A new feature has been added to our blog: interviews devoted exclusively to women, and in particular to those who symbolize retail today. We've decided to put the spotlight on them by giving them a voice.
As the weeks go by, we invite you to discover these portraits through their backgrounds and experiences. They will also share their advice and their vision of retail.
Our first interview is with Linda Mollet, Chief Change Management Officer at Auchan Retail International.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Linda Mollet. I'm originally from Belgium. I'm 53, the mother of 2 boys (17 & 19) and have been married for 30 years. I graduated from a business school in Brussels.
My balance is a balance between my personal and professional life. It's important to me to bring well-being to the people I care about and to be useful to the community.
What characterizes me is my ability to speak the truth, listen, empathize and analyze. I have an inquisitive nature, enjoy change and challenges, and have a global vision, both strategic and entrepreneurial.
Versatile, my core skillsexpertise are in change management and methodological input.
As a woman who likes to launch projects, I like to develop team spirit among my 18 colleagues, and I animate communities to stimulate initiative. I'm keen to get things off the ground and to empower the people I work with.
And describe your current position at Auchan Retail International?
I joined Auchan International because I was looking for new values. The company's values were based on openness to others and benevolence, while striving for excellence.
I've been Director of the Change Management and Business Architecture Department for 1 year now. This is a new department. My role is to provide a package of methods and materials in a change management approach for 11 countries and 180,000 employees. I listen to the specific needs of each country to adjust the approach and design a group package.
I joined Auchan International through the Big Data where I was the link between the business teams and the technical team working on algorithmic subjects. My objectives were to have an excellent understanding of business needs, to guarantee deadlines and to facilitate relations between the various stakeholders.
What led me to accept the project was the combination of the challenge of the mission, which was extremely innovative, and the company's values, which focus on people.
The challenges encountered were linked to the fact that the Big Data and the algorithms generated required constant readjustments and, as a result, change management.
I was then entrusted with a change management mission on an international scale. I was involved in launching and managing a marketing and customer relations program. To transform the company's vision from "product-centric" to a more "customer-centric" posture, I was asked to take part in the launch and management of a marketing and customer relations program.
" Customer Centric "This program was designed to help countries professionalize their customer experience teams.
Generally speaking, the attitude you need to adopt in order to successfully complete a Change Management assignment is to have a good methodology, but also to be open, willing to listen and persevering.
I love building things up, bringing in methods, getting things moving, being upstream of projects, being at the heart of the strategy. Supporting change allows me to combine all the things I love, while ensuring that our work is sustainable.
What was your background before joining Auchan International?
Before that, I worked at La Redoute for 14 years in marketing and e-commerce functions, although I started out in the finance department as reporting and IS manager. And before that, I worked with Lyreco as a Customer Relations Area organizer.
What challenges or difficulties have you encountered as a woman in the retail world?
I've encountered few difficulties as a woman, but throughout my career I've taken on many challenges.
First of all, my experience at Lyreco enabled me to get to grips with major programs and gave me a taste for project management. Then, following a skills assessment, I was able to move into an IT position.
In the La Redoute context, I seized opportunities that enabled me to carry out different missions and that required me to adapt quickly to contexts undergoing major reorganization.
Finally, at Auchan International, my role is focused on the Group's countries. It's important to understand the "habits and customs" in order to adopt the most appropriate posture.
I had the opportunity to recruit my entire team myself, made up of employees with varied profiles and sometimes skills that are hard to find on the market. It was a real challenge!
What advice would you give to women wishing to work in this sector?
Don't isolate yourself, have colleagues around you to benefit from their feedback and opinions on a daily basis, be part of the exchange, surround yourself with caring people.
Having a work-life balance and ideally having family support. My husband has always encouraged me to achieve professionally.
What do you see as the next trends in retail?
I think that retail will tend towards more "Test & Learn" projects, as in the world of digital , to test out new customer experiences. Likewise, I think that to accelerate its transformation, retail will tend towards more partnerships. It will also be necessary to be daring, while keeping budgets under control.
There isn't just one path, but often several, depending on the culture and customs of each country. Test, test, test, relying on user and customer feedback. Inspiration comes from everywhere, from travel, from our daily lives as customers....
What I've learned from my various experiences is to combine audacity with a spirit of analysis: to listen to customers and colleagues, to dare to prototype in order to innovate, and finally to measure in order to better transform, which is perhaps the key to success.
Thank you to Linda Mollet for this interview. See you soon for a new portrait of the "women of retail".