Pilar Franca’s Post

Yesterday, I had the privilege of hearing Anthony Smurfit, Group CEO of Smurfit Westrock, share invaluable insights from his global business journey. From its humble beginnings (pictured) as a small box-making factory, Smurfit Westrock (then Smurfit Kappa) has risen to become Ireland's first multinational and a world leader in corrugated packaging innovation. 🌍 Over the last 85 years, the company has expanded across 40 countries with over 100,000 employees working across 500+ packaging converting operations and 62 paper mills. This extraordinary growth is a reflection of Irish entrepreneurial spirit, but as Anthony made clear, the real driver of Smurfit Westrock’s success is simple: People, People, People! The company’s story is one rooted in the strength of human capital—where Irish talent, integrity, and resilience have taken a small local business and turned it into a global leader. 💡 One of the most powerful messages Anthony shared was the importance of human connection in the workplace. He told the story of a Smurfit employee who recently retired after 40 years and, in his farewell letter, wrote that he “never had to compromise his integrity once.” This example speaks volumes about the company’s culture—a culture where loyalty, respect, and integrity are paramount, allowing employees to grow and develop over their entire careers. Anthony also emphasised the need to use your time wisely— giving back to your community and ensuring that profit is not the sole focus of what you do. This human-first approach has not only delivered impressive returns but also ensured the company remains grounded in its core values, proving that businesses can thrive while prioritising people over profit. When reflecting on Ireland’s distinctive economic journey, it’s clear that, alongside business acumen, a strong belief in the value of relationships, community, and human connection has been central to its success. This foundation has allowed Irish businesses like Smurfit Westrock to thrive on the global stage. Smurfit Westrock is a shining example of how businesses can Harness the Power of Human Connection as a competitive advantage. The future of work and leadership is social & human, and Smurfit Westrock's success proves that by placing people at the heart of your business, you can create a model that is innovative, resilient, and built for long-term success. I left feeling truly inspired, and proud to witness the continued strength of Irish entrepreneurship and its global impact. #Leadership #IrishBusiness #HarnessthePowerofHumanConnection #Xenergie

Let's talk about VUCA – ever heard? It’s short for: Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. Pretty sure that you can all relate to these buzzwords from your professional experiences. My department that takes care of Financial Reporting for ALDI SOUTH Group is counteracting VUCA on a day-to-day basis. We need to distill the essence of our business development for management. Financial transparency in a simplified way is key to informed decision-making - in a VUCA world in which you get easily lost in detail. In order to be focused and to deliver focus in professional life, we also need to have our personal strategies to define our own North Stars. I like hiking to relax - reflect - recharge to define my personal North Start but also to use the energy for a new phase of defining the North Star at work in the VUCA world. In order to keep pace with future external developments that drive often internal organisational implications, we’ve started building up a Reporting Governance team. A Reporting Governance team that defines the North Star when it comes to our internal Financial Reporting. A North Star that ensures that we understand our Business results in very simplified terms. Do you want to join our VUCA counteracting journey? I will keep you posted on vacant positions. #Leadership #VUCA #FinancialReporting #BusinessDevelopment #Transparency #ALDISÜDHOLDING

“Only McKinsey” – Distinctiveness is our True North at @Mckinsey for 100 years globally and more than 60 years in Germany. We partner with bold leaders every step of the way. Pinpointing the strategy that will reshape tomorrow. Harnessing innovation to reach net zero. Transforming through technology. Developing skills and capabilities across their organization. Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in business. Together we’re accelerating toward a more sustainable, growing future for all. 🌍 These are some of our success stories from recent years: Green Air Freight: By enabling the infrastructure and supply of CO2-neutral fuels, we managed to put decarbonization at the top of a leading freight company's to-do list - without sacrificing profitability. ✈️ Clean solar energy: By simplifying the installation process of solar systems, we helped to build a thoroughly green company. In just 90 days, we were able to significantly expand their customer base. ☀️ Ecological packaging: By co-developing a fully transparent ecosystem for packaging, we were able to help ALDI Süd significantly reduce their plastic footprint - saving 15% on packaging costs. 📦 We are humbled by our clients' trust, and a heartfelt thank you goes to all our colleagues and alumni for your commitment and dedication! #60yearsMcKinseyGermany #Impact #Innovation #Inspiration #zusammen

Excited to have completed the Blended Intensive Program "Mind Your Business" by Professor Larissa at Babeș-Bolyai University! 📚 Learned invaluable skills in financial analysis and forecasting, and applied them to analyze Coca-Cola's financial performance. Grateful for the knowledge gained and ready to apply it in my career journey! 🚀 #FinancialAnalysis #BusinessEducation #ContinuousLearning

