Raised by Trailblazers: How Estelle Brachlianoff Became One of Europe’s Top CEOs

Key Concepts

• Executive Decisions: The podcast series focusing on significant choices made by leaders.
• Veolia: A global leader in energy, waste, and water management.
• Gut Feel vs. Rationale: The interplay between intuition and logical analysis in decision-making.
• Autonomy and Ownership: Empowering employees to make decisions within defined frameworks.
• Action-Oriented Approach: Prioritizing building solutions and teams over complaining or waiting.
• Meaning and Legacy: The drive to contribute to something larger than oneself.
• Ecological Transition: The global shift towards sustainable environmental practices.
• Environmental Security: Ensuring the availability and safety of resources like water.
• Strategic Autonomy: Reducing reliance on imports through local resource production.
• AI in Decision Making: The potential and limitations of artificial intelligence in leadership.

Estelle Brachlianoff: Executive Decisions

This episode of "Executive Decisions" features an interview with Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, a global leader in energy, waste, and water management, overseeing more than 200,000 employees across 56 countries. The discussion delves into her career trajectory, decision-making processes, and leadership philosophy.

Early Aspirations and Influences

Brachlianoff initially harbored dreams of becoming an astrophysicist or astronaut, driven by a childhood fascination with the stars. However, she found the highly specialized nature of astrophysics limiting, preferring a broader curiosity about people and discovering new things. She also recognized a lack of the necessary physical attributes for an astronaut.

Her career path was significantly shaped by the influence of her mother and grandmother. Both were strong, independent women who defied societal expectations. Her grandmother was an adventurous traveler in the 1950s who lived life on her own terms, while her mother, an aeronautical engineer at Aérospatiale and Airbus, was a trailblazer for women in engineering. Her mother instilled in her the importance of autonomy, earning one's living, and not allowing others to impose their will. This emphasis on freedom and self-reliance became a core theme in Brachlianoff's life and career.

Career Path and Decision-Making Philosophy

Brachlianoff's professional journey was not meticulously planned. She attended the prestigious École Polytechnique without a clear career objective and began her career in civil service for infrastructure projects. Her approach to career progression is characterized by letting opportunities flow and seizing them when they arise, rather than following a predetermined path. She describes her mindset as "give it a go. If it works, great. If it doesn't, I'm going to do something else."

This approach is rooted in a desire for excitement, adventure, and continuous discovery. She emphasizes the importance of following her "gut feel" when an opportunity sparks excitement, acknowledging that while rationale is important, intuition plays a crucial role. She believes in making decisions quickly and accepting that some will be wrong, but the key is to correct them swiftly.

Veolia and the Drive for Meaning

Brachlianoff joined Veolia in 1998 and has remained with the company for over 21 years, a decision she attributes to her love for the company's mission, teams, projects, and ambition. She values the balance between the ability to act and the freedom to do so, coupled with the capacity to make a difference. This philosophy extends to her leadership style, where she aims to foster a sense of ownership among managers, encouraging them to take initiative within the company's strategic framework.

A significant aspect of her leadership is her action-oriented approach. Instead of complaining about societal or economic issues, she focuses on "what can I do about it?" This translates into building solutions, ideas, and teams. This drive for purpose and contribution to the "greater good" is a recurring theme in her career decisions, rather than solely focusing on personal advancement.

Leadership Style and Handling Mistakes

Brachlianoff's decision-making style begins with vision and gut feel, which she then tests and refines. She acknowledges that making decisions is not difficult if the goal is not to make only good decisions, but to accept and correct wrong ones. She generally believes she is open to feedback, though she notes that some colleagues might perceive her as less receptive due to her strong debating style.

She recounts a significant mistake where she appointed someone who met all the technical criteria but lacked the necessary passion or "fire in the belly." Her rationale (brain) overruled her intuition (gut feel), leading to a suboptimal outcome. This experience reinforced the importance of trusting her gut feel, even when it contradicts logical analysis.

The Human Element in Leadership

Leading an organization of over 220,000 employees, 80% of whom are blue-collar workers, presents unique challenges. Brachlianoff's role involves setting a clear direction and inspiring her workforce. A paramount aspect of her leadership is reducing uncertainty and fostering trust, ensuring employees believe the company is heading in the right direction for everyone.

A bold decision she made as Chief Executive was launching the "Veolia Cares" program, a global social safety net providing maternity leave, paternity leave, and health insurance, regardless of local legislation. This initiative stemmed from her belief that it was the "right thing to do" and her desire to act rather than complain about global challenges.

Work-Life Balance and Gendered Questions

The discussion touches upon the perennial question of work-life balance, particularly for female CEOs. Brachlianoff acknowledges working hard and traveling extensively, but finds energy in meeting people and visiting sites. She dedicates her time primarily to Veolia and her close family, with limited time for other pursuits.

She addresses the interviewer's question about balancing life, noting that while she is not frustrated by it, she suggests that such questions should also be posed to male CEOs to normalize the conversation around work-life balance for everyone. She believes this would be a service to her male colleagues, as many men also struggle with balancing work and family life.

Veolia's Role in the Ecological Transition

Brachlianoff expresses pride in Veolia's contributions to the ecological transition and is hopeful about global public demand for environmental action. However, she is less optimistic about the political sphere, observing a decline in political focus on environmental issues. Despite this, she believes that the underlying needs of populations and industrial customers for environmental security, health, and supply chain resilience are powerful drivers for Veolia's growth.

She clarifies that Veolia is a business, not an NGO, providing solutions for environmental services that also enhance customers' supply chains and address concrete needs. The focus is on human prosperity and well-being on the planet, rather than solely on saving the planet itself.

The Interplay of Environment, Security, and Business

Brachlianoff argues against the notion that environmental concerns are a lower priority compared to security or other issues. She highlights how recycling and producing energy from waste contribute to local resource production, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and enhancing strategic autonomy. Similarly, water security is becoming a critical geopolitical issue. Therefore, environmental security is intrinsically linked to broader global agendas.

She advocates for focusing on the delivery of existing legislation rather than creating new ones, emphasizing an action-oriented approach.

Key Decisions and Future Outlook

• Best Decision: The acquisition of Suez, which significantly strengthened Veolia.
• Hardest Decision: Decisions involving the real lives of people, such as closing a site or selling a business.
• Future at Veolia: While she loves her job and the company's mission, she doesn't envision a move into politics, believing she would be "very bad at it." She finds fulfillment in running a business that contributes to ecological transformation and impacts people's daily lives.
• AI in Decision Making: Brachlianoff is cautious about delegating decision-making to AI but recognizes its necessity and potential to enhance performance. Veolia has implemented "Veolia Secure GPT" to improve efficiency for employees and customers.

The interview concludes with Brachlianoff emphasizing the importance of discovery, new people, and the diversity of her work as what she loves most about her role. The interviewer reflects on the conversation, particularly the discussion on work-life balance, and commends Brachlianoff's blend of engineering precision and human understanding.