WITRON
01.
THE CLIENT
Pierre Fabre
Founded and headquartered in the southwest of France, Polyglot Group’s historical client is the 2nd largest dermo-cosmetics laboratory in the world! They’re also the 2nd largest private French pharmaceutical group and the market leader in France for products sold over the counter in pharmacies.
Pierre Fabre started its business more than 50 years ago and today owns subsidiaries and offices in 47 countries, as well as has distribution agreements in over 132 countries. Pierre Fabre launched its Australian subsidiary in 2001, which has been growing sustainably ever since.
Founded
1962
HQ
Castres, Occitanie
Company Size
10,000 + Employees
Industry
Pharmaceuticals & Dermatology
Specialties
From Health to Beauty, Family Health, Dermo-Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals"I am delighted to share how much Pierre Fabre Australia’s partnership with Polyglot Group has been instrumental to its success story. From the inception of our commercial operation as a subsidiary until now, we have been able to rely on great expertise and reliability through a wide scope of HR services, including payroll and recruitment. Beyond the name Polyglot, there is a curated and very talented team, led by a charismatic and passionate founder & CEO, Mrs Corinne Bot." Laurent Saffre - MD for Pierre Fabre Australia
02.
THE CHALLENGE
Back in 2012, Pierre Fabre looked to continue its international expansion through rapid growth and further business development. More specifically, Pierre Fabre aspired to transform its Australian representative office into a subsidiary (Pierre Fabre Medicament Australia). This transition involved the internalisation of distribution, logistics, sales and customer service.
As such, the French Pharmaceutical giant sought an intercultural communication partner with expertise in both French and Australian local markets. Pierre Fabre’s rapid growth meant they also needed a partner who inherently understood the value of timeliness and responded accordingly. Polyglot Group proved to be the perfect partner for these specific values – a partnership that has thrived since 2012.
Pierre Fabre originally approached Polyglot Group with HR concerns that arose from the new Australian subsidiary. Initially, Pierre Fabre needed to create employment contracts that ensured compliance with Australian law and legislation. However, Pierre Fabre’s HR needs did not stop there. The Australian subsidiary gave rise to many more requirements, such as new policies and procedures and necessary Australian-based salary benchmarks. Overall, Pierre Fabre sought an HR partner who would provide expert and practical HR advice around the clock. For Pierre Fabre, this support was essential for bridging the social differences between French and Australian business cultures.
As our intercultural partnership with Pierre Fabre grew, they soon viewed us as a holistic partner, and as such, asked us to fulfil a diverse range of needs. Soon, Pierre Fabre looked to Polyglot Group for recruitment solutions, including recruiting a new CFO. Pierre Fabre’s transition from a representative office to a subsidiary meant they needed to fulfil a number of different roles across sales, marketing, supply chain management, and accounting. Overall, Polyglot Group was relied upon to source the best talent for multiple roles.
The Australian subsidiary also generated payroll obligations—a time-consuming requirement that Pierre Fabre simply did not have time to perform internally. In addition, payroll obligations were difficult for Pierre Fabre to perform independently, as the company was largely unfamiliar with the Australian laws and legislation. As such, Pierre Fabre looked to Polyglot Group to fulfil all of their payroll obligations.
As Pierre Fabre’s Australian presence grew and changed, so did their needs. As such, Pierre Fabre’s top priority was having the support of a specialised partner who could provide expert support and continually adapt to their evolving needs.
03.
OUR SOLUTION
Polyglot Group understands that every business is different—accordingly, tailor-made solutions are our speciality. This proved to be fundamental for Pierre Fabre, as we continually modified our service in accordance with the development of the Australian subsidiary and proved to be a suitable intercultural communication partner.
Beginning with Pierre Fabre’s HR needs, we initially created a tailor-made HR support plan for the company. This support included HR Administration, a HR Hotline, and a HR Newsfeed – all of which ensured Pierre Fabre was up-to-date with the latest Australian legislation.
Using our proactive approach, Polyglot Group solved each of Pierre Fabre’s concerns: from the drafting of employment contracts, all the way through to creating new policies and procedures. Our commitment to Pierre Fabre saw us go one step further to ensure best practices for their Australian operation. Polyglot Group’s HR experts (including the CEO, Corinne Bot) conducted an on-site HR audit to assess and optimise Pierre Fabre’s HR practices thoroughly.
To create an outstanding Australian team for Pierre Fabre, we sourced the best talent to fulfil recruitment needs. Over the years, we recruited 30 ideal candidates, ranging from a permanent CFO to a multilingual Beauty Advisor.
When it came to outsourcing payroll requirements, Pierre Fabre did not incur any setbacks. Polyglot Group was swift to update Pierre Fabre’s tailored solution to include the responsibility for all payroll obligations.
04.
THE RESULTS
Polyglot Group’s mission is to help international companies expand by bringing pragmatic solutions. Accordingly, we adopted a proactive approach to helping Pierre Fabre develop their Australian presence through continuous support. Pierre Fabre knew that expert help was just an email or phone call away in choosing their partner.
Over time we have become a true strategic HR partner that has helped navigate Pierre Fabre through the day to day and complex HR matters. At the start, the focus was on establishing the foundations of their HR department in Australia. As the organisation grew we have become a true HR business partner and continue to help Pierre Fabre align their HR resources with the needs of the business.
We don’t only provide leading advice but also help Pierre Fabre to implement practical solutions, which are often required urgently.
Our French and Australian business expertise give Pierre Fabre the confidence in knowing they are continually implementing best practices as they grow their Australian presence.