Ambassadors of the past: at Vaess, working here means staying connected for life. In 2024, four remarkable, former employees of #Vaess, Dutch food engineers, formerly known as Vaessen-Schoemaker, were celebrating their 81st birthday. Together, Willy Heppenhuis, Jan Quist, Gerhard Schepers and Dick Coulier dedicated an extraordinary 145 years and 5 months of service to the company. Each of them, excelling in their own discipline, reflects with pride on a career, rich in impactful contributions and cherished memories at this unique organization. Jan Quist: "Together, we completed 145 years and 5 months of employment at Vaessen-Schoemaker. Each from our own discipline, we still feel proud of our time at this company, contributing to a legacy that continues to innovate and lead in food solutions." These four ambassadors of the past represent the foundation upon which Vaess has built its success: responsibility, quality, innovation, efficiency and dedication. While these principles were not defined in the same way at the time, they have been instrumental in shaping the company’s journey. Today, these values form the driving forces behind our vision for the future. At Vaess, loyalty goes beyond honoring the past; it’s about collaborating to create what comes next. Together with our partners and customers, we strive every day to develop food for tomorrow. Guided by the same spirit of collaboration and excellence, we innovate responsibly, efficiently, and with a focus on quality that ensures long-lasting impact. As we look ahead to our centennial milestone, we honor the past while staying firmly committed to shaping a future defined by innovation and connectedness. That’s why we say, at Vaess: “working here means staying connected for life.” #Vaess #foodfortomorrow #loyalty #innovation #ambassadors #connection

From a small group of 10 students to a waiting list: strategy consulting has become a popular course in the Master's Business Administration. Course coordinator Peter Beerten, together with Pepijn van Neerijnen, Michiel Tempelaar, and Marten Stienstra, leads students in solving real-world problems for companies like KPMG and Accenture. Beerten, a former consultant, loves the blend of academic and practical skills: 'The course's popularity stems from giving students responsibility and real-world problem-solving experience.' Read the interview with Beerten via the link below. #casestudies #strategyconsulting #businessadministration

I sent this farewell note to my team today while wrapping up my stint at West Monroe, a real gem in the consulting industry, IMHO. Thank you - A note of gratitude and optimism! Thank you for the kind words, Randal. They mean a lot to me. It's a bittersweet moment as I had hoped to surpass Sam’s tenure (15+ years), but life has other plans with a better opportunity! The past two years have been incredibly rewarding. I had the opportunity to be part of projects that introduced me to new areas of the industry by working with our clients on topics such as data monetization (a large ag equipment mnfg.), e-commerce (a composite distributor), software for industrials (a leading energy mngt. and automation leader), supply chain (a vertically integrated retailer), sustainability (ophthalmic operations of a leading brand), IRA/IIJA federal grants, value identification and delivery (VID), and many more. I'm proud of collaborating with so many folks outside the practice (Hitech & software, Utilities, Opex, Tech, CS) in the true spirit of bringing multi-disciplinary solutions to our clients. Sustainability has been a personal passion of mine, so I was thrilled to build the offering, deliver the first project, and pursue a lot of promising leads. The interest was evident with over 100+ folks attending the KTS yesterday! I want to thank the Sustainability COE team for the passion. It was great to see us ranked a major contender on Net-Zero consulting by the Everest Group. I joined at a time when the market was challenging, but it's been inspiring to see the C&IP team pull together to succeed and exceed our targets. I wish I had the chance to meet all of you in person. Team offsites are invaluable for building culture and connections, so I hope West Monroe continues to invest in its people. Remember, our people are our greatest asset, and neglecting to invest in them is the quickest way to diminish our value. I'm confident that the C&IP (+ retail) will continue to thrive. With manufacturing contributing 11% to the US GDP at $2.5T, and the overall services market at $60B (with a consulting opportunity at $16-17B), there's a significant potential for growth. We are just getting started! A special shout-out to Sam Dawes for your mentorship and helping me think about issues more clearly and appreciate the consulting business. Wishing you all the best. Let's stay in touch and hopefully, we'll find ways to collaborate again in the future.

Feeling Stuck? This course and many of their courses offer the potential for advancement show your manager you're ready for that next step in your career. Join me and The Packaging School this summer for Sustainable Packaging wisdom. #sustainablepackaging

[#ForvisMazarsWins] We're honoured to be conferred Company of Good – 3 Hearts by NVPC - Towards a City of Good at the Company of Good Conferment 2024!   This distinction not only reflects our ongoing commitment to social impact and positive change, but also aligns with the growing expectations for businesses to contribute to a better Singapore through Corporate Purpose.   At the Conferment, 290 organisations were recognised for their progressive commitment to Corporate Purpose – a company's North Star guiding its ethos, strategy, and all functions – and holistic contributions in five key impact areas: People, Society, Governance, Environment, and Economic.   This inaugural cohort marks a significant shift in NVPC's recognition system, which now recognises companies across different sizes and sectors for their commitment to purpose-driven impact. We're proud to be part of this movement and this esteemed group of organisations working together to create positive change!   More information about Company of Good Conferment 2024 https://lnkd.in/egXWqpRH   Rick Chan #forvismazars #forvismazarssingapore #companyofgood #purposedriven #forceforgood #socialimpact #CorporatePurpose

Raise your hand if you are celebrating your 56th year in business today... ✋ Our consulting firm began its incredible journey on May 22, 1968 with the principle of making positive, impactful change for our clients. 56 years later this remains our #1 goal. We thank our clients for putting their trust in our expertise and our employees for their commitment and hardwork. Cheers to many more years of success! #OperationsManagement #Consultants #Manufacturing #Consulting