSO ATHLETE THINKING®.

Through this partnership, the Grant Alexander Group, which has been socially committed for several years, wants to support French entrepreneurship in a concrete way by accompanying business leaders who have filed for bankruptcy but whose talents and expertise remain essential to the vitality of the regional economy.

“I am sincerely pleased with this new partnership with 60,000 Rebonds to support employment and skills in the Grand Ouest region,” said Henri Vidalinc, President of the Grant Alexander Group. “I hope that this is the beginning of a great story with 60,000 Rebonds, whose mission is totally aligned with the spirit that we all share at Grant Alexander and with our candidates: Athlete Thinking®. It’s a mindset of thinking like an athlete, of seeing competence differently, and of seeing failure as an experience. It is also a development methodology that integrates 9 mental dimensions and allows us to optimise performance” adds Henri Vidalinc.

Through this partnership, Grant Alexander is actively pursuing its civic action, here in the territories, and has moreover begun a process of Lucie 26000 certification in order to be part of a process of progress in terms of CSR.

(1) Source: https://www.greffe-tc-paris.fr/uploads/paris/Actu/bian_national_cngtc_2020.pdf

 

About Grant Alexander: For 30 years, Grant Alexander has been a partner in the performance of organisations and their leaders, providing them with comprehensive support for all their skills management and development needs, always with a tailor-made response. A multi-specialist HR consulting and services group, with 3 activities (Executive Search, Executive Interim, Leadership and Organisation Development), it operates in all sectors, for all functions (managers / experts / rare profiles), in France via its offices in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Toulouse, and internationally thanks to a network of first-class partners. A socially committed player, Grant Alexander is in the process of obtaining Lucie 26000 certification.

 

About 60 000 rebonds: 60 000 rebonds is an association present in 26 cities, recognised as being of general social interest since 30 June 2016. On a national level, it supports more than 660 post-liquidation entrepreneurs to help them bounce back from business failure. These entrepreneurs are currently supported by regional teams that include a total of more than a thousand volunteers. A force for good for their company.
Website: 60000rebonds.com/lassociation/

Two new nominations at Grant Alexander

GRANT ALEXANDER, THE HR CONSULTING AND SERVICES GROUP THAT PARTNERS WITH ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR LEADERS TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE, CONTINUES ITS GROWTH STRATEGY AND ANNOUNCES THE ARRIVAL OF AN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND A SENIOR CONSULTANT.

 

 

Vincent Wallner joins the Grant Alexander Group as Associate Director of Executive Interim

 

Vincent Wallner Associé Grant Alexander Executive InterimAn expert in business transformation and performance, he began his career in auditing at Arthur Andersen, then consolidated his expertise in the financial and operations departments of major groups in the retail and luxury sectors, before taking over the general management of a company he founded in 2007. After developing and structuring high-profile brands in France and internationally, he carried out several interim management assignments between 2016 and 2018 within various management committees for fashion and e-commerce players, and then joined an interim management company (EMT) as Associate Director. His experience in strategic and operational functions in various sectors has given him a thorough understanding of the issues and problems of his clients, whom he assists in the context of transformation/structuring and crisis management. He now joins Grant Alexander as Associate Director to support the strong development of the group’s interim management activity.

 

 

Didier Vidalinc joins the Grant Alexander Group as a Senior Consultant in the Executive Search practice

 

 

With 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, Didier Vidalinc is an expert in the sector. His varied career within the Renault Group, in the management of operational entities and support functions, both in France and internationally, as Marketing Director at Renault SA and General Manager at Renault Retail Group, has given him a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the automotive trade. In the second part of his career, he joined private distributors representing Renault and then PSA to assist them in their development. He now joins the group as Senior Consultant – Executive Search to develop the automotive practice.

 

 

 

 

 

About: For 30 years, Grant Alexander has been a partner in the performance of organisations and their leaders, providing them with comprehensive support for all their skills management and development needs, always with a tailor-made response. A multi-specialist HR consulting and services group, with 3 activities (Executive Search, Executive Interim, Leadership and Organisation Development), it operates in all sectors, for all functions (managers / experts / rare profiles), in France via its offices in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Toulouse, and internationally thanks to a network of first-class partners. As a socially committed player, Grant Alexander is in the process of obtaining Lucie 26000 certification.

 

Grant Alexander announces revenue growth of 23% for 2020

partner in the performance of organizations and their leaders, independent firm Grant Alexander has been providing companies with tailored consulting and HR services for 30 years. In the current economic environment, its positioning as a multi-specialist in the top management segment has resulted in revenues of €14.5 million for fiscal 2020, up 23% on 2019.

 

For 2021, it is targeting revenues of €17 million. To achieve this, it will consolidate its premium positioning and international development, while capitalizing on innovation and acquiring external expertise.

 

 

GROUP DYNAMICS DRIVEN BY NEW ACTIVITIES AND NEW ASSIGNMENTS

The interim management activity, which has enjoyed sustained growth since it was set up 4 years ago, has continued to perform well through a period of crisis and company restructuring, and its revenues grew by 52%. In 2020, the firm’s Executive Interim branch lent its support to some big businesses, mid-caps and fast-growing scale-up companies as they underwent transformation. It also worked with a number of global players, assisting them with crisis management, most notably alongside general management and human resources departments.

Executive Search, the firm’s long-established core business, has also maintained its growth rate in a significantly weakened market environment. “This year saw some great assignments, such as the recruitment of the Chairman of EMOVA (Monceau Fleurs, Happy, etc.), and the Country Manager for Germany for one of the world’s leading engineering consultancies,” notes Henri Vidalinc, Chairman of Grant Alexander.

