THE SMIB MAG 2018 2019 - LESS IS MORE-TOWARDS SIMPLICITY - ESSEC Business School
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THE SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019 LESS IS MORE-TOWARDS SIMPLICITY
ESSEC
BUSINESS SCHOOL,
THE PIONEERING SPIRIT
CREATED IN 19O7, ESSEC expertise about business in those
regions. They allow our school to build
BUSINESS SCHOOL TODAY deeper alliances with academic, private
IS A WORLD-SCHOOL WITH and public partners in those regions
that are growing at an accelerated
FRENCH ROOTS. ITS PURPOSE pace and will be leaders of economic
growth in tomorrow’s world. ESSEC
IS TO GIVE MEANING TO THE has built a network of alliances with
LEADERSHIP OF TOMORROW academic partners worldwide so
that its students’ learning journey
AND HAVE A GLOBAL IMPACT. is a true international one.
ESSEC is a graduate school with ESSEC is a school with French Roots
programs ranging from Bachelor that trains responsible leaders.
to PhD, a wide range of Masters Being a responsible leader means
programs including our flagship Master being able to see beyond business
in Management and Global MBA as usual. Responsible leaders are
programs. ESSEC also offers executive able to value long-term benefits
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for our partners from the private with employees’ well-being. To
sector. ESSEC holds the “Triple crown” prepare its students for the world of
of accreditations for global business tomorrow, ESSEC’s pedagogy seeks
education: EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. to awaken and develop creative
and critical thinking, together with
At the core of the ESSEC learning the learning-by-doing method.
experience is a combination of Responsible leaders are those who
excellence and distinctiveness. can see the broader picture.
ESSEC’s unique educational model
is based on education by experiences, ESSEC is a full ecosystem at the
that foster the acquisition of crossroad of rigorous and relevant
cutting-edge knowledge with the research, innovation, business and
development of know-how and life society. At ESSEC we believe in
skills. At ESSEC, we aim to empower bringing research and companies into
students and give them the keys the classroom, we also believe that
to imagine, create, lead and have a learning doesn’t end with a degree:
positive impact in the business world learning at ESSEC means becoming
of tomorrow that will be more complex a life-long learner and joining a
and changing ever more rapidly. close-knit community of more than
55,000 Alumni all across the globe.
ESSEC is a world-school. Our
International campuses in Asia-Pacific
and Africa are dual gateways that
allow students to really immerse Vincenzo Esposito Vinzi
themselves into different cultures Dean and President
worldwide and develop genuine of ESSEC Business School
INTERNATIONAL
RANKINGS BUSINESS #8 #4 #5 #14
EDUCATION 2018 European Master in Master in Executive
Business School Management Finance Education
Programs
Key figures
55,OOO
graduates worldwide
6,O97
students in full-time undergraduate
and graduate programs
4 campuses in Cergy, Paris-La Défense,
Singapore and Rabat 34% 98
international nationalities
students represented
2O5 partner universities in 45 countries
+1oo
2,OOO
degrees awarded each year,
including 1,600 at graduate level student organizations
7
centers
of excellence
3O learning and research chairs
5,OOO
managers in executive education
3O
double degree programs
(24 international, 6 national)
+5oo
partner companies in education
and recruitment
162
permanent faculty of 37 nationalities
including 20 emeriti professors
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EDITO SMIB ...........................................................................................................................5
Anne-Flore Maman Laurraufie
STRATEGY IN SPORTS .....................................................................................................6
A Winning Strategy for Football World Cup - by Sacha Mettoudi
Simplicity Through Zouzout’s Management - by Addie Dorsey
Simplicity Through STADIHOME - by Leticia Tatemoto
CONSULTING ....................................................................................................................... 11
Less is More at McKinsey Company - by Paul-Henri Levivier
Simplicity at IPSEN - by Alexis Capraro
STRATEGY IN LUXURY ................................................................................................... 13
Less is More at Borsalino - by Alessandra Marson
STRATEGY IN ECONOMY ..............................................................................................14
Strategy in Private Banking - by Leticia Tatemoto
The Latest Innovation in Economic Intelligence - by Addie Dorsey
STRATEGY IN MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................... 16
Less is More at ALD Automotive - by Joëlle Raphael
A Philosophy towards Simplicity - by Yixuan Cao
Concept of Simplicity through Minimalism - by Agathe Normand
Management in Multicultural Spirits - by Alexy Karouby
Quand la Simplicité Renverse 30ans de Marketing - by Marie Lefebvre
La Simplicité au Service de l’Innovation Managériale - by Marie Lefebvre
STRATEGY IN AEROSPACE ......................................................................................... 24
What New Businesses/Economy Can be Enabled by an Easier/
Cheaper Access to Space? - by Clémence Lewden
Business Development in Aerospace - by Clémence Lewden
STRATEGY IN INTRA/ENTREPRENEURSHIP ....................................................... 27
How the Intra/Entrepreneurship Could Lead to “Less is More”? - by Sacha Mettoudi
SMIB’S IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................................... 29
Consulting at Stratngo
Circular Economy at McGill University, Montreal
ESSEC Asian Strategy Challenge
SMIB For Smiles 2018-2019
4 ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019
EDITO SMIB
Words such as “Agility”, “Simplicity”, “Flexbility” are
in the air in the business environment. At the same time, HR
managers expect more and more “complex” candidates with
unusual career paths and backgrounds. A simple syllogism
tells us then that complex minds are expected to generate
simple processes. How is this possible? Is it true in all sectors
of activities? We have challenged the idea, interviewing SMIB
Alumni and stakeholders in a wide array of business industries,
from sports to finance and including consulting or aerospace…
And because the program has always been eager to shape
students’ minds to market expectations, we have complexified
it again, to ultimately make it more simple for students to get
their dream job. I’m happy to share with you the launch of a new
double-degree with USC DarlaMoore in the USA (International
Trade and Investments) and a new track on our Cergy Campus,
in partnership with Fondation d’Entreprise Renault, focusing on
the Management of Digital Transformation and Innovation.
