Interview with Catherine Jestin, VP Digital Airbus
On the occasion of her visit to the emlyon business school campus, Catherine Jestin, Executive Vice President Digital at Airbus and a 1990 PGE graduate, shares her view on the major transformations of the aeronautics sector, the key role of digital technology in industry, the challenges of gender diversity in organizations, while making the link with her perception of the School and its evolution.
You have been a graduate of emlyon for more than 30 years. As you return to this brand new campus today, what do you think of the School's evolution and the place it now occupies in the innovation and digital ecosystem?
It is certain that digital technology is now omnipresent in all companies, and even essential for the exercise of many professions. It is no longer simply a complementary skill for certain profiles, but an integral part of the professional landscape. At Airbus, for example, every aspect of our operations – accounting, management, engineering, or even business relations – requires at least an understanding of the tools.
My perception of emlyon as a graduate is that the school responds to this challenge by offering transversal devices, courses or even projects dedicated to digital technology and transformation, such as emlyon venture labs or the makers' lab courses on AI... However, it still lacks visibility on these subjects.
The school also plays a crucial role through its approach to the hybridization of knowledge, which translates into strategic partnerships with other academic institutions complementary to management, such as the double-degree with Centrale Lyon for example. In my opinion, profiles such as those trained at emlyon are now highly sought after, because they cultivate an innovative way of thinking, a critical mind, and a broad vision of issues and complex systems. Indeed, the development of skills is no longer limited to the period of academic study but extends throughout the career, and even more so in the digital sector which is constantly changing.
You play at the highest level in a historically male-dominated sector. What do you think of the place of women in digital and industrial professions today? And what role can schools like emlyon play in this transformation?
I deeply believe that diversity and parity in business, regardless of the sector of activity, are not only desirable but above all essential because it allows us to address a problem or a subject with different points of view. Indeed, many studies show that diverse teams bring more creativity and better performance.
Personally, I pay particular attention to this issue within the Digital sector at Airbus, since women are represented at about 26% in Europe and more than 40% in India. Overall, around 20 to 25% of women work at Airbus and our target is now set at 33% recruitment and promotion, at all levels – from technical professions to management bodies. On several occasions in my professional career, at Accenture, then at Rio Tinto and then when I arrived at Airbus Helicopter, I was the first woman to join management or management bodies and the following observation was shared: collaboration is much more favoured and this dynamic spreads vertically within the organization. That's why, in my current management team, I have imposed 40% of women.
At the level of management schools like emlyon, their power and their ability to act lie in the pool of female talent, which is unfortunately larger than engineering schools at the moment... They can both shape future leaders by integrating models of inclusivity into curricula but also by encouraging people to cross paths and diversify into fields or professions such as industry.
At Airbus, you will lead the digital transformation of a global industrial giant. How is digital innovation concretely transforming your jobs today?
At Airbus, we drive digital transformation in a cross-functional way because it impacts all aspects of the business. Digital innovation is intrinsic to our businesses, making our operations more efficient and interconnected.
There is no function of the company that works without digital.
For example, AI allows for the analysis of large amounts of data from our aircraft, which helps us predict maintenance needs before they become critical. Another example is AI-powered technical support that allows our engineers to quickly get the information they need to answer customer questions faster and more accurately, improving customer satisfaction. Yet another example: the configuration of aircraft cabins using connected glasses. This immersive technology allows customers to view the interior of the aircraft, customize the seat layout, the color of the walls, etc. They can virtually walk around the future cabin, change the settings and see the result in real time thanks to augmented reality. This makes the experience more interactive and personalized, directly addressing the specific needs of airlines.
In general, digital at Airbus is not limited to the optimization of internal processes. It influences our entire value chain. Upstream, we collaborate more closely and integrally with our suppliers through digital platforms that facilitate information sharing and supply chain management. This allows us to optimize our purchasing processes, reduce lead times, ensure consistent quality of the components we receive, etc. Downstream, together with our customers, we are also able to tailor our offerings more precisely. The data collected as soon as the aircraft enter service helps us to better understand the needs of airlines and therefore to adapt our services. With predictive analytics tools, we can anticipate market trends, adjust our production, and offer solutions that specifically meet our customers' operational requirements, while continuously improving the quality of our services.