theceomagazine.com | 109While Julien says there is no “magic trick” to handling
the challenges that arise in such a complex environment,
he believes a mix of rationality and intuition certainly helps.
“Rationality comes from my finance background, which
is a wonderful toolbox to make reasoned and informed
decisions. Intuition is something that grew thanks to all
the interpersonal skills I developed over the years building
our businesses in Asia and other countries.” He adds that
it’s important to hire people who are better than you to
help with complex situations. “They really bring value to
you and the group,” he says.
Julien joined Groupe ADP three years after it changed
its status from being 100 per cent owned by the French
state, to a more global legal limited entity which is also
a listed company. In 2018, the company welcomed more
than 280 million passengers to its 25 airports around the
world, which made it the number one in airport operations
globally. Approximately one third of the company’s
operating profit comes from international activities
outside France. Julien notes that global air traffic is
expected to double to eight billion passengers in the
next 20 years.
Groupe ADP has been operating in Asia for the
past 30 years, mainly through its subsidiary ADP
Ingénierie, which delivers airport consulting and
engineering services. For instance, ADP Ingénierie
designed the new Beijing Daxing airport, which
will open its gates in October. Future growth is set
to come from the region, which signifies a great
opportunity for the business. “Asia will generate 100
million more passengers every year for the next 20
years,” Julien says. “It’s a huge opportunity in terms
of engineering, design, operations and investments.
Asia will need new, greenfield airports. We’ll need to
extend its existing airports and improve efficiency
to welcome more passengers in the same facilities.”
To be successful as a large business – particularly in Asia- Julien says you must adopt an entrepreneurial attitude like
that of a private company. “You need to be agile, reactive
and flexible,” he says. “In other words, you need to be a
giant with the spirit and skill of a start-up.”
After more than 10 years with Groupe ADP, Julien has
learned a lot, including the importance of integrity and
learning how to deal with complexity. “When you’re
working in an airport with so many different business
products, you learn how to navigate complexity,” he
explains. “And when you’re working in Asia, there are many
different cultures and social organisations, even in the same
country. If you look at China or India – all the regions
within them are different.”
But one of the most valuable lessons he has learned is
the importance of communication. “I remember the CEO
of TAV Airports Holding, one of our main investment
companies, always said a very important phrase, which
became a motto for me: ‘connectivity is productivity’,”
Julien recalls. “You need to keep an open line of
communication with all teams around the world in order
to solve problems together and bring innovative ideas.”
“YOU NEED
TO BE A GIANT
WITH THE SPIRIT
AND SKILL OF
A START-UP.”
“LoungeMe provides its users fast and easy access to hundreds of lounges all
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General Manager, TAV Operation Services Co
Interview | INNOVATE