In this section, we invite you to discover portraits of women through their career paths and experiences. They will also share their advice and their vision of retail.
For this latest edition of "Femmes du retail", we interviewed Garance Osternaud, Head of merchandising and B2B supply chain (Global CTO team) at Carrefour.
Hello, can you introduce yourself?
Hello ! My name is Garance Osternaud, I'm 38 and the mother of a little boy.
Trained as a biologist specializing in food quality, I enjoy learning from others, sharing my experience and being involved in concrete food-related projects.
And I've been working at Carrefour for 12 years.
Can you describe your current position at Carrefour?
I joined Carrefour in 2010. In 12 years, I've held 4 different positions.
I started out as Quality Manager, developing Carrefour-brand products.
In 2014, I joined Group Internal Audit to assess the control of health and reputational risks by teams in different European countries.
After the birth of my son, I joined the Direction Organisation France, a department of internal consultants, which supports cross-functional, strategic and innovative projects. As in a consulting firm, you can be asked to work on a variety of subjects.
Working on food traceability using blockchain, in close collaboration with IT, gave me an insight into the world of digital.
This French initiative quickly attracted the interest of the Group's countries: we documented the methodology and trained Product Owners. The program became international in the summer of 2020.
I then switched to my current position, where I still deal with blockchain, but also other B-to-B merchandise and supply chain issues. As part of the Global CTO team, we accelerate digital transformation, in line with the company's strategy: we identify the most promising topics, we detect trends in retail, we share best practices between the group's countries and we avoid duplication by breaking down silos between employees.
Assortment design, relations with producers, supply planning, optimization of logistics operations: the scope of my work is wide-ranging, and at the heart of a retailer's business. It's a fascinating job!
This somewhat "atypical" career path can be explained by a strong curiosity, both intellectual and human: I like to feel useful, to get to the bottom of things, to discover the issues and businesses of others, which leads me to take on challenges in areas I didn't know about initially.
The confidence of my managers and Carrefour's corporate culture, which builds bridges and encourages internal promotion, have also enabled me to develop. There are so many professions in Retail, why limit yourself to just one?
What was your background before joining Carrefour?
For me, food is essential: it's both a pleasure and a factor in good health. Even in France, there are huge disparities in access to quality food. I've always wanted to help make it more accessible. The agri-food sector has enabled me to do that, and also to collaborate with people from other worlds!
I began my professional life at the Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits et Légumes (CTIFL). The CTIFL supports all players in this sector, to improve production methods and commercial practices. Based at Rungis, I worked on the preservation of fruit and vegetables during transport and storage. A partnership with Monoprix on markdowns gave me a foothold in supermarket storage... and in retail.
I then moved from France to Spain and from the Rungis National Interest Market to the Barcelona Market, where I joined Cultivar, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler. I was in charge of approval upon receipt, training and quality accreditation for the site, then import conformity and logistics follow-up. I also fed the website with storage tips, recipes, etc... in a family business, it's easy to get involved in everything, including marketing.
After 3 and a half years, I felt like coming back to France to be closer to my family. One of my former colleagues at the CTIFL was going on maternity leave, and she offered me the chance to replace her during this period. Then I returned to Carrefour.
What challenges or difficulties have you encountered, as a woman, in the Retail / IT world?
I don't think I've encountered any major difficulties specific to being a woman, and certainly not in my last position in IT. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I was given a great deal of responsibility and scope even though I was a relatively young woman. I worked and was trusted, step by step: try, learn, then go beyond certain limits. And try again.
Evolving or not, having a moment of doubt about one's career: in the end, it happens to men too. The difficulties sometimes crystallize when it's time to have a child, but it all depends on the environment. Carrefour is a caring company, and there's even a crèche at head office.
What advice would you give to women wishing to work in this sector?
Ask what they really like, what's important to them, and do things from the heart.
Being aligned and coherent with yourself makes you more readable to others.
People change, companies and professions evolve. So don't hesitate to ask yourself questions about your goals from time to time, so you can continue to grow in your career.
You should also be able to discuss your personal and professional aspirations with those closest to you on a regular basis. For a lasting balance, it's important that everyone talks about their aspirations and listens to the needs of those who will be impacted by decisions. It's often said that behind great men there are great women, but behind great women there are also great men, parents, children and friends. Being strong in your personal life, supported by those around you, helps you to open up more easily to professional challenges.
What do you see as the next trends in retail?
First, sustainability, innovation and ecological transition, in both the food and non-food sectors.
Concerns about biodiversity and our connection as humans to the earth and to animals are essential: our production methods, the transportation of foodstuffs, all the choices we make in terms of consumption, delivery and transport all have an impact on the planet.
Secondly, flexibility. The world is changing fast, and companies need to adapt with agility. Customer behavior and expectations differ from country to country, product to product, day to day. For many good reasons, the same consumer can be very concerned about diapers for his child while buying "first price" pizza; he can frequent stores and e-commerce sites. Faced with this multiplication of models, the retail sector has to reinvent itself to meet every challenge.
Finally, humility. The right answer is not absolute: there may be several solutions to the same problem, and even with the best will in the world, we're bound to make mistakes as we strive to improve. A deep-seated desire to serve our customers means that we can try out new things, put a stop to less effective ones, go back to the drawing board, all the while staying the course and maintaining a high degree of consistency.
Thank you to Garance Osternaud for this interview. See you soon for a new portrait of the "women of retail".