SMIB is growing like a tree with many branches but with
solid roots. This made us reach #4 position worldwide as Best
Master in Management (QS Ranking) in 2019. Thank you all
for your involvement in the program, and let’s keep building
a strong SMIB Family with fresh graduates (Class of 2017-
2018) and graduates-to-come (Class of 2018-2019)!
Anne-Flore Maman Larraufie (Ph.D)
maman@essec.edu
Academic Director of MS SMIB
(Cergy - La Défense - Singapore)
ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019 5
STRATEGY Group life: According to Antony Zouzout,
IN SPORTS Deschamps created a competitive team
thanks to his capacity to create a strong
group life, based on leaders: each group
has leaders (the people who, by their
A Winning Strategy for attitude, are able to influence the group
atmosphere). Therefore, Deschamps used
the Football World Cup the group leaders to keep everybody focused
By Sacha Mettoudi on the tournament and the objectives.
Antony The objectives: Winning the World
ZOUZOUT cup, the most prestigious tournament of
SMIB 2012-2013 football, is the dream of every football
Director of EAJF player. Deschamps understood that, and
used the powerful atmosphere, and the
dreams, provided by this tournament, to
motivate his team. Thus, everyone - team and
manager- worked for the same objectives.
Besides, each player also had personal
July 15th, 2018, France won the World objectives. And it is a good way to keep
Cup for the second time in its History! everyone motivated: make the personal
After 1998, 2018. The link between each objectives match with group objectives.
France’s triumphs? Didier Deschamps!
He was the captain in 1998, he managed Communication: Deschamps had to
French team in 2018… Deschamps knows deal with media, social networks and so on.
how to manage, create a competitive Communication was a crucial part of his job.
group and reach his objectives… Even if the speeches he made to the players
remained secret, we could still analyze what
he said to the media during the conferences.
How did Dechamps establish a He always stayed impartial and never
winning management? How to translate criticized his competitors, his players, or
it into a business company? anyone else. In French we call that: « langue
To help answer all these questions, SMIB Mag de bois ». That means that Deschamps does
interviewed Antony Zouzout, SMIB 2012- not really answer ambiguous questions
2013 and current director of EAJF (École des and stays humble in any circumstances.
agents de joueurs de football) on different Communication skill is not a direct value-
aspects of Deschamps’ management. added, but it is necessary in order to
avoid media crisis, conflicts with other
Legitimacy: Deschamps already won the parts or discourage players - all of that
World title and led France’s team to the final could lead to break up the group.
of 2016 UEFA Euro. His legitimacy comes
from the perfect knowledge of football and its Questioning himself: According
environment, the players, their values and how to Mr. Zouzout, a great manager is
to create a team with them. Then, because of someone who perfectly knows his job: the
its glorious past, he was listened and respected. environment, the market, the competitor,
the technology, the strengths, the
weaknesses, the human psychology etc.
To be a great manager, it is also about
6 ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019permanent questioning. That is necessary managers is because the reality is that without
in a world which changes every day. In direct instructions to lower division workers,
order to stay at the top, a manager should employees will act on their own ideas of what
evolve and improve himself constantly. they think is best for the firm. This is not a
As said above, Deschamps perfectly knows and result of lack of intelligence, as it may even add
understands football’s world and environment. value or serve to be useful to the enterprise.
He also questioned himself: after France However, the pursuit of these new opportunities
lost UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in final, he by lower workers needs to be monitored by
accepted to recognize his defeat, analyzed upper management, because if the task is not
his work and try to progress by questioning critical in achieving the company’s objectives,
himself, with humility, to finally change the they need to be questioned and possibly
way he managed his players and the pressure. terminated. This is what makes management
Finally, he won the 2018 FIFA World cup. That so complex for large conglomerates, but
is mean that questioning himself allowed not just for large conglomerates, but
him to progress and reach his objectives. for smaller, start-up companies as well.
So how do managers implement the
How to translate all of it into a company? concept of “less is more” successfully?
Acording to Mr Zouzout, a football team Do they implement the concept at all?
works as any company: a manager should
demonstrate his knowledges and his Antony Zoutzout, Director General (CEO) of
legitimacy with actions. He also has to build E.A.J.F. and Executive SMIB Alumni shared
a group by making matching individual that in fact, “it depends.” Zoutzout opened his
objectives with group objectives and make company Ecoles des Agents de Joueurs de
everybody concerned by the project. Football in 2013 with three associates (Business
Dealing with communication, Development, Marketing Communications,
understanding its environment and finally and Administrative/Accounting). Six years
questioning oneself are important as later, the company is run by ten employees,
part of the good manager behavior. and that’s not including Zoutzout and his two
To conclude, becoming a competitive associates. Employees such as the: Head of
manager is simple: find the key points Marketing, Social Media Manager, Graphic
(communication, legitimacy etc.) and apply Designer, PR Representative, Program Manager,
them to the team management. Less is more. Head of Content, and Admissions. All of which
work together closely in order to achieve
their firm’s main objective of guaranteeing a
comprehensive training to become a certified
Simplicity Through football agent; and by providing their customers
with the skills to obtain their Sporting
Zouzout’s Management Agent License by passing the FFF exam.
