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Category: Our client stories

Majorel joined WILCO to accelerate innovation in customer relations

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WILCO announced the arrival of a new sponsor, Majorel – a major global player in outsourced customer experience (CX) for the world’s biggest brands including sector leaders and new players in the fast-growing digital economy. Majorel was keen to pursue its technological and digital innovation approach, while supporting projects that offer promising solutions in customer relations.

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We’re delighted that Majorel has joined the WILCO Partners Club, which already includes a number of leading companies like AXA, BNP, Bouygues Telecom, Cisco, CNP Assurances and Gecina. Their involvement will create strong synergies between a major player in customer relationship management and the accelerated projects.”

Paris, February 16, 2023 – Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. a major global player in outsourced customer experience (CX) for the world’s leading brands, announced the signing of a partnership with WILCO, one of France’s leading innovation accelerators. This collaboration will provide long-term support for projects delivering solutions that drive customer experience.

Eric Vaysset, CEO WILCO

Eric Vaysset - WILCO Libérateurs d'ambitions

Accelerating innovation in customer relations

Majorel and WILCO have signed a strategic partnership agreement to support innovation projects in 4 sectors: Customer Experience & RetailTech, Digital Transformation, FinTech & InsurTech, MarTech & Creative Business. For each, Majorel will bring in-depth knowledge of the sector and technologies, as well as connections with leading companies.
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For several years, Majorel has led an ecosystem dedicated to digital innovation. In our customer experience laboratories, in-house teams develop new solutions that advance customer relationship systems. The partnership with WILCO reinforces this approach, enabling us to be at the source of innovation alongside one of France’s leading innovation accelerators.”

Stéphane Derly, Majorel Transformation Director

Drawing inspiration externally to drive internal innovation

In a fast-changing world, where the digital transformation of customer paths and experiences is central, this partnership aligns with Majorel’s desire to support entrepreneurs initiating technological shifts. Majorel has joined a dynamic ecosystem of startups, which are designing differentiating customer experience management solutions. In particular, this partnership will enable Majorel to identify innovations at an early stage, thus offering customers new technological solutions to transform customer journeys and experiences.
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By joining forces with WILCO, Majorel is reinforcing our innovation cycle to better meet customer expectations, in particular by identifying very early on solutions that can enhance customer experience,” explains Stéphane Derly.

Stéphane Derly, Majorel Transformation Director

Support and collaboration opportunities for WILCO startups

The partnership provides long-term support for WILCO-boosted projects focused on transforming customer relations. Majorel will share its expertise, know-how and network with them. Majorel is a strategic intermediary and an ideal partner for entrepreneurs looking to test their innovations in the field and refine their value proposition. The aim? Create new business opportunities for these projects and win new contracts. Entrepreneurs will also have access to the majUP program, an integrated service that offers further operational support to drive customer relations.

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France’s 3rd largest social protection group APICIL sets up an intrapreneurship program with WILCO

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Intrapreneurship enables employees to draw inspiration from methods used by entrepreneurs and develop their professional skills. A great way to put employees at the heart of your company’s transformation.

Intrapreneurs have their say

Contact Léa Saffar
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I helped 3 groups of APICIL employees roll out new offers for the APICIL Group and learn about startup concepts and agile innovation methods.

Lea Saffar, WILCO Program Manager – Intrapreneurship Manager

Teams of intrapreneurs with diverse profiles

Intrapreneurs face the challenge of motivating in-house employees across different departments to implement their initiative, while leading a diverse team.

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“Switching from a process mode, influenced by my management background, to a project mode enabled me to understand the full scope of an intrapreneurship project.”

Benjamin Dachicourt, Medical Account Manager at Sésame France – APICIL Intrapreneur

Boosting intrapreneurs and their projects

For this edition, the 3 teams comprised a team leader, who devoted 50% of their time, and teammates who were able to spend 25% of their working week on the project.

 

The 3 teams of intrapreneurs benefited from the support of a member of APICIL’s Executive Committee who brought the Group’s strategic vision to the project, and acted as a mentor.

 

Intrapreneurship enables employees to test themselves and grow, without taking any financial risk, and gain professional experience that is completely different from their day-to-day assignments.

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“I wasn’t used to working on innovation projects, and the intrapreneurship program provided the opportunity for me to focus on exactly this type of project.”

Caroline Cambier, Savings Project Manager – APICIL Intrapreneur

For employees who take part in this type of program, intrapreneurship can be a real career booster, enabling them to upskill and become more independent.

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“I felt that I needed to learn new things in addition to my day-to-day job.”

Sonia Hamdi, Technical Project Manager / Medical Unit – APICIL Intrapreneur

Lea Saffar and Eric Texier worked with the intrapreneurs to set up working methods adapted to the profile of employees, who were often tackling an intrapreneurial project for the first time.

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“It’s a simple, accessible yet comprehensive approach that provides knowledge and understanding of all the stages involved in developing a solution.””

