Interview with Cecile Beliot, Bel CEO
September 25, 2024
Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Growth FMCG CEO podcast with Frederic Fernandez. Join Frederic Fernandez as he sits down with top FMCG CEOs to uncover the strategies and tactics driving their success. In this podcast, you'll gain exclusive insights from industry leaders, discover how they plan to sustain and grow their achievements and learn what sets them apart in the competitive FMCG landscape.
Our guest this month is Cecile Beliot, CEO of Bel, a family-owned FMCG company based in Switzerland. Join us as we explore her personal and professional journey in the FMCG industry. Cecil shares her passion for food, leadership, and sustainability, discussing Bel’s transformative strategies and the importance of diversity in leadership. Discover how Bel balances growth and sustainability and the role of collaboration in driving positive change.
Welcome to the inaugural episode of Growth FMCG CEO Interview with Frederic Fernandez podcast. Join Frederic as he sits down with top FMCG CEOs to uncover the strategies and tactics driving their success and growth.
Our first ever guest is Cecile Beliot, CEO of Bel, a family-owned FMCG company with a portfolio of iconic and global brands (The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Boursin etc.). Thanks to its 12,000 employees and €3.6 billion net sales, the company aims to be the most innovative and responsible player in the healthy snacking market, operating in 3 territories: dairy, fruits and plant-based alternatives. Bel is a mission-led company and a pioneer in sustainability, with Cecile being passionate about reinventing the food industry and capitalism towards a more human, inclusive and sustainable system.
Listen to hear Frederic and Cecile discuss the following topics:
(0:00) Intro
(0:35) Personal journey, shaping values & early dreams
(7:04) Professional journey: from Kraft to Bel through Danone
(14:55) Know what your right-hand is & the formative years in Russia
(20:49) Bel, its singularity & unique purpose
(26:18) Bel, this innovative precursor & the disruptive story of the Laughing Cow
(33:52) Bel transformation journey, geographic & category diversification and becoming a global healthy snacks company
(40:18) Unleashing the power of acquisitions, strategic partnerships & opened ecosystems – case in point: India
(47:00) The alternative protein journey, the key learnings and why Mother Nature remains for now the best path forward
(56:14) Sustainability - unpacking the Why, the What & the How
(1:07:40) Strategizing sustainability – from present-forward/ future-back value at stake identification through prioritization to execution at-scale
(1:13:12) The fake dilemma of sustainability & why strategizing it has become a key source of competitive advantage
(1:19:00) Bel’s infinite game & its own definition of long-term success
(1:23:35) Cecile’s take on women at the top & how to accelerate
(1:34:40) Advice to women, role of mentors & the PIN model
(1:42:00) Parting thoughts & key messages to all stakeholders
Our first ever guest is Cecile Beliot, CEO of Bel, a family-owned FMCG company with a portfolio of iconic and global brands (The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Boursin etc.). Thanks to its 12,000 employees and €3.6 billion net sales, the company aims to be the most innovative and responsible player in the healthy snacking market, operating in 3 territories: dairy, fruits and plant-based alternatives. Bel is a mission-led company and a pioneer in sustainability, with Cecile being passionate about reinventing the food industry and capitalism towards a more human, inclusive and sustainable system.
Listen to hear Frederic and Cecile discuss the following topics:
(0:00) Intro
(0:35) Personal journey, shaping values & early dreams
(7:04) Professional journey: from Kraft to Bel through Danone
(14:55) Know what your right-hand is & the formative years in Russia
(20:49) Bel, its singularity & unique purpose
(26:18) Bel, this innovative precursor & the disruptive story of the Laughing Cow
(33:52) Bel transformation journey, geographic & category diversification and becoming a global healthy snacks company
(40:18) Unleashing the power of acquisitions, strategic partnerships & opened ecosystems – case in point: India
(47:00) The alternative protein journey, the key learnings and why Mother Nature remains for now the best path forward
(56:14) Sustainability - unpacking the Why, the What & the How
(1:07:40) Strategizing sustainability – from present-forward/ future-back value at stake identification through prioritization to execution at-scale
(1:13:12) The fake dilemma of sustainability & why strategizing it has become a key source of competitive advantage
(1:19:00) Bel’s infinite game & its own definition of long-term success
(1:23:35) Cecile’s take on women at the top & how to accelerate
(1:34:40) Advice to women, role of mentors & the PIN model
(1:42:00) Parting thoughts & key messages to all stakeholders
The Growth FMCG CEO Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so