By Addie Dorsey
Within the past six years, Zoutzout emphasized
Among upper management, the concept of that his management style has evolved over
“less is more” is a prioritized challenge. A time. At the start of E.A.J.F., his management
challenge that asks managers to focus on the style was completely different than it is today,
most important tasks at hand, while setting as he once worked with only three associates
aside smaller details, and trusting lower and his relationship with his associates differs
divisions to manage their own objectives. greatly from with his employees. He expressed
This grants managers more time to focus on that the team is “much more organized now
their key goals with minimal distractions. with management meetings each week,
The reason why this is a challenge for many and tools to control what others are doing”.
ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019 7Zoutzout confirmed he has used the idea of Croatia, a relatively small country in the
“less is more” in regard to marketing strategies, east of Europe, which got independence in
however, when it comes to the management of recent 1991, changed the world dynamics
staff, not so much. His perspective is that one of Football supremacy reigned for long by
must, “adapt [their] management style to the the western nations. Croatian team defeated
team you are managing, naturally. There is not the likes of Argentina, Russia and England to
one type of management style that is perfect set up the final with France. And the Captain
for each type of employee, [not even “less of the Croatian National Team, Luka Modric,
is more”]”. Zoutzout expands saying that, “it went ahead to win the coveted Golden Ball
depends on the employee, some employees are at FIFA 2018 and Ballon d’Or 2018 defeating
more structured, [some] work by themselves, the last decade favorites Messi and Ronaldo.
[some] know exactly what they have to do,
[some] need no repetition of objectives, and
[others] needs a real manager behind them”.
And with that, the question still lingers...
But, with Zoutzout’s experience creating a
successful start-up, it is intriguing to know
his perspective on this subject as concepts
like “less is more” are discussed more and
more among enterprises and management.
Simplicity Through
Zouzout’s Management
By Shyamali SAXENA
The year 2018 witnessed the glory of the
FIFA World Cup. We saw the best teams and
players of the world play for the coveted cup.
Congratulations to my Alma Mater country, Source: 101 Great Goals
France, who won the World Cup after 20
years. It a very proud feeling. At the same This defines how “Less is More”. The amount
time we also saw the rise of a small East that an economically strong country invests
European country whose players fought into fancily grooming its sportspersons with
with the best of the world to reach the final great infrastructure and lavish lifestyles
match with France. Yes, I talk about Croatia. is not that gets results. In spite of limited
infrastructure a small country achieves the
great, which shows that it is the sheer will of
a country’s sportsperson that takes it to the
summit of success. Luka Modric’s childhood
was shadowed by the Croatian Independence
Movement wherein he lost his house and
stayed as a refugee in hotels. But to be on
positive side of life, he took up playing football
in the hotel cark park. His perseverance is what
Source: Fox Sports makes him today one of the greatest football
8 ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019players in the world. He had very “Less” when
growing up, but he has now achieved much
“More” by simply playing the game in its true
sense. Never did in the final match Modric or
his team play defensively much unlike other
famous teams in other matches who played
somewhat to pass time after they had scored
a goal. Modric and his team were seen as
playing the full 90 minutes with great passion
to score a goal. A score of 4-2 in a FIFA World
Cup final is much of an unseen in recent times. Source: neilpatel.com/blog
A simple attitude gives you much more.
And finally today I look at my 2 kids,
Through this article I wish to highlght how enjoying away from the complexities of
“Simplicity” of life and ways can help us stay the world. Buy them the best technology
away from the unnecessary and make us stuff or complex expensive toys, they will
focus on what is “the only most important”. only end up playing with the cardboard
Another instance I would like to highlight is packing box that the toy came in.
from my career life itself. After graduating
from a Pioneer Institute “Essec” in the SMIB
course, I like everyone else wished to work
for large Multinational companies such as BP,
EDF, Schneider Electric, etc. Fate showed it real
face and I could not make it any of them due
to change of locations. I finally got a decent
position as “Head of Materials” at a startup
that makes Electric Motors for Electric vehicles.
I had initially all those doubts about how I
could not enter a famous company with a
luxury profile. But over the course of 2 years of
experience dealing with suppliers from around
the globe and managing a multi-cultural team, Source: everypixel.com
I started to value the “Less” in my life. These
2 years I have personally and professionally Get them the best of battery operated toys
grown a lot. Old colleagues have complimented but what catches their attention for hours
me that I have grown mature in my dealings. and hours is just a “Simple” bucket of water
All this as the small company I work for gave kept in the garden. What else better than
me Large opportunities. I worked varyingly to achieving the happiness a child has in her
negotiate, guide, research for different people heart. And we can learn from them, that
in senior management. So many opportunities Happiness does not come with “More” of
in a single profile. Only a “Less” company gadgets, money or position. Just like children
could give me such “More” possibilities. Things we can be truly Happy with much “Less”
I could never have experienced if directly from very simple things, a Nature’s getaway,
working in a Large company in a Small profile. watching your children play, an ice cream
by lakeside on a sunny day, or just playing
football in the garden. Let us work towards
achieving more by just being Simple.
ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019 9Simplicity Through STADIHOME useful is trying to explain your project or
idea as if you were presenting it to an 8 years
By Leticia Tatemoto old child. Doing that, you are left with really
what is essential about it, making ideas or
Jacques projects that can be complex understandable
DELAPLACE by different people. Regarding simplification
SMIB 2015-2016 in terms of ideas, it is very important for
Strategy expert and strategy, because it allows you to clearly
founder of STADIHOME define your vision and your direction. It is
simplification in the sense of prioritizing. In
the different innovation projects in which I
work for the Ministry of Defense, establishing
the priorities to have the right direction for
MY BACKGROUND execution is key. In big projects, you have to
After working in project management for present a clear plan of action, and, for strategy,
different industries (fast-moving consumer you have to be able to find what is the key
goods, tourism, agribusiness) and following my determinant of your project and keep focused
BS degree, I decided to strengthen my skills in on it. Simplification is present in a lot of formal
strategy with the SMIB. After this one I became methodologies and theories that we use.