Frédérique Courbière, Project Manager / Innovation & Services Department – APICIL Intrapreneur

Professional and personal benefits

Despite the extra workload and stress, intrapreneurs become more independent and take on more responsibilities. Their role makes them feel valued, and they often find fresh meaning in their new tasks.

Their hard work paid off and they are now ready to embark on the “experimentation” phase during which they will deploy their solution for users in order to validate their development strategy.

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“I’ve developed my self-confidence, knowledge and, above all, methodology.“

Amandine Garnier, University Training Manager – APICIL Intrapreneur

They also have the opportunity to test the project while minimizing the financial risk taken by the company. Working together on the same project for such a long time strengthens bonds between collaborators.

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“I like collective intelligence. I’m convinced that when you work with others, you get further.”

Sophie Adobati, HR Development Manager – APICIL Intrapreneur

The intrapreneurship program is a unique opportunity to unleash creative potential, actively contribute to innovation within the company, and shape the future of an organization.

Would you like to develop your employees’ skills by putting them at the heart of your company transformation? Contact us to find out more.

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Orano plunges its HR teams into the heart of intrapreneurship

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During the 4-month Immersive Startup program, Orano’s HR teams immersed themselves in the life of a CEO entrepreneur.

Employees at Orano have become more agile and better able to understand new sectors, while also discovering the challenges of developing an entrepreneurial approach.
Following a successful kick-off at the end of December, the 11 pairs met at the Prisme conference to look back on this experience, which was enriching for both the entrepreneurs and Orano employees.
Find out more from a selection of Orano employees: Nathalie Collignon, Innovation Director; Hélène Derrien, Human Resources & Communication Director; Arlène Nehans, Human Resources Manager; Guillaume Renaud, Social Relations Manager, Orano Projects.

“As an HR Director, I discovered a completely different world.”

The program deployed by WILCO aimed to take employees away from their daily routine, while discovering new ways to collaborate more effectively with startups and young companies in the future.

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“As an HR Director, I discovered a completely different world. The program deployed by WILCO aimed to take employees away from their daily routine, while discovering new ways to collaborate more effectively with startups and young companies in the future.”

Nathalie Collignon, Orano Innovation Director

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“Offering this immersion program to more employees […] helps us better understand how a startup works from the inside.”

Nathalie Collignon, Orano Innovation Director

The program also helps develop stronger relationships by providing the opportunity to freely exchange ideas with peers.

Interested in introducing your employees to new trends, practices and business models?

CNP Assurances draws on employee skills to support startups

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CNP Assurances employees gathered at WILCO to look back on their mentoring adventure. 9 employees accompanied entrepreneurs, helping them get their business off the ground using their professional and personal skills.

For this second edition in partnership with WILCO, the theme of “Accompanying Fragility” was in the spotlight.

Launched by OpenCNP in partnership with WILCO, the SYNERGY program provided employees with the opportunity to share their expertise and boost innovative tech solutions.

WILCO also plunged CNP Assurances employees into the entrepreneurial world to discover and deepen their knowledge. Discover the first edition focused on Customer Experience.

 

Would you like to take part in our immersion program?

Reach out to our team

Japanese startups immersed themselves in the French market

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Japanese startups entered the French market with WILCO

As the domestic markets are in many ways similar, NEDO wanted to help Japanese startups expand in France.

With a population of over 66 million and a diversified economy, France offers a huge market for Japanese companies looking to expand. It’s a strategically important market to penetrate on the way to conquering Europe.

 

However, for foreign startups, establishing a foothold in a new market can be difficult. That’s why NEDO, the Japanese government agency that promotes technology research and development, asked WILCO for help. Wilco had already developed a similar program in Silicon Valley.

By supporting research and development in advanced technologies, NEDO aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Japanese industry and improve quality of life for the population.

 

NEDO asked WILCO for help given the accelerator’s position at the heart of the French ecosystem through a network of 450+ VC/BA funds, public institutions and 40+ midcaps & corporations representing potential customers and investors.

 

How can Japanese startups establish themselves in a new market in the heart of Europe and adapt to local requirements?

 

WILCO deployed a 3-month immersion program to help Japanese startups understand the French market and create international synergies. 7 tech startups were selected by NEDO to benefit from this support, all specializing in Deeptech, healthcare or energy.

 

The program offered Japanese startups an immersive experience in France based on a 3-phase approach:

 

1. Training in Tokyo on the French innovation ecosystem and culture including market opportunities, pitch coaching and business plans
2. Virtual 360° mentoring on key business metrics using WILCO methodology
3. Business meetings to connect with the French tech ecosystem and network with financial and tech partners, as well as potential customers

 

The startups benefited from personalized support from Louis Escudé and Emile Wallon to maximize their immersion experience in France and explore market opportunities. The program acted as a catalyst for the Japanese tech startups to develop in France.

1- Training in French ecosystem culture and market opportunities

After being selected through a public call for projects – based on the merits of their technology – the startups met Louis and Emile, who traveled to Tokyo to introduce the entrepreneurs to the French market. Key elements such as acculturation, customer discovery and sales were shared and explored with the startups to optimize their arrival in France.

