The Secrets of a Sustainable Customer Relationship – Ayla Ziz

Renew Danone: Reconciling Performance and Sustainability

The “Renew Danone” program, launched with Antoine de Saint-Afrique, repositions the company on its original essence: health. “For me, performance without sustainability is not lasting, and sustainability without performance is not lasting either”, affirms Ayla with the conviction of someone who has tested this philosophy on all continents.

Contrary to popular belief, sustainability and business are not opposed. “Every act of consumption is a committed act” in today’s world. Consumers, questioning their values post-Covid, are transforming purchasing into commitment. Companies that stay true to their societal and environmental commitments retain their customers and win new ones.

The results speak for themselves: sustainable initiatives with Auchan generated +29% in sales, proving that authentic engagement creates measurable economic value. A concrete example that silences skeptics.

Diversity as a Driver of Performance

Ayla’s strength lies in her multicultural approach, forged by her exceptional international career. “When we talk about diversity, I mean diversity in every sense: background, training, gender, truly everything”. This richness becomes a major competitive advantage in a globalized world.

Her leadership style adapts to local cultures while preserving her fundamental values. “My values do not change and remain the same regardless of the cultural environment I am in”. This consistency, sometimes challenging, forms her foundation of international legitimacy.

Diversity is not a theoretical concept but a daily practice: building heterogeneous teams, challenging unconscious biases, explaining why this diversity enriches decisions and improves results. ” It’s by mixing approaches that we find the best solutions,” she confides.

Managerial Innovation and Digital Transformation

Innovation at Danone is not limited to products. Ayla advocates three fundamental axes for her teams: first, perform, by defining a clear vision and the path to achieve it; always collaborate, by working cross-functionally and inter-industrially; stay curious, by continuously learning.

The digital transformation of sales forces perfectly illustrates this approach. Integrating artificial intelligence from demand planning to the store represents a colossal challenge. “It’s by breaking down these silos that we manage to advance projects”. The inclusion of HR, marketing, and all functions from the outset transforms the constraint of change into an opportunity for growth.

This cross-functional method revolutionizes traditional project management and accelerates the adoption of innovations. A valuable lesson for all transforming organizations.

Crisis Management and Authentic Leadership

In the agri-food sector, crises are constant: inflation, shortages, health scandals. For Ayla, “the most difficult challenges are often human challenges”. Economic tensions are managed with tools; relational issues touch the heart of teams.

Her proven method: refocus on the essentials. “If we always keep in mind our obsession, which is to meet the daily expectations of consumers and patients”, negotiations with large retailers find their balance. Placing the consumer at the center transcends conflicts of interest and creates common ground.

Ayla’s international experience, particularly in the Middle East in contexts of geopolitical tension, forges this ability to navigate human complexity while preserving business performance. “I learned that behind every conflict, there are fundamental human needs”, she summarizes.

In a nutshell…

Here are the three key takeaways from this Masterclass with Ayla ZIZ:

• Reconciling performance and sustainability: One does not go without the other in today’s world; companies that truly integrate this create a lasting competitive advantage.

• Cultivating multicultural diversity: Diversity of experiences and perspectives becomes a major competitive advantage when actively valued and structured.

• Refocusing on the end consumer: Placing consumer needs at the center of decisions helps overcome internal tensions and create shared value.

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