a strategy consultant for the French Ministry
of Defense where I have been since the end One example is the Blue Ocean strategy. When
of the program. During that time, I decided to Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne developed
create my own company: STADIHOME. This web it, they emphasized the importance of deeply
application is a platform which help people understanding your market, and need to really
find all sorts of sport events broadcasted focus your effort in key aspects. For that, you
around them either in bars / restaurants or in need to simplify as much as you can, so it is
people’s homes. For businesses STADIHOME is possible to identify the fundamental aspects
a communication and loyalty platform while of each specific business. In Work Breakdown
for people it helps them creating links with Structures as well, the idea is to split your
others. They then avoid paying more than project in different, smaller tasks, so that
700 euros/year for all channel’s subscription. when you establish what needs to be done,
Hosts can broadcast channels they have while all those involved understand the tasks and
guests bring food or beers. STADIHOME has their implications. This simplifying because
been initialized a year ago in the incubator you take a big project and you tackle it step
Euratechnologies and launched in October. by step. It is also the case in Agile Project
In my professional experience, either Management. At the end of each sprint, the
as a strategy professional or as an approach allows you to verify whether the task
entrepreneur, I have always recognized has been accomplished or not. On a final note,
the importance of simplification. the idea that less is more helps in our personal
lives as well: we should try to simplify big
For me you can split it into two projects and life dreams in terms of what we
different things: you can simplify in need to accomplish day by day. If you are clear
terms of speech and in terms of idea. about your priorities, you know what you need
As an entrepreneur, you need to present your to do today and every day to reach your goals.
project and ideas to a very wide range of
people, from investors to the large public.
For that, you must be able to simplify the idea
in order to make the most sense to whoever
is the audience. One technique that can be
10 ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019CONSULTING differences, the Firm has developed a unified
set of trainings, tools and methodologies
shared with all the offices. This is a crucial
Less is More at McKinsey Company lever for streamlining interactions and
coworking. On the flip side, even if mixing
By Paul-Henri Leviver individuals from different cultures, experiences,
personalities does provide tremendous
Quentin value for clients (i.e., bringing together
CROZAT diverse ideas, perspectives, understanding
SMIB 2013-2014 of a single problem), it sometimes also
Associate - McKinsey creates complexity in interactions (i.e.,
Company communicating with someone from a different
culture under pressure is not always easy).
In fact, consulting strongly remains a very
human work, and human relations are not
always simple, neither should they be.
MY BACKGROUND
Before joining the SMIB, I graduated in Public Simplicity in consulting sector
Affairs from Sciences Po Lille and University is about helping consultants’
of Kent, in a program taught half in Lille and focus on value-adding tasks.
the United Kingdom. After two internships in Beyond McKinsey, one of the key challenges
the public sector, at the Ministry of Finance of of the consulting industry is to free consultant
Senegal and the French Embassy in Ireland, “brain time”. In order for consultants to focus
I gained a first experience in consulting on solving key problems. The less your people
in Paris, specializing in IT and computer are wasting time in low added value tasks,
services. Looking for a more strategic-oriented the more they spend time thinking of the
career, I joined SMIB to improve my business clients. At the end of the day, the only thing
knowledge and consulting skills. It got me that matters is our clients. Helping them in
into Roland Berger in Casablanca, Morocco. all the possible ways is our main focus.
This experience convinced me to stay in Key players in consulting industry adopt a
the country. As I felt attracted at this time “Less is More” approach in the way consultants
by challenges faced by companies and organize their work: simplification and
public sector in Sub-Saharan region, I joined automation of administrative work, smallest
McKinsey’s Casablanca office to work on these amount of meetings possible, digitalization of
issues. Since then, I discovered additional key processes, productivity tools for consultants,
topics and passions, for instance corporate user friendly interface for key softwares...
turnaround and digital transformations. These It aims at allowing consultants to be
passions led me to serve clients in various 100%-focused on the client’s needs.
places: in Africa (e.g., Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco,
South Africa, Niger and Senegal) but also in How can a consultant give a simple
Europe (e.g., Sweden, UK, France, Netherlands) answer to a highly complex challenge?
and North America (Canada and USA). In four Solving a complex problem with a complex
years, I have worked in around 20 countries! solution is very easy. On the contrary, solving a
complex issue with a simple and logical answer
Simplicity in the Firm’s can be very challenging. It requires one to
internal organization. understand the situation in detail (i.e., full scale
At McKinsey, we usually work with teams of analyses, consequence of each potential
consisting of people from very different origins decisions), to synthesize and communicate the
and backgrounds. In order to overcome these solution in an well-organized way but also to be
ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019 11pedagogical with clients. Ultimately, you don’t highly competitive and a cross-functional
want to own the solution, you want the clients approach is mandatory to ensure we deliver
to be as comfortable with the thinking as if on our mission to help patients. We must
they created the solution. Thus, it means taking look right and left before moving forward,
the time to do our “work” but also spending making sure we are aligned with our medical
time with clients at each step of the way to counterparts, have the right data from our
onboard them and get their ideas and feedback. business insights and analytics colleagues.
Being simple also means being direct
A consultant role is to make difficult and transparent in human interactions.
problems look simple and find answers Building genuine and trustful
based both on cutting edge expertise and relationships is key to be efficient.
international best practice but also on a
logic that clients understand and master Does the company help you to do so?
enough to own the solution as theirs. Yes, for sure. First, our offices are open and
While working for clients, I realized how it is easier to knock on doors than to shoot
important it was to associate the client to emails. This allows one to ask questions and
the decisions to facilitate and accelerate to obtain answers fairly quickly. Second,
implementation. Indeed, I understood that it’s company values such as agility, integrity,
always way more rewarding to implement your transparency and accountability are distilled
solution than the solution provided by somebody throughout the company. My colleagues and I,
else. On top of that, if clients own the thinking being part of a mid-size company competing
end to end, they have more room for creativity with big players in major therapeutic
and adjustment if they face a bump on the road areas, must live up to these values.
during implementation. Thus, as consultants,
we are helpful to provide facts, analyses, Difficulties to put it into action?
expertise. Ultimately, we have to be intellectual Off course! It is easier to complexify business
sparring partners for our clients and help them cases than to simplify things and identify what
simplifying decision making on a topic. truly matters, what will allow our boat to go
faster and will make a difference for patients.