2- Virtual mentoring on key sales topics using WILCO methodology

The startups, Entrepreneur Mentors and WILCO Startup Manager came together online to continue working on the topics introduced in Tokyo.

3- Business meetings with financial / customer / tech partners

The startups were invited to present their company at a pitch session attended by over forty guests (see the video at the end of the article), and meet other players in the ecosystem, Entrepreneur Mentors from the WILCO network and the Startup Manager. An excellent opportunity to gain visibility and attract the interest of investors.

 

During their stay, the 7 Japanese startups set up around 30 business meetings with investors and clients, and discovered the emblematic Parisian tech scene including Station F, AgoraNov and Paris-Saclay.

 

The startups selected for the immersion program in France had all developed innovative technologies in fields such as renewable energies, electric mobility, IoT, artificial intelligence and healthcare. These technologies have significant development potential in France and other European countries, making immersion in the French market all the more relevant.
This initiative reinforced cooperation between Japan and France in the field of innovation, contributing to the economic and social development of both countries.

Startup mentoring by major corporations with WILCO and Paris-Saclay

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With the support of the Paris-Saclay Community, WILCO set up a mentoring program with startups and corporations. This is an opportunity for corporations to become mentors and pass on their knowledge, while also learning about the workings and vision of young companies.

The startups benefit from expert support to accelerate their growth, and develop their skills and professional network. A win-win situation for these innovators.

Find out what the founders of the accelerated startups thought about the mentorship program.

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Thanks to the mentoring, we’ve gained marketing knowledge and refined our marketing strategy and customer messages.

Zuzanna Kosowska-Stamirowska from NAVALGO

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It’s one of the most effective ways to accelerate the development and growth of a startup

Didier Roux, WattAnyWhere

Experts from major corporations also contributed to economic dynamism by supporting innovative projects:

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I think it’s essential. Like SMEs, startups make France – and the world – grow. And so, they need to be supported. […] On a personal level, it also enabled me to think about new projects for my company.

Sabine Ouhayou, EDF

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I’d recommend that employees from other major groups come and discover new perspectives and ideas. This energy provides a real boost in your day-to-day activities.

Jérémy Montagard, THALES

Experts from corporations contribute to economic dynamism by supporting innovative projects:

The class of 2022 is about to be launched, so make the most of this opportunity by applying.

 

Congratulations to Arnaud Pelloquin from WILCO and Christophe Tousseau from Paris-Saclay who ran this project with such brio.

CC: Yann Cauchetier, Communauté Paris-Saclay; Alisson Peltot, Incub’Alliance Paris-Saclay; Arnaud Peltier, La French Tech Paris-Saclay.

A big thank to all the mentors and mentees for their commitment: Sabine Ouhayoun, EDF; Frédéric Montagard, Thalès; Pauline Plisson, Naldeo; Philippe Gandillet, BPVF and Green Banque Populaire; Christophe Leynadier, Mihaly; Alexandre Pinon, Mendo; Zuzanna Kosowska-Stamirowskade, Navalgo; Didier Roux, WattAnyWhere; Daniel Blengino, Visionnary; Luc Dumont & Julien Aupart, Naept.

Sylvie Troy, Assistant Medical Director at Pfizer France, shares her experience during the tailored acceleration program in partnership with WILCO

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5 e-health startups benefited from a 9-month acceleration program that brought together the founder, a WILCO Entrepreneur Mentor and Pfizer Mentor. Together, they exchanged, collaborated and innovated.

Both Pfizer France and WILCO are committed to accelerating, experimenting and innovating to change patients’ lives. This is why WILCO decided to collaborate on the Pfizer Healthcare Hub France.

5 promising startups (Kiro, Klineo, Tracify, I-Virtual and Sancare) benefited from a unique double mentoring program aimed at developing their solutions and boosting their deployment on a larger scale.

 

Pfizer France chose to partner with an innovation acceleration like WILCO to complement their pharmaceutical expertise. With a support methodology proven since 2012 on over a thousand projects, WILCO brought entrepreneurial know-how to help the startups accelerate their growth. The founders all benefited from comprehensive operational support:

  • 360° thematic diagnosis of their startup covering operations, financing, sales, marketing/communication
  • 6 boards with the Startup Manager and a WILCO Entrepreneur Mentor focused on their entrepreneurial challenges
  • DWork sessions with the Startup Manager and a mentor from Pfizer looking at e-health market challenges
This alliance between a major corporation, innovation accelerator and startup was a huge success. This kind of collective intelligence approach accelerates technological innovation to change patients’ lives.
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As part of this support program, we issued calls for projects in the areas we’re interested in and the selected startups provided innovative solutions to address key issues.

 

We approached WILCO for their experience, expertise, startups sourcing, methodology and other assets, which complement our expertise in the healthcare field.

 

Pfizer employees were very involved in the PHH program: around 40 participated in the selection phases and 5 employees were mentors for the startups.

Sylvie Troy, Deputy Medical Director, Pfizer France

Sylvie Troy

Find out more in an exclusive interview about the Pfizer Healthcare Hub France: