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KEDGE Bordeaux: A Graduate Returns to Campus for My Way Days!
A graduate of KEDGE’s PGE program in 2003, Cyril Dreesen will return to the school’s halls—this time as a guest speaker. CEO of Auchan Retail in Luxembourg, he will speak to students about “The Retail of the Future” on October 23rd.
Hello Cyril! You’ve spent most of your career at Auchan, where you’re now CEO of Retail in Luxembourg. What do you enjoy about working at Auchan, and what keeps you there?
Indeed, I’ve been with Auchan for 15 years. The various roles I’ve held have allowed me to fully seize opportunities and develop my potential. Each time, I’ve faced different challenges, often focused on business transformation or innovation. It was demanding, but the stakes were exciting—exactly what you look for after graduation. What’s interesting is that, like other major groups such as L’Oréal or Henkel, which are well-known among young professionals for offering challenging roles, Auchan also provides that kind of environment.
Moreover, the group’s values are centered around trust, autonomy, and the right to make mistakes. This gives you the chance to test ideas and take ownership of your impact within a defined scope of responsibility. All of these elements are what attracted me to Auchan—and still do today.
On October 23rd, you’ll be speaking at KEDGE Bordeaux during My Way Days. You’ll be discussing “The Retail of the Future.” Can you give us a preview of the topics you’ll cover?
The main goal is to revisit concepts that seem very natural to most of us, but aren’t necessarily obvious to traditional or “old school” retailers, whose models are heavily focused on usage and local residents.
In the future, we’ll need to rely heavily on data and digitalization to meet the usage needs of people living in specific areas. Everything is closely tied to what we’re able to offer. There’s a real shift happening around services, experience, and the ability to create spaces for interaction focused on usage education and choice.
Overall, we need to think like a platform and understand that the world is a network made up of platforms and contributors—both digital and physical. Sometimes we’ll be contributors to a large digital platform, and other times we’ll be a digital platform ourselves for smaller players, like startups in our local areas—or even a physical platform, like a marketplace. This could mean hosting market spaces and helping farmers and small producers grow their businesses. It’s a network-driven model—an ecosystem that I believe is fundamental.
Excerpt from the report on “The Hypermarket of the Future,” filmed in Luxembourg at an Auchan store where Cyril Dreesen is CEO of Retail.
You’ve stayed close to your alma mater, where you earned your master’s degree. What does your relationship with KEDGE bring you?
Through the alumni network, I’ve built close friendships during and after my time at KEDGE. I’m also starting to benefit from the network by attending alumni events and meetings.
More importantly, I want to share my experiences—including setbacks and failures—with people who are like me, but 15 years younger, and who are asking the same questions I once did. I wish there had been more people like me back then, willing to lend a hand to students so they wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes. The goal is for my successors to go further, faster.
The school does a great job of connecting professionals and alumni with students and recent graduates.
Want to learn more about this graduate and the future of retail?
REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE BY EMAILING:
Wednesday, October 23rd from 6 PM to 7 PM at KEDGE Bordeaux
Looking back, how did your education at KEDGE and its teachings help you in the roles you’ve held?
At KEDGE, I followed an international program in English, which gave me a lot of exposure to cultural and linguistic diversity. I believe that’s key in today’s world, which is increasingly open, interactive, multicultural, and complex.
I’d like to share a message with young people: do a work-study program or take a gap year, and pursue international experiences to open up all possibilities. That’s what I loved about my journey—and what helped me the most.
Thank you very much for your insights, Cyril. See you on October 23rd for your talk at KEDGE Bordeaux!
REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE BY EMAILING:
