Preparing for the Post-Car Era as an
Automotive Industry Leader
When the journey began with this company, it held a leading position in the market: the firm dominated the automotive industry with strong sales and an unmatched reputation, and the future looked promising. However, amidst this success, the leadership expressed a nagging concern: what comes next for a company whose business model is closely tied to the individual car?
Despite a solid order book in the medium term, the leaders anticipated industry shifts and understood that the automotive sector, as it stands today, must evolve. The key question now was what role the company wanted to play in this transition.
A Dedicated Space to Prepare for the Future
The Executive Committee embarked on this adventure with Stim with a clear objective: to create a space where the group's strategy could be discussed in depth and fundamental questions about the future could be addressed - questions often sidelined by the urgencies of daily operations.
The discussions began by revisiting the company's history and the innovations that had marked its strategic milestones. Reminded of the founding values and DNA of the company, the leaders collectively decided that it was time to open a new, ambitious, and inspiring chapter for the future of the Group.
This new chapter could be written in two ways, as the Director of Innovation pointed out: "Either we simply aim to reduce our negative externalities to mitigate our impact, or we see the transition as a new purpose for the company, with an opportunity to shift the industry."
As discussions progressed, a desire to adopt a proactive stance prevailed: to use this opportunity to redefine the company's positioning and identify new playgrounds for the future. New products, new services, and new activities outside the automotive sector were explored, in line with the group's historical expertise. This was not a matter of classic diversification but of putting the company's expertise at the service of more sustainable industries.
Beyond rational analysis, it was also about reconnecting with each member of the Executive Committee's aspirations: what decisions will I be proud of in 10 years? What do I believe in? What gets me up in the morning?
To facilitate these reflections, a role-playing game was organized. The members of the Executive Committee thus experimented with different stances in terms of ambition and mode of action. Each scenario forced them to project through a portfolio of strategic projects to launch and associated investment decisions. This step was essential for embodying the different options and making concrete decisions.
A Clear and Common Ambition for the Future of the Group
This approach aligned the members of the Executive Committee with an ambitious, inspiring vision consistent with the company's historical DNA; and identified the most relevant strategic options to activate to make it a reality.
Moreover, these discussions helped to ease internal tensions due to divergent strategic visions within the Executive Committee. This regained cohesion will be crucial for driving this strategic transition internally and across the industry.
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