What is more, it is not always easy to have all
stakeholders around the table: I guess being
Simplicity at IPSEN simple requires discipline and structure.
By Alexis Capraro Do you think this is an issue?
Simplicity is not an issue per se, complexity
Can you present yourself briefly? is. We are nowadays able not only to generate
Yes, with pleasure! My name is David, I am but aggregate important amounts of data
26 and have been working as a Global Brand and insights. We must be able to ask the
Coordinator Oncology for more than 2 years right questions to ensure we take the best
within IPSEN, a French biotech company out of these data and make the rights
focused on innovation and specialty care. decisions. It is interesting to note that the
Trained as a Pharmacist, I complemented this simplest questions can sometimes challenge
scientific background with a comprehensive the status quo and transform meetings.
business degree: the Executive SMIB MS.
Why are you doing it?
How can relate simplicity Because I firmly believe simplicity and
towards your daily job? authenticity are key to create genuine
Being simple means being pragmatic human relationships in a work environment
and agile. The pharmaceutical industry is and to drive successful business activities.
12 ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019Is it sustainable to develop a brand
STRATEGY IN who’s uniquely focused in the production
LUXURY of a specific fashion item? How do you
consider diversification at Borsalino?
The way Borsalino makes its hats is
Less is More at Borsalino sustainable, and diversification shall be
considered carefully. Diversifying a product
By Alessandra Marson with such a strong identity could lead
Edouard Burrus by Alessandra Marson to a decrease in value, or to consumers’
confusion. Empowering the product and
Edouard taking advantage of the reputation in
BURRUS specific markets is the priority for the luxury
SMIB 2006-2007 sector. Diversification is a secondary step.
Vice Chairman at Borsalino
Is simplification impacting other
departments of the company
other than the production?
Management choices ambition to make a
corporation more efficient. Other than that,
What is your background I would not consider simplification a key
in the luxury sector? element at Borsalino. We chose to leave
I am the Vice-Chairman of Haeres Equita, an the production and the headquarters of the
Italian private equity investment company company in its historical site in Italy, where
based in Italy. In 2015, my partner and myself the attention focuses on the quality of our
positioned ourselves to acquired Borsalino, product. This strategy can vary depending
the oldest Italian company specializing in on the company. In another company we
the manufacture of luxury hats. Prior to this own - Fogal, 100-years-old brand specialized
opportunity we were managing a Swiss Woman in the production of legwear - it is possible
brand positioned in the high end ready to wear. not to cover all the production inhouse, but
still guarantee the quality of the product.
How can you relate simplicity towards
your experience at Borsalino? How did studying in the MS SMIB
Borsalino is a fantastic brand. I remember at ESSEC impact your career?
the first time I visited the factory in Italy: the I got a degree in Finance and Economics in
machinery and the excellence of the savoir- Boston and then joined the SMIB program
faire have been untouched for 160 years. Like at ESSEC in 2006. My experience at ESSEC
many other traditional luxury brands, Borsalino was extremely positive, and it allowed me to
focuses on the production of one product: study between Paris and Singapore where
the hat. Producing a Borsalino hat needs 52 I met a lot of interesting people. At ESSEC I
production steps and takes 7 weeks. This is the learned how to learn: interact with people,
reason why, unlike other luxury sectors, fashion doing business, being efficient in a working
is difficult to “simplify,” since the added value environment. Those are all instruments that
we bring to the market is strongly related to contribute to pushing me through my career.
the complexity and the tradition of the product.
ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019 13STRATEGY IN During the 1980s and the 1990s, financial
ECONOMY engineers have built products that were ever
more complex. These have been created to
meet very specific clients’ needs, but their
Strategy in Private Banking complexity generates also a lot of opacity.
Sometimes, individuals and even financial
By Leticia Tatemoto institutions do not fully understand the
features of the instruments that they are
Sixte buying, and this has progressively contributed
BORDENAVE-GASSEDAT to reinforce the general mistrust towards
SMIB 2015-2016 financial institutions. Recent regulations, such
General Inspection at as MIFID II, have wisely started to address the
Edmond de Rothschild issue and aim at improving investor protection.
However, from a bank’s perspective, I also see
the need for simplification in the regulation
process. Since the last financial crisis, we
I decided to join the SMIB in 2015, after a have built a lot of regulation to make sure
master’s degree in finance, because after my that the banking system was under proper
last internship, I realized that I wanted to control. It is all very necessary, but what
get a broader view of the business activities we should be careful about is that these
and the companies I had worked with as national and international rules have been
a financial analyst. I wanted to acquire accumulating and sometimes overlapping
strategic knowledge and skills. During the or even contradicting each other. It is
SMIB, I applied to the General Inspection increasingly complex to follow up with the
program of Société Générale. I worked there new regulations and to comply, and even
for two years, from 2016 to 2018, before the regulators sometimes cannot provide
moving to Edmond the Rothschild. This was specific guidance and technical applications
a personal and professional choice motivated regarding compliance and what is precisely
by the will to work in a different bank, where expected of banks. Therefore, now, we
I could specialize in one business line - need to stop producing further rules, and
wealth management - instead of the many work on harmonizing the regulation that is
activities that Société Générale offers. already in place. That way, we could make
it simpler for banks to comply and for
My job in General Inspection is both financial processes’ enforcement to be efficient.
