Danone looks to the future by moving towards a "mission-driven" company

A world in which companies that have a social, societal and environmental impact are valued – such is the goal of B Corporation (1) certification, which was initiated in the United States and launched in France in 2015.

Danone is one of the first French companies to have chosen to progressively commit to this approach.

Among the five pillars in the guidelines, which are subject to self-assessment and then audited by an independent, non-profit organisation, is the "employees" pillar.

There are numerous questions asked. They cover employee benefits (working hours, remuneration, profit sharing) and career development as well as well-being, commitment and motivation.

This is an ambitious objective because every one of the company's activities (whether they concern the core business or cross-cutting activities) is scrutinised. As a forerunner, Danone wanted to help define a consistent and achievable certification process.

This approach is fully in line with the new "one person, one vote, one share" governance model launched in 2018. Each member of staff:

• can contribute his or her opinion - through a dedicated platform - on the company's strategic priorities and roadmap
• is allocated a share giving him/her the right to vote at the general meeting and access to the profit-sharing mechanism.

¹ Several provisions of the Act of 6 August 2019 are intended to facilitate the development of apprenticeships within the three branches of the civil service.