Communications.Management.Marketing

Truth Is Just Perception

CHRISTOPHE LACHNITT

19 rue de la Chapelle
78510 Triel-sur-Seine
France

XopheLachnitt@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/XopheLachnitt
@XopheLachnitt

 

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Senior Communications Executive

Change strategies (in up and down markets)

  • Business-driven B2B/B2C perception change (in public and private companies).
  • Performance-driven organizational and operational change.

International

  • Management of international communications programs.
  • Management of multi-continental teams.

Digital

  • Digital transformation in mature and new-generation companies.
  • Thought leadership on digital communications trends and strategies.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Croisens – Founder and CEO

Since 2015

One-person company providing communications and marketing services. www.croisens.se

  • • Consulting in optimizing the strategy, operating model and performance of communications and marketing organizations in the context of digital transformation.
  • Customers: Bayer, Bouygues Construction, CNP Assurances, EDF, Ingenico Group, Moret Industries, Mutuelle Générale, SNCF Réseau, Société Générale, Somfy, Sonepar, Thales, UIMM, and Worldline.
  • Key achievements:
    • Transformation of Thales’ communications function on a global scale.
    • Interim head of Ingenico Group’s communications.
    • Audit of the communications’ strategy and organization of Orange Cyberdefense, Sonepar France and UIMM.

Medical Leave of Absence

2014-2015

  • Spinal bone-graft surgery: Bedridden for a year, six months spent in an in-patient rehabilitation center.

Naval Group – Senior Vice President, Group Communications

2007-2014

A world leader in naval defense, and an innovative player in energy. www.naval-group.com
Revenues: EURO 3.4bn – 13,600 employees (2013). At the time, Naval Group was named DCNS.

  • Functional reengineering: Naval Group’s communications performance increased by 32% and its return on investment by 16% on average per year over 2008-2013.
  • Positioned Naval Group in marine renewable energies: This business represented 17% of the company’s total media coverage in 2013 vs. 3% in 2010.
  • Developed internal communications (vision, strategy, values) to foster cultural and operational change.
  • Implemented a program that allowed the Company to gain 37 positions in the Universum ranking of most attractive French employer brands.
  • EXCOM member, direct reporting to two successive Chairmen & CEOs (Jean-Marie Poimboeuf and Patrick Boissier).

Microsoft France – Director, Marketing and Communications

2005-2007

Professional & consumer software and services, consumer devices.
Revenues: EURO 1bn – 1,200 employees (2005).

  • Turned Microsoft’s image around in France – the worst in the world at the time. Microsoft’s image gained 15 percentage points in France over 2006 among both government elites and IT professionals.
  • Led digital marketing: Doubling of the website’s traffic and 33% increase of the average click through rate.
  • Ran the B2B and B2C launches of Windows Vista and Office 2007.
  • Created the Microsoft TechDays (aka Microsoft Experiences), the largest IT event in Europe.
  • Managed Bill Gates’ and Steve Ballmer’s marketing and communications activities during their visits in France.

Alcatel Fixed Communications – Vice President, Communications

2003-2005

Optics, access, DSL, IP routing, Internet networking, switching, NGN.
Revenues: EURO 5.1bn – 19,000 employees in 40 countries (2004) – One week per month spent in North America.

  • Built Alcatel’s image in Internet networking (worldwide market share grew from 2% to 18%) and positioned Alcatel as a visionary, innovatory leader in broadband access against low-cost Chinese competitors.
  • Implemented marketing communications for 310 products and services using an in-house creation-and-production agency based in Canada to service all business units around the world.
  • Developed internal communications programs for employees located in 54 sites around the world.
  • Managed teams in the U.S., Canada, France, Italy and Belgium.
  • Direct reporting to the CEO of Alcatel Fixed Communications (Mike Quigley, then based in Dallas, TX).

Alcatel Optics – Vice President, Communications

2000-2002

Optical telecommunications – Alcatel Optronics, listed company in Paris and New York.
Revenues: EURO 3.5bn – 12,000 employees in 35 countries (2002) – One week per month spent in North America.

