STEPHANE, WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH ?
In 25 years of my professional life, I was managing various design projects, I was product manager, project initiator and manager, co-leader and facilitator of value creation. The past 4 years were driven by my professional commitment towards societal value creation and now the outcome of this activity is a successful G’IMPACTE transformation as we see it.
WHAT WERE THE BEGINNINGS OF G’IMPACTE ?
Initially we wanted to build CSR project based on value generation in internal product development processes. We were seeking to promote equity, accessibility, positive social and environmental impact and other benefits for our stakeholders with whom we intereact. We wanted to incorporate it in our product offer, retail processes, for better inclusivity in the world. Today G’IMPACTE enlarged its competences and explores countless possibilities, our project constantly grows and so does the number of the beneficiaries.
WHAT IS YOUR MISSION AT G’IMPACTE ?
I bring my support to organizations which create virtuous and beneficial products. It means producing as locally as possible and involving local actors. This closeness to users facilitates job creation, but also production processes which respect our environment.
My mission is to deploy this societal approach in product design. Today clients’ expectations are beyond the physical product they use, at the same time they seek to find out its direct and indirect impacts.
SOME EXAMPLES OF YOUR PROJECTS ?
We currently work on opening the Solidarity Store together with other brands. This is an answer to the question that most teammates in our company ask themselves: what is our role in the community? I believe this is the way to be inclusive. For instance, these solidarity stores employ persons in professional reconversion, brands which participate in this project can make their products accessible to socially vulnerable groups, for example students. Every stakeholder receives its own benefits: the unemployed have a job opportunity, companies clear their stockpiles, students purchase the necessities at a lowest possible price. And thus virtual spiral is put in place.
WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST PROUD WHILE WORKING AT G’IMPACTE ?
Growing number of G’IMPACTE projects is an evidence of our success. As an example, new Decathlon sandals made in India is a concrete proof that we can produce shoes respecting principals of circular economy: a pair of shoes produced sustainably has very few components, they can be recycled and become a component of an identical future pair. It is cost-effcient and globally has a better impact.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU IN G’IMPACTE PROJECT?
In my work I adhere easily to collaboration and co-construction methods. In a project, we are not the only ones to provide solutions to a problem, answers also come from every stakeholder, and become even more legitimate. We are here to inspire, to guide, to share best practices and our previous experiences. When I realized that my work was not only to create a product design, but also leave some positive societal impact – this is the true motivation for me.
CONCLUDING REMARKS ?
G’IMPACTE is an entity which consists of strong personalities who defend their convictions and can change the rules of the game. It is also an innovative and disruptive approach. At the very beginning of the project, we acted in a defined perimeter of a product. Whereas now it merely remains as an excuse to entirely transform economic models and reconsider the impact of our activity in the entire ecosystem.
