CEMS Magazine | May 2011
Interview
Q. What were the first steps you
took upon graduation from the CEMS programme?
Q. Since 2007 you have held the
position of Managing Director for Max Havelaar France. What changes have you seen in terms of consumer behaviour in that time?
A. Well, I suppose my initial career trajectory was fairly traditional in that I entered the banking sector, working for CEMS Corporate Partner BNP Paribas. However, it was when I started working as a A. It has been impressive but there is still room consultant, especially during a mission for Nestlé in for improvement. The target was and remains fair Mexico that things began to take a different course. globalisation, a regulated market and just recompense for workers, so that products are produced, financed and consumed responsibly. Happily, I have seen changes both on the company and consumer sides. To take the example of France, back in 2002, only Was that the kick-start to your about 15 companies (very few of them major ones) career in the fair trade industry? were genuinely committed to fair trade products. In A. In a way, yes, as there I was working for 2010, this figure had risen to 200, including a great a major multinational company, in the interests of deal of multinationals. In terms of the consumption installing responsible practices for the benefit of all. of fair trade products, we saw a 14% rise from 2008 My role as a consultant was to analyse the purchasing to 2009 in French households, with one third of strategy of major companies (of which Nestlé was just them using Max Havelaar products. The awareness is one) and their approach to handling culinary and clearly there now but has to be converted into more cocoa-based products in particular. This was a truly widespread consumption. eye-opening mission and one that motivated me to make the jump to joining Fairtrade in 2002.
Q.
Q. Fairtrade joined CEMS as one of
the first two Social Partners in December of last year. How do you see In what ways do the local producers benefit when such missions this partnership evolving? A. Beyond the involvement in the curriculum are carried out? and with students, I’d like to see Fairtrade bringing its
Q.
A. Across 120 countries today, you have knowledge and experience of responsible consumption something like five million agricultural families. Just as we want companies to introduce a social mission, we also want to ensure that the people working on the land to produce the raw materials that the companies eventually use are fairly paid for their work. In addition, we strive to help professionalise the whole supply chain and raise efficiency as much as possible. Basically, sustainable development has to be supported by a sound financing model, so that local production can be reconciled with the global consumer market and paid its dues.
to companies and schools, via business cases and training sessions, for example, and then maybe benefiting from managerial training in return. Strategically, the partnership is an obvious advantage to all parties but I’d really like to see operational benefits made out of it as well. It is only by developing this spirit of solidarity that we can truly help build a sustainable economy with fair treatment and recompense for all – the partnership with CEMS is based on this same principle of fair and mutually beneficial collaboration.
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