  • Shifted Alcatel’s image during the dot-com bubble from niche player to the worldwide leader in optical telecommunications, Alcatel thereby becoming #1 worldwide in both mind and market shares.
  • Launched the Alcatel Optronics tracking stock, listed in Paris and New York (NASDAQ), and then announced the conversion of the Alcatel Optronics shares into Alcatel ordinary shares and the divestment of Alcatel Optronics.
  • Managed internal and external crisis communications resulting from the dot-com bubble burst: 16,000 layoffs and rationalization of 17 sites.
  • Reduced communications staff from 45 to 14 employees in Europe and the U.S.
  • Direct reporting to the CEO of Alcatel Optics (Christian Reinaudo).

Alcatel – Director, Group External Communications

1999-2000

Telecommunications – Listed company.
Revenues: EURO 31.4bn – 130,000 employees in 140 countries (2000).

  • Positioned Alcatel as a telecoms pure play: Company name change, corporate motto, advertising campaign (e.g. China, France, U.S.), website, annual shareholders meeting.
  • Streamlined communications strategies and operations of companies acquired in Silicon Valley.
  • Implemented internal and external communications program for Y2K.

Alcatel Alsthom – Director, Group Media and Industry Analyst Relations

1998-1999

Conglomerate – Listed company.
Revenues: EURO 21.2bn – 120,000 employees in 140 countries (1998).

  • Acted as company spokesperson: Communicated the Company’s strategic and operational steps to evolve from a conglomerate to a telecoms pure-play.
  • Managed crisis communications resulting from share price plunge
 (–38%) on 17 September 1998 and the subsequent image recovery.
  • Managed press and industry analyst relations of Alcatel Alsthom’s Chairman & CEO (Serge Tchuruk) and senior executives.
  • Announced acquisitions in the U.S. and divestitures in Europe totaling EURO 19bn.
  • Dotted-line management of 70 press officers worldwide (Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America).

Alcatel Radio & Defense – Director, Communications

1996-1997

Public and military telecom networks.
Revenues: EURO 1.1bn – 7,000 employees in 21 units in 18 countries (1997).

  • Radio: Adapted marketing communications to new global environment resulting from deregulation and internationalization.
  • Defense: Positioned Alcatel Alsthom as a major defense player to serve the company’s objective of obtaining a share of state-owned defense provider Thomson-CSF (corporate communications and public affairs).

Alcatel Telspace – Senior Manager, Internal and External Communications

1994-1995

Microwave radio links and satellite earth stations.
Revenues (1995): EURO 304m (80% at exportation) – 1,750 employees (1995).

  • Remodeled the company’s internal communications after dismissals of 20% of employees. Defined a strategic narrative, created and wrote bimonthly and quarterly newspapers, developed management communications, organized and moderated conventions with 1,000 employees, created internal TV channel.
  • Developed and executed optimal approaches to further business objectives through worldwide marketing communications programs.

Alcatel Telspace – Manager, External Communications

1991-1993

  • Organized industry and customer events in 25 countries in the world.

EDUCATION

2006

Marketing Academy at French business school HEC – Thesis on “Microsoft’s Hard and Soft Power Dynamics: The Role of 360 Marketing in the Success of the Fragmented Empire.“

1988-1990

M.A. in political science, with specialization in international relations – Sorbonne University, Paris, France – Thesis on “The Rise and Fall of the Sandinista Regime in Nicaragua.“

1986-1988

Undergraduate degree in communications – Sorbonne University (CELSA), Paris, France.

LANGUAGES

French

Native

English

Fluent

German

Secondary education degree

PERSONAL INTERESTS

Sports

Mountaineering (rock, ice and indoor-climbing, out-of-track skiing), tennis, running.

Writing

Speaking

  • Guest lecturer at Ecole Nationale d’Administration (crisis communications), HEC Paris (branding in the digital age), and Sciences Po Paris (motivation and internal communications in the new workplace).
  • TEDx speaker (“Happiness: Your mortality is your best friend“).