Corporate culture according to Cécile Lassus-Carrois
Cécile Lassus-Carrois, HR Director of the VYV group, shares her unique experience in multicultural management within the leading mutual social protection and healthcare group in France. With more than 45,000 employees and strong historical brands, the group has managed to preserve distinct cultural identities while developing a collective project.
“A culture that works well is the result of a common desire, and everyone must be attentive to it.”
How to define corporate culture?
According to Cécile, culture is manifested through behaviors, ways of operating, and rituals. It plays a key role in the company’s commitment and performance.
Culture reflects a balance between organizational needs and employee motivation.
A good culture is aligned with the business, but also with team expectations.
Keys to evaluating culture during due diligence
In a merger or acquisition operation, evaluating culture is crucial to anticipate the compatibility of structures. Here are Cécile’s best practices:
Explore HR practices: HR processes (recruitment, training, remuneration) are often accurate indicators of an organization’s culture.
Rely on headhunters: They can provide valuable insights into the types of leaders in place.
Analyze social networks: What is said about the company by its employees or customers can reveal its true culture.
Meet with leaders and employees: These exchanges allow for an objective view of internal practices.
Integrating without standardizing – The PMI strategy of the VYV Group
A decentralized and multicultural organization
The VYV group has chosen a decentralized model where different entities maintain their identity while relying on a common leadership model and shared guiding principles.
“We promote the idea of multi-belonging: to a professional sector, to a house, to the group. The goal is to create a sense of belonging at each of these levels.”
Key points of the PMI strategy:
Foster collaborative ecosystems: Professional communities allow different entities to inspire each other.
Initiate common cultural projects: These initiatives, such as those on D&I or health prevention, strengthen synergies without imposing changes.
Encourage subsidiarity: The subsidiaries, thanks to their professional expertise, have great autonomy while respecting guidelines.
The lessons of Cécile Lassus-Carrois
Map the culture to define a coherent integrationEach integration model must reflect the reality of the acquiring company and respect the uniqueness of the acquired entities.
“Depending on your business model, the integration approach should be consistent with your values and operations.”
Preserve culture to maintain engagementSome companies derive their performance from their specific culture. Absorbing it could harm their engagement and effectiveness.
“If a culture is a key factor of engagement, destroying it can impact the company’s performance.”
FAQ – Answers to common questions about cultural management in M&A
Why is culture so important in M&A?
Culture directly influences team engagement, collaboration, and post-merger performance. It can make the difference between the success and failure of an integration.
How to evaluate the culture of a target company?
By combining meetings with leaders, analyzing HR processes, and observing public feedback on social networks or other documented sources.
Can different cultures be maintained within the same group?
Yes, as demonstrated by the VYV group example, cultural identities can coexist if they are framed by common guiding principles.
What tools support cultural integration management?
Engagement barometers, culture-related KPIs, and collaborative initiatives are key tools to track and strengthen integration.
Key lessons
Respect cultural diversity: A multicultural approach can be a lever for success.
Preserve entity autonomy: Allow subsidiaries to play to their strengths while respecting guidelines.
Involve employees in cultural co-construction: Creating ecosystems strengthens group belonging.
Conclusion
Cécile Lassus-Carrois’s experience shows that well-orchestrated multicultural management can turn a merger into a strategic opportunity. Whether you are planning an acquisition or a merger, integrating cultural dimensions from the earliest stages is essential to ensuring a smooth transition and enhancing collective performance.