Elodie, what was your first thought when you
were offered leadership of the turnaround task force?
Elodie Weber: “Right from the start I knew what a
challenge I was getting involved in. A strategic turnaround requires more than
a SWOT analysis. Above all, a strong team is important. We were a total of
twelve colleagues from different areas and each of us contributed his or her
own views and experiences. We also had a strong sparring partner in Thomas
Blondel, our Regional Director for Healthcare. The interdisciplinary collaboration
was absolutely valuable and enriching. It has enabled us to take a
comprehensive look at the challenges and optimization approaches. In addition,
we had an ambitious goal. To achieve this goal, full commitment and 100 percent
focus were indispensable. Through my special function I was given the
opportunity to do just that. It's a rarity, and I'm very grateful for it. To
sum it all up, the successful turnaround is based on a strong triple
collaboration: a dedicated resource as leader, an interdisciplinary local team
as solution builder and a Regional Director as coach.”
Has this approach paid off?
Elodie Weber: “Yes, absolutely! Only four months after
the start of the project, we presented our new strategy to Vincent Warnery
(Member of Executive Board Pharmacy & Selective Brands). This strategy was
also implemented shortly afterwards. It is based on the clear focus on the
pharmacy channel and on the wound care category with Elastoplast. The energy
and capacities for which both brands previously had to compete are thus used in
a more targeted way. Hansaplast still exists on the French market with a new,
centralized customer orientation. Elastoplast, however, has become the clear
focus since the turnaround about a year ago.”
What developments can be seen in Healthcare
since then?
Elodie Weber: “The first results are very strong! In
the pharmacy business we achieved a clear double-digit percentage growth in
turnover and sales in our focus category Wound Care also increased significantly.
We have focused our strategy on wound care in line with the Global Healthcare
Strategy defined by our Global General Manager Alexander Reindler and his leadership
team. And we haven't even reached the end yet. We expect this positive
development to continue. A great success, not least due to our sales managers
Stéphanie Hutinet and Stéphane Madesclaire, who brought our new strategy to life
with their teams and also thanks to the regional team that did not just support
but actually enabled us to realize the turnaround.”
What are you taking with you from this special
project?
Elodie Weber: “The
project has once again clearly shown that teamwork and commitment are the key
to success! But it also took courage: We have questioned the status quo,
quickly and ambitiously developed ideas and made decisions. This is important,
because without courageous decisions this success would not have been possible.
Personally, I have learned a lot during this time – especially thanks to the
interdisciplinary collaboration with my new colleagues. At that time I was just
coming out of NIVEA marketing and a lot of things were new to me. That was
challenging but the opportunity that has been given to me was an excellent
stepping stone for my career and I got promoted to Head of Healthcare France!
The turnaround shows that hard work pays off but in addition to the success,
enthusiasm has remained above all. I am therefore especially pleased that my
path will continue to lead me through the world of Healthcare.”