Guiding them through the early stages of their Australian expansion.
01.
THE CLIENT
Pierre Fabre
Founded and headquartered in the south-west of France, Polyglot Group’s intercultural communication partner is now the second largest independent pharmaceutical company in France, with branches in 44 locations and distribution agreements in over 130 countries. Pierre Fabre started its business more than 50 years ago, and settled into Australia in 2001.
Founded
1962
HQ
Castres, Occitanie
Company Size
10,000 + Employees
Industry
Pharmaceuticals & Dermatology
Specialties
From Health to Beauty, Family Health, Dermo-Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals"Polyglot Group's knowledge of both the French & Australian markets was, and still is, extremely beneficial & suited to our needs. Their ability to understand details & regulations from both sides is a big plus for us. Their tenacity & service were invaluable to our company." Florence Edmond - MD for Pierre Fabre Australia
02.
THE CHALLENGE
The French Pharmaceutical giant, Pierre Fabre looked to continue its international expansion through rapid growth and further business development. Specifically, Pierre Fabre aspired to transform the 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. The Polyglot Group proved to be the perfect partner for these specific values – a partnership which has thrived since 2012.
Pierre Fabre originally approached The Polyglot Group with HR concerns that arose from the new Australian subsidiary. Initially, Pierre Fabre needed to create employment contracts which ensured compliance with Australian law and legislation. Pierre Fabre’s HR needs did not stop there: the Australian subsidiary gave rise to many more requirements such as the need for new policies and procedures, as well as necessary Australian-based salary benchmarks. Overall, Pierre Fabre sought a 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 communication 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 The Polyglot Group for recruitment solutions, including the recruitment of 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, The Polyglot Group was relied upon to source best talent for multiple roles.
The Australian subsidiary also generated payroll obligations—a time-consuming requirement which 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 The 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
The 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, HR Hotline, and HR Newsfeed–all of which ensured Pierre Fabre was up-to-date with the latest Australian legislation. Using our proactive approach, The 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. The Polyglot Group HR experts (including the CEO, Corinne Bot) conducted an on-site HR audit to thoroughly assess and optimise Pierre Fabre’s HR practices.
To create an ideal 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 set-backs. The Polyglot Group was swift to update Pierre Fabre’s tailored solution to include the responsibility for all payroll obligations.
04.
THE RESULTS
The 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. In choosing their intercultural communication partner, Pierre Fabre knew that expert help was just an email or phone call away.
We did not only provide leading advice, but also helped Pierre Fabre to implement these practical solutions, which were often required urgently. Florence Edmond, Managing Director at Pierre Fabre reported “Reactivity and timing are very efficient at Polyglot: I am able to pick up the phone and make a call to… Polyglot directly.”
Our expertise in both French and Australian business gave Pierre Fabre the confidence in knowing they were implementing best practices for creating the Australian subsidiary.
