We are becoming what we are: a mission-driven company
On 26 June 2025, at its Annual General Meeting, emeis adopted the status of a mission-driven company. This is an important step for the Group, which, after 3 years of unprecedented transformation, is embarking on an even more inclusive adventure, a societal project involving its 83,500 employees. Laurent Guillot, CEO, provides us with an update.
Hello Laurent Guillot. At the Annual General Meeting recently, emeis was confirmed as a mission-driven company. What does this mean for you?
Laurent Guillot: First of all, it's great recognition for all our teams. We've been working for 3 years at every level of the company, in every country and in every department, to transform ourselves. With a Refoundation Plan we have, from 2022, completely overhauled our operating methods and put care back at the heart of the Group's concerns. We have built our transformation from the ground up, building on our strengths and on new foundations, with two major milestones: the arrival of our new shareholders and the birth of our new identity, emeis. I emphasise this process because we wouldn't be a mission-driven company if it weren't for these three years of mobilisation. When I joined the group, our board at the time and our shareholders had expressed the wish that we should become a mission-driven company. I told them that it wasn't yet time for this major commitment, that we weren't ready. Today we are ready. And that's a great reward for all of us.
For emeis, whose mission is fundamentally human and useful, what is the added value of being a mission-driven company?
L. G.: It's an additional commitment, for the long term. Being a mission-driven company is not an end in itself; it's first and foremost a societal translation of our purpose: to stand as a strength for the vulnerable among us. This purpose guides all our actions and now, our mission. With this mission and its statutory commitments, we are continuing our own transformation and working to transform the society around us. To be a game changer in our sector, with all our stakeholders, and everywhere our teams operate. We make these commitments to our patients, our residents, our beneficiaries, our teams, our territories and our planet.
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Today, each and every one of us is committed to this vision of an inclusive, sustainable, and deeply human society.
Committed, day after day, to becoming who we are: a mission-driven company.
In concrete terms, what commitments are you making today?
L.G.: There are 4 of them, and they have been adopted as a continuation of the work we have already started and of our CSR approach. They come from the ‘game changer’ level, the third and highest level of commitment in our CSR approach, 'Impacting Together'.
- First and foremost, we are committed to changing the way society looks at its most vulnerable members, to create a more inclusive society. We support and care for people of all ages, affected by all types of illness. We have a real role to play in reducing the stigma attached to vulnerabilities.
- Secondly, we want to contribute to the fair recognition and attractiveness of our professions. Our carers and support staff are our strengths, and we need to take action to ensure that their jobs, skills and commitment are better recognised and valued.
- Thirdly, we are committed to making healthcare a major contribution to local social cohesion. Our activities and our network make us a key player in regional dynamics. We will be working to forge even stronger and more impactful links around our facilities.
- Finally, fourthly, we are committed to continuous innovation, to contribute to care that respects the planet and all living things.
As you can see, these are commitments to and with all our stakeholders.
What governance arrangements are you putting in place to ensure that your mission runs smoothly?
L.G.: We are currently in the process of setting up our mission committee, which will be chaired by Professor Didier Pittet. The committee will be made up of around ten members, including two employees, as well as a number of prominent figures from the world of healthcare, who will ensure that we have a wide range of visions and points of view on the company, but also on society in general. The committee will set annual targets which it will evaluate, and which will also be audited by an external firm. The resulting impact report will be published each year at the Annual General Meeting.
Thank you, Laurent Guillot! See you in September to find out more about the members of this committee and the objectives it will set.
