Interview with Eric Cuziat, Director of Digital and Information Systems at Elior Group

Appointed to the role of Director of Information Systems at Elior Group following the integration of Derichebourg Multiservices, Eric Cuziat is responsible for driving the Group's IT strategy both in France and internationally.

What is your role within Elior Group?
I took over the management of the information systems at Elior Group several months ago. In this capacity, I have a dual role. On one hand, I ensure the maintenance and evolution of all the "sovereign" functions of the group, which include technical and software architectures, infrastructures, cybersecurity, etc.; maintaining the functions and topics that are, even partially, shared; developing internal expertise and making it available to all the Group's IT departments. On the other hand, I ensure coordination across the different countries where we operate.

Specifically, what will that look like?
I aim to increase collaboration between the different IT departments, allowing each of them to expand their activities beyond their borders and to develop more "leadership." There are excellent initiatives within each department, and I want the others to benefit from them. For instance, I was impressed by the data management initiatives in one country and want that country to lead on this topic for others. The same goes for AI, digitalization, etc. I also see in the various IT departments diverse orientations, skills, and cultures that can benefit everyone: a strong sense of technical expertise in France and Spain, very rational approaches in Italy, a strong focus on customer experience in the UK and the USA. By bringing all this together and fostering a spirit of initiative, we will only become stronger!

How can digitalization contribute to the company's development?
We are in a rapidly changing environment, and while we excel in our fields, we must also support the evolving expectations of our clients and their employees. We need to be closer to them, offering a more personalized and less intrusive evolution. We must listen to everyone, be proactive, and be capable of adapting and supporting change.
I am particularly thinking of a client in the restaurant sector who specifically asked us to implement click & collect, even though our guests did not express a need for it and just wanted a place to relax and interact. While we must respect client requests, we also need to meet the needs of end consumers, find ways to improve, and support everyone to ensure mutual satisfaction. This is where digital comes into play. Being able to collect data, analyze usage, measure customer satisfaction, consumption habits, and visit patterns, and transform the user experience through small initiatives rather than overhauling the process.

What are the next challenges your teams will have to face?
Our operations and methods have evolved. The managerial structure aims to be more agile, more responsive, and closer to the ground than ever. As you understand, my greatest wish is to unleash initiatives, maintain and develop a team spirit... This might be our first challenge. Learning from each other, progressing together... Increasing ownership and enhancing internal skills. We must also and above all meet our clients' expectations. The prospects are exciting. There are already numerous ongoing projects aimed at strengthening the complementarity of Elior and Derichebourg Multiservices' offerings. The topics are numerous and exciting, and I can count on committed, passionate teams dedicated to providing future-oriented solutions.