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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
“Microorganisms have a wealth of untapped potential” Brice-Audren Riché began his role as Lesaffre’s CEO on January 1, 2022. He shared with us his perspective on managing a company the stature of Lesaffre, his thoughts on current disruptions, and the fundamentals of innovation and conducting business going forward.
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Catalina Mihu: Congratulations on the new role! What are your thoughts on taking the lead of one of the key global companies in the baking industry, in the current environment? Brice-Audren Riché: It is with great enthusiasm, pleasure and pride that I have taken over the position of CEO at Lesaffre, succeeding Antoine Baule, whose dedication to the service of our group for nine years I would like to pay tribute to. With the 11,000 employees of the group throughout the world, we will carry on developing solutions based on microorganisms such as yeast, yeast extracts, bacteria, phages, and more. Lesaffre’s various activities are at the heart of the challenges of today and tomorrow, stemming from how to nourish nine billion people by 2050, in a healthy way, by making the most of our planet’s resources. It is extremely stimulating to be able to accompany the growth of our group in a sustainable and responsible manner, both in Baking and Nutrition & Health. Mihu: The CEO role came six months after being appointed Deputy Managing Director of Lesaffre. What has the transition entailed? Riché: My role as Deputy Managing Director at Lesaffre was an opportunity to ensure a smooth transition from my duties at Biospringer to my current position. With the members of Comex and the support of all the group’s teams throughout the world, we continue to focus on our mission to pursue Lesaffre’s development in the fields of baking and nutrition and health. Mihu: What values and key takeaways would define your tenure as Biospringer’s General Manager? Riché: Our group, with its 170 years of history, is viscerally attached to the values of entrepreneurship and innovation that make up its DNA. Like all the entities of Lesaffre, Biospringer is marked by the group's mission: working together to better nourish and protect the planet.
New perspectives Mihu: What aspects will Lesaffre prioritize under your management? Riché: In the coming decades, as the world’s population continues to grow, we will need to discover sustainable
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ways of providing healthy food for all, while also helping protect the environment. At Lesaffre, we believe in the limitless opportunities offered by biotechnology, such as the fermentation of microorganisms. Our ambition is to be a leading player in the global movement to harness the power of fermentation by developing our portfolio of microorganisms. Yeasts, yeast extracts, bacteria, phages are some of these microorganisms which can bring benefit by themselves or through the metabolites they generate.
11,000 EMPLOYEES WORK AT LESAFFRE Mihu: What changes brought on by pandemic measures will shape the workflow at Lesaffre going forward? Riché: Our agile, highly international business organization model, which allows the vast majority of initiatives to be taken at the local level, has enabled us to get through the pandemic. Our top priorities during the crisis were twofold: to ensure the safety of our employees in the face of the pandemic, and to continue to fulfill our mission with our clients to help feed the population. Mihu: And what changes should the entire supply chain make to adapt to disruptions such as this? Riché: The global pandemic that we have been through has had a lasting and profound impact on working methods in all sectors. It has also provided an opportunity to challenge practices. This is the case for the supply chain, which we have adapted so that it can respond quickly and efficiently to our customers’ needs. This is another lesson learned in the crisis: we anticipate and understand potential challenges and react quickly to avoid stock shortages and delays, with our customer service specialists tracking our shipments through to final delivery. Finally, our industrial footprint – with plants close to our customers and market – is a great asset, not only to produce locally, which means reducing transportation and CO2 emissions, but also to be able to adapt quickly to supply chain disruptions.
