What have been the key milestones in your international development?
The real turning point goes back nearly 25 years, marked by a major strategic shift. We moved from a product-centric approach to a logic of market and client specialization. The goal was no longer simply to offer a spec sheet, but to deliver comprehensive global solutions.
This evolution is fully aligned with our core purpose: to improve the protection of people and machinery worldwide, in a responsible manner. It also resulted in the strengthening of a key pillar of our growth: “glocalization.”
In practical terms, this transformation was built out of France, with highly engaged field teams who traveled to be as close to the markets as possible. Listening to customer needs – and especially their pain points – was critical to accurately understanding their challenges and developing tailored solutions for our export markets.
Finally, another key factor comes down to our core values. One of them is paramount to us: perseverance, tenacity, or what we informally call internally “sheer grit” (la niaque). It is an absolute prerequisite for global expansion.
How are you organized to address the specificities of each market?
Our organizational structure relies first and foremost on human capital, which is a strategic priority both today and for the future. We structured our governance around three major regions: the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Each Regional Director sits on the executive committee, which reflects just how deeply international business is embedded in our DNA.
Furthermore, this setup is backed by structured processes. Notably, we hold monthly commercial meetings in each region – our “global marketing meetings” – which allow us to share market intelligence and disseminate best practices. An initiative developed in one region can thus be rapidly scaled to another.
What international success makes you the proudest, and what difficulties have you encountered?
Beyond financial performance, we are particularly proud of the human and multicultural dimension of our global expansion. For example, we implemented open house days bringing together employees and their families, including across our international hubs. This is a significant investment, but an essential one: without collective engagement and alignment, no organization can operate sustainably.
On the business-driven R&D front, our greatest satisfaction lies in our ability to roll out solutions from one market to another. Products initially developed for Japan were later adapted for India or Thailand. Similarly, solutions designed for foundries in Brazil to protect Rio Tinto workers are now being used in India.
On the flip side, we face frustrations tied to the geopolitical climate. Developing a market is a long-term play, often taking four to five years, and some can slam shut abruptly. Beyond the economic hit, human relationships are severed, as was the case in Iran or Russia, where we can no longer operate.
In your view, what will the successful international business models look like in the years to come?
Initially, we operated through a distribution model, which proved relatively slow and sometimes limiting in terms of client relationships. In our case, distributors acted as a filter, thereby hindering the direct customer feedback loop we wanted to cultivate internally. That is why we subsequently pivoted to organic growth for nearly twenty years – with its inherent ups and downs, of course, but offering much better control.
Today, we are entering a new phase, accelerating via external growth (M&A) – first in France, and eventually internationally. This lever allows us to gain speed, provided we know our markets well and do not become dependent on the acquired company. The bottom line is maintaining strategic independence. For us, international M&A is a fast track to bringing localized services closer to our clients.
However, it still requires a long-term play with relentless, sustained perseverance. For Otego, the organization relies on a workforce entirely recruited in-house.
Looking ahead, I believe the winning model will be the one that moves beyond a simple product offering to deliver a complete solution, seamlessly integrating both product and service. The ability to localize services as close to the clients as possible, combined with digitalization, will be the ultimate key differentiators.
What advice would you give to Altios for the years to come?
I primarily know Altios for its M&A expertise, which I find to be highly structured, seamless, and value-driving.
One area for improvement could be to further reinforce the boots-on-the-ground proximity that is your core strength, specifically by facilitating interactions with local teams in each country. This dimension is paramount in any global strategy. For instance, I had the opportunity to meet Mirko Mottino, who is, in my view, an outstanding ambassador for Altios Italy.
In your opinion, what are the three golden rules for succeeding internationally?
Three principles strike me as fundamental for succeeding globally.
First, adopt a long-term vision.
Second, actively listen to your markets and your clients, and foster a supportive, attentive environment for your local teams.
Finally, demonstrate sheer perseverance and tenacity.
It is the combination of these three factors – vision, listening, and determination – that, in our view, allows us to achieve sustainable global success.
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