Meanwhile, the Leadership & Organization Development activity has continued its structuring with programmes to support leadership development at individual and collective levels (through assessment and coaching). It also assists with the HR transformation of organizations. This division ended the financial year with revenues almost 15% up on the previous year. One of its most noteworthy assignments of the year was assisting with the HR transformation of an organization created after the merger of a number of professional training companies.

 

 

INNOVATION, THE GROWTH DRIVER

The firm’s growth can, of course, be attributed to the strengthening of its teams in all business lines, in Paris and in the regions where Grant Alexander is based (Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Toulouse). In 2020, 16 new recruits bolstered or added to the firm’s range of expertise.

Above all, however, it is the constant innovation that enables Grant Alexander to acquire and retain clients.

For example, the firm has forged a strategic partnership with Role Crafting, a digital HR transformation solution that helps optimize organizations by getting everyone in the company on board with the upgrading of roles and skills, and engaging and successfully aligning everyone with the company’s roadmap and action plan.

This type of partnership and investment allows us to anticipate our clients’ HR needs and then help them through the appropriate solutions,” adds Henri Vidalinc. In a turbulent and challenging market, being ever more agile and creative is one of the keys to development and performance.”

 

 

STEADFAST AMBITION

For 2021, the stated objective is to post revenues of €17 million. This growth will be achieved by consolidating the firm’s premium positioning and international development, both through its own facilities and partnerships. The firm’s growth strategy also draws on organic growth and acquisitions. “To sustain these ambitions in a market that will remain highly turbulent in 2021, we will also be counting on our Athlete Thinking methodology. This unique approach, which is part of our genetic make-up, means developing the mental faculties that help optimize performance and leadership development,” explains Henri Vidalinc.

With our different business lines, our ability to innovate and the ‘athletic’ mindset shared by everyone at Grant Alexander, we are able to support organizations and their leaders – especially through the current period – and to assist them in a holistic way with all their HR issues, with a unique, personalized solution each time,” he concludes.

 

About… For 30 years, Grant Alexander has been a partner in the performance of organizations and their leaders, providing them with all-round support for all their management and skills development requirements, taking a tailored approach every time. A multi-specialist Human Resources consulting and services firm, with three business lines (Executive Search, Executive Interim, Leadership and Organization Development), the firm operates in all business sectors, for all roles (managers/experts/highly unusual profiles), in France through its offices in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Toulouse, and internationally through a network of first-rate partners. Grant Alexander takes its corporate responsibility seriously and has applied for the Lucie 26000 CSR label.

Grant Alexander consolidates its Executive Search activity and its presence in the regions with two new consultants

THE FIRM COMPLETES ITS OFFER IN THE LEGAL AND TAX FIELDS AND STRENGTHENS ITS TEAMS IN TWO OF ITS OFFICES: LYON AND NANTES. 

 

 

A historical player in the executive search market for the past 30 years, Grant Alexander has long pursued its growth strategy as a multi-specialist human resources consulting and services firm. In order to better assist its clients with their various recruitment needs, the firm is expanding its offer in the legal and tax fields, and is strengthening its teams in two of its offices: Lyon and Nantes.

 

Isabelle Rolland and Charles Suinat join the group as Executive Search Consultants

Holder of a Master’s degree from EDC Paris Business School and an MBA in International Management from Kedge Business School, Isabelle Rolland has more than 20 years of experience in commercial and strategic development, mainly acquired within companies in the service and industrial sectors, in France and Africa. In 2012, she joined a recruitment firm and set up the Marseille office, which she ran for 8 years. A specialist in legal and tax matters, she also applies her talents in finance and human resources for a clientele of law firms, SMEs, ETIs and large French and international groups. Based in Lyon, she will work with fellow-consultant Morgane Coenen to grow the Group’s Executive Search activities in the legal and tax fields.  

A graduate of the Kedge Business School’s Grande Ecole program, Charles Suinat began his career in 2003 in purchasing with major international groups (Bouygues Construction, Soletanche Bachy, Louvre Hotels). In 2011, he joined a recruitment firm as an expert consultant in industry and then co-founded the firm CPO Recruitment, specialising in senior management and executive profiles, with particular expertise in purchasing and supply chain professions. In 2016, he moved to Décideurs Magazine and developed the content offer (HR, recruitment, change management, etc.) for executives and HR directors of major French groups. He joins the Grant Alexander office in Nantes as an Executive Search consultant, with a view to supporting the group’s development in the West of France.

 “We are delighted to welcome Isabelle and Charles to the group. They will strengthen our presence in segments where we had little or no previous presence and in dynamic regions, enabling us to establish and maintain a close relationship with business leaders, and to be their local partner for all HR and leadership issues,” says Henri Vidalinc, Chairman of Grant Alexander.

 

 

About Grant Alexander

For 30 years, Grant Alexander has been using its direct approach to help companies and organisations of all sizes to recruit executives, managers and experts who can enhance their performance. Today, this multi-specialist Human Resources consulting and services firm deploys a multi-disciplinary approach to provide a global response to HR departments and CEOs. This approach is based on four complementary areas of expertise: direct approaches to senior executives and outstanding profiles, transition and transformation management, development of managerial skills, and consulting and support for HR departments. To support the development of managerial performance, Grant Alexander has developed a proprietary methodology known as Athlete Thinking®, designed together with sports coaches and mental trainers.

The firm currently has 50 employees and operates throughout France from offices in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, and Toulouse, and internationally through a network of partners.

www.grantalexander.com

 

 

Contact

Emmanuelle Farand

Marketing and Communication Director

Grant Alexander

06 75 88 32 93

emmanuelle.farand@grantalexander.com