Danone – “A stimulating company to work for, but a company where individuals succeed "on their own"”
Pros
It is a very dynamic structure, with few layers, quite flexible, quite young; healthy financials, several exciting projects, relatively good wok environment
Cons
It is mostly a home for marketing, so if you are not a marketing person, you might feel disappointed by the unbalanced recognition (job can be interesting but rewards are not necessarily so great). It is also very demanding and a place where you are thown to the water : if you can swim you survive , otherwise ...too bad. It is also a place that relies too much on too few people, as a result you find a number of not so great managers ...
Advice to Senior Management
Take better care of the individuals; don't just think about stars but think about resources development. Do not give responsibilities to someone just because there is a hole somewhere , but really because you believe he/she has good chances to succeed : it frustrates everybody around when the wrong people are in place (and it is bad for these people as well)-however give also the means to make people successful , it can be a big waste to let somebody slowly drown when a few swimming lessons would have made him/her a great player.