Maud Thuaudet : “Integrating the environment into our strategy.”

What role does the environment play in the strategy of a Group like Saint-Gobain ?

It is absolutely essential. Our strategy revolves around two axes, sustainability and performance. We are committed to both contributing to the decarbonization of the building sector through our products and solutions, and reducing the carbon footprint of our industrial processes and all of our operations. We reason by integrating these two dimensions. Take the example of our insulation solutions: when we assess their carbon footprint, we compare the carbon cost of their manufacture with the carbon savings enabled by their use. This is how our insulation solutions sold in one year allow us to avoid 1200Mt of carbon equivalent. And we are simultaneously evolving our products to enhance their energy efficiency, and our production processes to reduce our carbon footprint, with significant investments. Ultimately, beyond our environmental responsibility, we are convinced that this strategy is a source of sustainable growth: the decarbonization needs of the sector will require massive efforts in energy renovation in mature countries, and lighter construction in emerging countries; and our efforts in reducing the carbon footprint of our processes are sources of savings, securing our raw materials, and innovation, which are essential for the long-term sustainability of our operations.

As VP of strategy, how does the group’s purpose inspire your work ?

We have a beautiful purpose: ‘Making the world a better home’, which was collaboratively defined by Saint-Gobain employees. It serves as an anchor from which we have formalized our vision, mission, and the operational pillars of our strategy. It is recent, but it has naturally emerged as a compass that guides our decisions. For example, it guides the new 3-year strategic plan that we are currently designing with our Business Units, particularly in terms of capital allocation or acquisition strategy. It has also been very mobilizing throughout the health crisis we are going through: we have been alongside our employees, local communities. It is also a unifying force for everyone at Saint-Gobain: it defines us! It is now a guiding principle of our decisions, contributing to the overall coherence of our strategy.

What are the advancements at Saint-Gobain that you are most proud of ?

For several years, we have been experiencing a particularly intense sequence of transformation and repositioning at Saint-Gobain: we have just completed the implementation of the Transform & Grow plan, which positions the group for the future, with a refocused portfolio, an agile structure, and above all, an open culture based on trust, empowerment, and collaboration. Alongside this profound transformation, we have aligned our purpose with our environmental and social responsibility, strengthened our environmental objectives, with an important and ambitious milestone in 2030, on the path to carbon neutrality by 2050. Our stakeholders, whether our customers, employees, or shareholders, are well aware of these structuring developments. Therefore, we are ready for a phase of growth and sustainable development in this uncertain but exciting environment of energy transition, to which we fully intend to contribute. I am fortunate to have joined Saint-Gobain during this particularly rich period, but also proud to actively contribute to it within the Strategy Department.