and strategic, so I can say that the knowledge
I got from the SMIB has been very useful for A last important issue in the industry is to
me. Our function is very similar to that of an deal with the legacy. We have extremely
internal consultant, as it encompasses not complex information systems that are not
only auditing but also a view of the processes fully integrated and represent a legacy built
and strategy of the business. These are really over decades. It creates a lot of frustration
the two legs of a same job; which is constantly and comes with high maintenance costs
evolving both in terms of technology and, what and a total lack of flexibility. However,
is extremely important for us today, regulatory transforming a bank’s whole core banking
requirements. In this regard, simplification is system would be extremely expensive
at the heart of my daily concerns and from and risky. For this very reason, even if IT
where I stand, I can think of three current is a key concern in terms of the need for
simplification challenges for the banks to face. simplification, most banks struggle to find
an appropriate solution for this issue.
14 ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019Generally speaking, any simplification step, many instances where despite having the
leading to an improvement in terms of security right information, the strategic decisions
and stability in the financial system, is in my made by companies have not taken it into
opinion a desirable outcome and something account vital aspects, blinded by leadership,
that any banking institution should crave for. biased group thinking, or short-term thinking
obscuring the necessary investments in R&D.
Bisson used Nokia and Kodak as examples.
The Latest Innovation in From 1994 until 2016, the French State has
sought to develop the concept of Economic
Economic Intelligence Intelligence (EI) which is based on three
By Addie Dorsey pillars: surveillance, influence, and security.
Based off of these three pillars, Bisson created
With the volatility of today’s environment, a new tool, Système Stratégique de Signaux
Competitive and Strategic Intelligence Précoces® permitting companies to survive in
(CSI) is key to get competitive advantage. the long-term. The final objective, influence,
Intelligence can be categorized depending being the most competitive aspect of the
on who gathers it. “Economic intelligence” process as it leads to the strategy ones takes
(or EI) is gathered by public services, and in achieving their objective, also known as
companies gather “competitive intelligence” “Strategic Competitive Intelligence” or SCI. The
or CI. Why competitive? Companies face creation of this system gives organizations
the challenge of accessing and analyzing the appropriate tool to decide and act faster.
reliable information that is pivotal in avoiding
decisions made with uncertainty. Their Système Stratégique de Signaux Précoces®
objective is to internalize and organize the has been validated by Altix, a world leader
information better than their competitors, so for semi-automatic or automatic contact
strategically speaking, competitive intelligence imaging systems and versatile Direct Imaging
is considered the biggest challenge in today’s (maskless) for different market segments. Mr.
world where information has never been Jerome Van Straaten, CEO of Altix, shared that
so key. As Dr. Christophe Bisson, stated, “if Bisson’s system has helped Altix to recognize
you react, it’s too late”. The environment clearly the changes in the Direct Imaging
is increasingly global and competitive, market and the impact of these changes
and everyone is entering the game. on their strategy. As the system gives the
company the ability to better understand
The ultimate goal of CI to transform the market positioning of their competitors
information into knowledge and into and their ability to grow. Altix is capable to
sustainable added value. Bisson’s vision is detect weak signals by identifying strategic
that SCI should use artificial intelligence areas of development that Altix previously
for strategic purpose. He believes that considered not a top priority and highlight
there is a great opportunity to use these certain weaknesses in the collection of
tools within strategy, and he emphasized, information that the company must solve.
“the countries and companies that will be
successful and thrive are the ones that Bisson stated the Altix case demonstrates
can optimize this collective intelligence, how quickly the system can be put in place,
augmented by AI”. Bisson’s research presents how effective it is, and how it is adaptable
that gathering information is not enough to any type of business and any economic
to be competitive, and that information sector. Learning in a dynamic strategic
alone will not necessarily help the company system (including modeling of the strategic
take the best decisions or actions. There are environment, scenario creation and simulation)
ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019 15allows, among other things, an awareness strategic asset, as it helps to better dive
of information economic / technological / into Big Data. Company executives can
market / legal / for competitive purposes. better understand the competitive game,
and therefore, make decisions quickly
Many have noticed the parallel between SCI and efficiently for optimized actions.
and the concept of “less is more.” Bisson
confirmed that indeed “less is more” and Analogous with the university’s pioneering
SCI are a “perfect match.” If a company spirit, Bisson will host the very first CSI seminar
needs to develop brands strategically and at ESSEC, La Defense Campus, Thursday,
satisfy customer needs, intelligence is a January 24th. Over 100 attendees are expected.
for the Abrasive branch. The project lasted
STRATEGY IN more than 3 years and was deployed all
MANAGEMENT around the world. After Saint Gobain, I joined
Vinci Construction, where I worked as a
Financial Project Manager on an ERP project
Less is More at ALD Automotive deployment. This was another challenging
experience within a French context that
By Joëlle Raphael, Executive SMIB allowed me to join ALD Automotive (A global
leader in full service vehicle leasing and fleet
Samer management, in 2012. I am now managing
ABOU NADER a team that is handling the financial system
SMIB 2004-2005 of 33 subsidiaries. Recently, I passed the CFA
Head of Financial and Level 1 and I am now a Level 2 candidate.
Accounting system at ALD
How you could relate to the following
subject “Less is more - Towards simplicity”?
