Hardis Group announces major changes in its management team and a cross-functional organization to capitalize on the innovations and know-how of various group activities.
Hardis Group, the digital services company and business software publisher, announces major changes in its management team: Nicolas Odet is promoted to CEO and Yvan Coutaz sees his job as Executive Vice President enhanced. They both are directly attached to Christian Balmain, the founding President, within the Executive Committee. Marie-Agnès Brochier, Director of Human Resources, has joined the Committee recently. Florent Boizard takes over as head of the logistics solutions department. A new organization has been set up to bring together initiatives in terms of innovation, design and deployment of new solutions.
A progressive management transition
Created in 1984, Hardis Group carries on the dual business of digital services and software publishing. In 2014, the company posted a turnover of €62.1 million, up by 8.5%, for an operating profit of 6.5%. It has 700 employees, 25% of whom are shareholders. In 2013, the two founding directors - Christian Balmain and Denis Vedda - set up a management transition plan, focusing on internal talent, coupled with a new strategy to accelerate the development of the company in France and abroad, while ensuring its financial independence.
Helping internal talent to develop
As part of this plan, several changes have been announced at group management level. Aged 38, Nicolas Odet is promoted to CEO, replacing Denis Vedda, the co-founder of Hardis Group who has decided to retire. His mission will be to oversee all operations and control the cross-functional departments in charge of innovation, marketing and communication, while continuing to manage the service teams. Yvan Coutaz, 41, sees his job as Executive Vice President enhanced: in addition to consulting (business and IT transformation) and logistics solutions, he will now be overseeing the support functions for operations. Nicolas Odet and Yvan Coutaz are both directly attached to Christian Balmain, President, within the Executive Committee. Marie-Agnès Brochier, Director of Human Resources since 2013, joins the Committee, marking the group's determination to place the HR at the heart of its business strategy and to make talent management a cornerstone of its development in the coming years.
On the publishing side, Florent Boizard, aged 35, takes over from Jean-Yves Costa as director of the logistics solutions business unit. His appointment will enable Jean-Yves Costa, who becomes deputy manager of the department, to focus on the development of strategic partnerships and opportunities around solutions for optimizing the performance of the Supply Chain.
"For some years we have been preparing for this change by training and by helping the managers and employees who embody the group's values of commitment, efficiency, trust, innovation and ambition to develop", says Christian Balmain, President of Hardis Group.
Creating an innovation and solutions department
In addition to these managerial changes, an innovation and solutions department has been created. Working cross-functionally with all the businesses and industries addressed by Hardis Group and reporting to the senior management, it will be responsible for designing, selling and helping to industrialize the deployment of new offers and solutions. Rémy Dujardin, Cédric Belmont, Nicolas Chapu and Nicolas Lucas are joining this department as business solutions managers. As interfaces between R&D, delivery, sales and marketing staff, they will have the task of directing the actions necessary to bring new solutions to market. To carry out its tasks, this department will draw on the expertise of Christian Senet, aged 44, who is promoted to technical director.
"With the rise of digital, our customers are changing. We are changing too, by turning towards an organization designed to create synergy between our various entities, in terms of innovation, technology and skills", concludes Nicolas Odet, CEO of Hardis Group.