restore confidence in keeping our commitments
an interview with Stéphane Richard, Chief Executive Officer
What are the challenges?
Four major challenges stand before us. The first is placing people at the heart of our activities. In France, we still have a way to go before we can close the chapter on the 2009 crisis and breathe life into our new social contract. This applies elsewhere as well: what care do we provide to our customers, to the men and women who are the essence of our Group, and to the populations of the countries
Where we are present?
The second challenge is meaning. Economic performance alone does not suffice, and innovation for the sake of innovation is useless. We need to think about what we wish to be, and decide together how to use our know-how. The third challenge is to restore our image, by reminding our stakeholders of our staff’s immense work, and of the extent to which our services contribute to society. Lastly, we have to deal with a challenge of consistency, because development is not possible if it neglects any of our stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders or civil society. We must take on our role in all the debates affecting us, such as radio waves or “Net Neutrality” with realism and transparency.
Is there a place for CSR in this project?
Confidence, meaning, keeping our commitments – all this implies responsible and exemplary conduct. In building the networks of the future, we are creating a social link between people. We are giving them a means for development and mutual enrichment. Our responsibility, in this regard, is to share the benefits of our technologies – making them accessible, transparent and safe for all.
What does that mean specifically?
We wish to strengthen the approach begun in 2009, which aims to make the Group the sector’s benchmark leader by 2012 in terms of CSR. This involves better support for staff (working conditions, skills development, work-life balance, etc), and developing accessibility to our services with new infrastructures and offers suited to all users – regardless of their economic profile, their geographic location, their age or disability. Furthermore, we are very mindful of the use that is made of our services, and we are redoubling our efforts to spread good practices, protect customer information and offer irreproachable quality. Finally, there are all our innovations towards a new ecocitizenship, to limit our own and our customers’ environmental impact.
How does CSR support the Group’s growth?
It is a condition that is indispensable to its profitability and continuation. In a context of increased competition when a growing number of markets are reaching maturity, this requirement will stimulate our innovation and our capacity to differentiate ourselves. At the same time, contributing to the development of the countries where we are present or enabling our customers to decrease their environmental impact opens up new avenues of growth for us. Everything is linked. The challenge is to achieve more balanced growth, creating simultaneous value for all our stakeholders: rewarded shareholders, satisfied customers, self-fulfilled and motivated employees, and a trusting and civil society that looks favourably on our activities.
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