I can think about 2 levels:
Hello Samer, could you please introduce 1- Pleasant work environment
yourself, your background and experience? Office premises are key to worker’s health
I am currently Head of Financial and as they provide effective wellbeing and
Accounting System at ALD SA, located in productivity. If you want to have a successful
Paris, France. I hold an electro-mechanical business, you need to give your employees
engineering diploma from ESIB, Beirut, the right environment. In my daily work
Lebanon. After finishing my engineering at ALD, I can feel the positive impact of
studies, I worked for 3 years as a mechanical having a pleasant work environment on
engineer and then decided to boost my each one of us. ALD has put in place a real
career by doing the MS SMIB as I wanted to flexible workspace (furniture, technology …).
work in an international environment. The
MS SMIB allowed me to join Saint-Gobain Communication is smoother. The flow
in the High-Performance Material Division of decision is faster since managers and
within the Financial Department. There, I employees are sitting next to each other.
worked on a special project to implement ALD is really keen on developing the team
a new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) spirit between its employees, part of that
16 ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019by organizing frequently town halls, A Philosophy Towards Simplicity
where managers explain the company’s
strategic approach, objectives, new projects. By Yixuan Cao
We are all part of the same family.
Kai YU
2 – Efficiency is the key to simplicity Senior business developer
I have put in place morning stand-up Grundfos, mechanical industry
meetings to simplify the team management: (Shanghai)
the meeting lasts around 20 min, where all
team members discuss about their daily After I got an engineering master’s degree
topics. It enhances the team spirit and each in INSA Lyon, I joined the SMIB program
one has a better view on the team’s tasks. It in 2011 since I was interested in strategy
helps us to share experience and to identify and hoped to convert my career path from
blocking issues or any critical decision to be engineering to management. SMIB has a
taken. These daily meeting leads to more huge impact on me and helped me succeed
productivity, efficiency and simplicity. in career transition. Besides, it taught me a
methodology of simplification, which is widely
If you could give us one applied in my later work. That’s to say, split a
advice, what would it be? sophisticated issue into many small and easy
Personal life is as much important as parts and resolve each part independently.
professional life. You have to go to work every
day in a good spirit and with a high level After graduation I worked in France for 3
of motivation. This is a virtuous circle that years and in 2016 I came back to China. I
leads to good productivity: if you’re happy firstly worked as business analyst of strategy
at work, you should be more productive and M&A in Schneider for one year and
and work faster, this makes you save time a half. After many years of localization,
as you will spend less time at work, which Schneider has adopted a top-bottom method
leads to a better work-life balance! of management. In other words, decisions
are mostly made by leaders thus most
Indeed, work-life balance has been identified things are simple for employees. It’s highly
as one of the most important factors results-oriented and “less is more” is quite
in determining employee satisfaction. an issue. We were committed to doing the
Plenty of studies have come out that show most work with the least energy. Afterwards
how a good work-life balance can have a I joined Grundfos as business developer until
direct impact on the employee happiness. now. Since it is a traditional Danish company
So, the less time you spend at work and it focuses on relationship, simplicity is
(working efficiently... of course!), the more time not a value. It hopes to help the staff build a
you have to enjoy life, and the more productive harmonious atmosphere so even if there is
you’ll be at work! This is a tip that many of us a simplest way to achieve the goal, we still
will be happy to read and try to put into place. need to untangle every knot. It’s not like what
happened in Schneider: submit documents,
then sign and seal. In Grundfos, the boss
will not give a definite instruction, so you
need to explain your plan to every concerned
department. Once they all understand
and agree, the project can be executed.
This explains from another aspect that the
simplest way is not necessarily the best.
ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019 17However, in other aspect of work, “less is more” Concept of Simplicity
is still a significant concept. In fact, it usually
plays an important role in industrial design.
Through Minimalism
There are many famous examples such as By Agathe Normand
Walkman and iPhone. In 1979, Sony found
that most users used playback much more We buy things we don’t need, with money we
frequently than recording, so they removed don’t have to impress people we don’t like”.
the recording function and even the external This quote of Dave Ramsey (an American
speakers of the traditional recorder, then put businessman and author) perfectly reflects
the rest in a small box with stereo earphones. the awareness that struck the two main
This is how the Walkman came out. Apple protagonists of “Minimalism, a documentary
is another instance of simplicity. The entire about the important things”. Now famous
physical keyboard was removed from iPhone, bloggers and writers, Ryan Nicodemus
leading a revolution in smartphones around the and Joshua Fields Millburn had not really
world. The idea behind these successful cases planned, seven years ago, to follow this path.
is how to handle the relationship between In this article, we will offer a critic of this
functions and human beings. This year in July, documentary, which proposes an extreme way
we laughed at a new offering called Comfort of life, to understand better minimalism.
Box, a domestic hot water recirculation. At
that time customers could already find some
similar products in the market, but from our
market research, we found them in clumsy
appearance and incompatible with home
furnishing. In view of this, our new offering is
in a minimalist Scandinavian style look and we
also reduced the numbers of buttons from a
dozen to seven by settling some infrequently
used functions as default. Comfort Box is quite
a success and it won a prize called “The Beauty
of Industry-Best Product in Innovation 2018”.
Personally, “less is more” is a philosophy of
life. I’m engaged in many things everyday,
so it’s important for me to avoid redundancies
and streamline my life. For instance, I will
buy those products of high quality and simple
to use, or I will not waste my time standing
in line in front of a popular restaurant. For
me, “Less” means focusing-focusing on
the most important things; “less” means
making choice-choice-choosing what I truly
need, while “more” means more efficient.
Minimalism, a documentary about the
important things is available since 2016
on different platforms (Netflix, Amazon,
iTunes, DVD, Vimeo, Google Play).
