OREANDA-NEWS. GDF SUEZ’s growth strategy for the past two years has been based on two main pillars: becoming the benchmark energy player in fast growing markets and leader in the energy transition in Europe. To implement its strategy more quickly and meet the demands of a rapidly changing energy environment, GDF SUEZ has decided to launch an ambitious enterprise project. This plan, by rooting GDF SUEZ more firmly in its local areas and thus ever closer to its clients, will create an even more efficient Group, one that is more entrepreneurial and innovative and, at the same time, more responsive. The Group will also serve as a showcase for the most modern technologies, open to dialogue with its clients and stakeholders.

GDF SUEZ holds an extremely sound industrial assets base, which gives it very long term visibility and profitability; it is also a renowned leader in its three core businesses, namely natural gas, electricity and services. The Group is the only one to have already developed the key elements of the energy transition on a large scale: renewable energies, gas chain, energy efficiency and network solutions, including the digital revolution and the drive towards innovative solutions. The energy transition is now global, as it has taken root in both emerging and developed countries. This shift is characterised by low carbon emissions, decentralisation, digitalisation and conservative energy production and consumption systems. In this context, numerous business opportunities are arising, and GDF SUEZ must change in order to continue leading the field. This enterprise project will accelerate the Group’s growth by creating value and making GDF SUEZ a stakeholder in contributing to energy access for all and environmentally friendly practises.

This enterprise project, the launch of which was announced by Gйrard Mestrallet and Isabelle Kocher before 130 senior executives from the Group worldwide and presented to the European Works Council, will be focused on three objectives: accelerating the Group’s growth, making GDF SUEZ more than ever a Group by and for people, making this enterprise project one of which our employees will be the architects and the ambassadors. It will be based on the creation of twenty-four operational entities (Business Units – BU) according to a region-centred approach within a single country or a group of countries. More decentralised and independent, these entities will shorten response times.

  • The following ten geographical BUs will be formed (North America; Latin America; Brazil; Africa; China; Asia-Pacific; Southern Asia/Middle East; Benelux; Northern, Central and Southern Europe; and the United Kingdom). They will have responsibility, under a single authority, for controlling all the Group’s business lines in the area in question.
  • France, given its size and the presence of regulated entities, will be handled in a special way. It will include eight entities, four of which will specialise in gas infrastructure (transport, distribution, terminals, and storage) and whose scope will remain unchanged, and four entities related to BtoB, BtoC, networks, and renewables.
  • The new organisation will not jeopardise the Thermal Generation Europe BU (electricity production from thermal power plants).
  • Five global steering entities, in light of the global scope of their activities, will complement the operational entities: E&P; LNG; EMT; Tractebel Engineering; and GTT.

In addition to this geographical approach, the planned organisation will study the constitution of five strong business lines tasked with operating the Group’s entities as a network and implementing its overall strategy within their spheres of influences: gas chain; centralised production of renewable and thermal electricity; decentralised solutions for cities and regions; solutions for businesses; and solutions for residentials and professionals.

The functional lines will be directed by a single corporate body, (“NewCorp”), resulting from merging part of the Branch Corporate with the Group Corporate. NewCorp will be the guarantor of the Group’s cohesion, strategic direction, image and reputation.

The Group high level steering committee will comprise the Chairman and CEO, Gйrard Mestrallet; the Vice Chairman and President, Isabelle Kocher; the functional Executive Vice Presidents, Valйrie Bernis (Communications, Marketing and Environmental and Societal Responsibility), Alain Chaigneau (Secretary General)1, Henri Ducrй (Human Resources) and Judith Hartmann (Finance); and the operational Executive Vice Presidents, to whom the BUs report.