LAGARDERE


 

Lagardère is a 100% media group (books, press, audiovisual, digital, travel retail and press, sports economics and sports law). It is counted among the world leaders in its industry. Under Dutch law, Lagardère Group has a joint controlling stake in EADS (7.5%). The reference stock market for Lagardère shares is Euronext Paris.
www.lagardere.com

 

Interview: Lagardère – in phase with the CDMGE Academic Challenge

Lagardère was a partner during the first CDMGE Academic Challenge, and is renewing its support for 2010. The Group's human resource and communication director and communication director, Thierry Funck-Brentano, tells us why it will be the only student event the Group participates in all year. In this interview, you will also get a better idea of the Group's activities.

M. Funck-Brentano, what did you like about the first Challenge?

Professionalism is a key value at Lagardère Group, and one that we saw reflected in the smooth organisation of the event. In-house, the most positive feedback came from the three teams that competed in the sports events. Our attendance at the round table on disability and the careers fair was also highly successful, given the number of student visitors.

What was the image of the Group that you projected and plan to project again this year?

Lagardère is a family group where loyalty is a guiding value, as attested to by our very low employee turnover. We are a company of creators, from our founders through to our content creation careers, so the men and women in our company are our most important resource. This human dimension is deeply ingrained, as is the Group's longstanding attachment to sport. The values promoted by both individual and team sports go well with our management philosophy. Because the Challenge combines these various aspects of our business culture, we feel very comfortable participating in it.

Frédéric Renault, Communication and HR Director at Lagardère Services, gives us an historical overview of the company's retail activity, which currently employs 12,000 in 21 countries.

In addition to content creation for the book, media and sport industries, Lagardère Group is the global leader in national press distribution. It also has the first international network of shops specialising in communication and cultural leisure products.
Lagardère Services is involved in the press distribution business in 11 countries and has retail business in 21 countries. It has become an international business company; today, France only accounts for one third of its operations. Using our solid professional background, we developed the RELAY brand in 20 countries. Nevertheless, the recession affecting the press industry and concerns about the future of books have lead us to consider new possibilities for growth.

A global leader in distribution

Lagardère Services has been actively diversifying its activities for 10 years. Today, it provides travel retail in 18 countries, 100 airports and over 500 train stations. More recently, the division turned to the downtown retail market. It developed a new convenience store banner, "Chez Jean", in partnership with Casino Group. Open from 7:00am to 11:00 pm, it offers everything you need to get out of a tight spot, from newspapers to deli products to a hole-in-the-wall. The division also operates Costa Café in several countries; the Paul bakery chain in the Czech Republic; Happy in Germany; accessory chain Môa in Romania and France; and has just entered into a partnership with cookie manufacturer La Cure Gourmande in France and Spain.

 www.lagardere.com