18 ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019But let’s start with the beginning. Ryan and giving keys to empower oneself. Actually,
Joshua are two young men in their twenties, the film is more than a long promotion of
living a comfortable life and achieving the book our two protagonists wrote than
the American dream. But only for others. a deep reflection about our consumerist
Inside, they are literally broken, frustrated, society, more about showing than analyzing.
dissatisfied. Ryan explained: “I used to live
in a condo with two living rooms and three
bedrooms, even if I was single.” Ryan was doing
a job he was not passionate about, earning a Management in
good salary and buying a lot of gadgets to fill
the void inside him. Almost depressed, he met
Multicultural Spirits
his friend Joshua, who seemed totally happy, By Alexy Karouby
despite the job he did. Joshua explained to him
the theory of minimalism and offered Ryan Professor Takagi, you grew up in
to experiment it. Enthusiastic, the two young England, even though you are from a
men set out to meet the community of people Japanese family, then you went back to
who have adopted the minimalist’s lifestyle. Japan, moved to Canada and USA, and
Joshua Becker from Vermont, Courtney Carver are for now in France, would you think
from Salt Lake City, the famous blogger Leo that a difference towards simplicity
Babauta… Ryan and Joshua decided to open exists between these cultures?
a blog called “The Minimalists”, which began (laughs) Absolutely! But the French and the
with 52 riders to 2 million in few years. Japanese interpretations are far more related
that the anglo-saxon’s. This year we celebrate
The friends realized in 2016 a documentary the 160th anniversary of the Franco Japanese
called “Minimalism”, available on Netflix, to friendship, and this is no mere luck, as the
share and explain their thoughts about the two cultures have many points of proximity,
actual way of consumption, the compulsory including indeed, the notion of simplicity. If
behavior people have in malls, and offered I were to illustrate, and this is my personal
to try the minimalist way of life instead. opinion, I would say that in some ways French
All people tempted by the adventure have people and Japanese people alike would appear
the same opinion: the minimalism allows to be perfectionists, as for spelling errors for
them to take control of their own life, and instance: the simplicity comes after a perfect
to refocus on what is really important. For knowledge of all the rules, and not before.
instance, it avoids living in constant anxiety Nevertheless, differences can be seen,
and stimulation, and permits to spend less in as the Japanese culture is more into
gadgets we will have forgotten after a month. breaking things down to its essence, in a
way, producing simplicity by a complex
If the documentary really raises fundamental and deep understanding of the matter,
(but not new) questions about our over- such as … in flower arrangements!
consumerist way of life and offers a panorama From the exterior, it is very simple, but
of some fascinating destinies, we have to everything is calculated and done for a precise
admit that we remain on our hunger at the reason, which can be opposed to the French «
end. Even if pictures are really well chosen (like bouquets », both are compositions with rules
the fury at the opening of the Black Friday, and purpose, but the way of doing it is different.
for example) and some speeches inspiring
(the Jimmy Carter’s one, for instance), the
documentary is more about an awareness
and a gallery of inspiring personalities than
ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL - SMIB MAG 2018 - 2019 19And if we were to apply these concepts in Aren’t you afraid of the generation gap
your work, how do you relate to or consider that might exist? Nowadays the notion
the duality simplicity/complexity ? of “Time” is quite preponderant ?
Indeed, you cannot separate simplicity Time is my nemesis! I find it really hard
from complexity, the two are linked not be a slave of “time”, and manage
but not related as two sides of the mine efficiently everyday (laughs)
same coin, rather inter dependent. But time adds complexity, since you need time
In my field of work/research, you have to ruminate and mature from your chrysalis!
the necessity of having different points of And that is exactly why it is more
comparison: starting from your birth you’ll and more difficult in today’s society
learn to differentiate between your parents, since everything is about visuals…
then your family from strangers, etc etc, it’s a We’re forgetting the importance of the
way of understanding your social environment. time used for appropriate wording,
In the end, this distinction will help to which enhances visual cognition and
synthetize, and lead to the simplification conceptualization through language..
process, which is iterative : you start with It is saddening in a way, we’re (not a word)
others, refine it, and repeat again and again. complexity for simplicity, because things
should always go faster, but all we do is
So, if I understood correctly, it is rather lose what has been achieved in the last
a cycle that goes round, from complexity 2000 years, what makes us human.
to simplicity, back to complexity again… There is a balance to find so that
Yes exactly ! The simplification step helps simplicity brings richer complexity.
to develop oneself during the assimilation
process, which leads to bring more
complex and refined reasoning, which is
then going to be simplified to bring more Quand la Simplicité Renverse
complexity in the end, and it goes on.
To stay in the gardening metaphor that I
30ans de Marketing
introduced before (laughs), we could say By Marie Lefebvre
that it is just like a butterfly that doesn’t
die, but goes back to its chrysalis phase. Avec Cédric Ghozzi
A maturation needed to grow wings
again, each time with more details! La simplicité est un sujet qui touche deux
aspects : le premier, c’est pouvoir faire plus avec
Then do you think the same can be moins grâce à l’innovation. Que ce soit grâce
described during your classes? Do à la nature, au biomimétisme ou encore la
you put emphasis on simplicity? science, beaucoup de techniques et d’ouvrages
Teaching is not only about how to structure sont publiés là-dessus pour se rendre compte
your message, but mainly how to create a de son importance. La simplicité touche aussi
reaction from the students in front of you. un deuxième facteur, plus externe : en dehors
Afterall, the main things we remember are de l’innovation, existe-t-il un réel attrait pour
the ones we loved and the one we hated, our la simplicité ? Et si oui, pourquoi ? C’est cette
memory works that way, so definitely the dernière question que nous allons traiter ici.
goal is to make people react to what you’re
saying. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a good or a Penchons-nous sur le marketing par
bad way, if they feel something towards your exemple. Pendant plus de 30 ans, la grande
message, then they already started chewing on consommation avait une dimension très forte
it, they already gave attention and reflection. et puissante. Plus le temps passait et plus la
Learning is really sentimental (laughs). segmentation des marchés permettait d’avoir
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