Danone’s CEO and CHRO share how their alliance sets the food & beverage giant up for success

Danone is best known for its portfolio of health, nutrition and water brands, including Alpro, Volvo, Activia, Evian, and Aptamil.

Behind the scenes driving success at the food and beverage giant is a special, unique alliance between its CEO and CHRO.

“The CEO-CHRO alliance is not just symbolic – it’s strategic” – those are the words of Danone CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique in an exclusive interview with UNLEASH.

When he joined Danone in 2021, “we knew we had to reconnect with our fundamentals…and prepare the company for the future”.

“From the start, Isabelle [Esser] and I worked hand-in hand to ensure that our people strategy wasn’t just aligned with our business goals – it was driving them.”

Isabelle Esser is Danone’s Chief Human Resources, Research, Innovation, Quality & Food Safety Officer.

She tells UNLEASH that the CEO-CHRO partnership is built on a shared view that “people are not just part of the strategy – they ARE the strategy”; they have the power to drive both performance and progress.

Esser and de Saint-Affrique will be joining us at UNLEASH World to share more about their close partnership as CHRO and CEO. UNLEASH got an exclusive sneak peek ahead of the upcoming show.

Danone on HR as an ‘orchestrator’ of business transformation

For de Saint-Affrique, underlying his collaboration with CHRO Esser is a “shared belief that People strategy powers the realization of our Company strategy”.

Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO, Danone.

It ensures that “every people initiative contributes directly to business outcomes”, adds Esser.

It is clear that the CEO-CHRO partnership has “elevated the impact of the HR to become a strategic co-pilot” for Danone. HR “is positioned as a critical orchestrator creating the conditions for change in the company”.

“While other C-Suite roles collaborate with the CEO, the CHRO relationship is uniquely positioned to bridge business strategy with human impact”, continues de Saint-Affrique.

“The strength of the CEO-CHRO-CFO alliance” is another distinguishing feature of Danone’s leadership approach.

“Together, this trio integrates business, people and financial strategies – balancing investment in people, innovation and operational excellence.”

de Saint-Affrique is very clear that Danone’s leadership model “ensures that performance and responsibility go hand-in-hand, positioning Danone as a mission-driven, future-ready company”.

Credit: Danone.

The power of the CEO-CHRO partnership to future proof Danone

“In a world facing environmental, social and technological disruption, this partnership enables us to build a future-fit company that empowers Danoners to thrive…and positions Danone as a force for health and sustainable impact,” de Saint-Affrique continues.

The food and beverage giant employs 89,000 people worldwide, and saw €27.4 billion in sales (a 4.3% year-on-year increase) in the 2024 financial year. 92.4% of Danone sales and 83% of employees are covered by a B Corp certification, illustrating the link between financial success and social responsibility at Danone.

Esser agrees that having a close partnership between the CEO and CHRO is “central to how we navigate today’s complex challenges”.

“Together we’ve built a future-fit strategy that equips Danoners with the skills to thrive in a fast-changing world”.

Danone is focused on continuous learning, upskilling and reskilling; “we believe in equipping and empowering all with the skills required to perform today and tomorrow securing long-term employability and sustainable business growth”.

Isabelle Esser, Chief Human Resources, Research, Innovation, Quality & Food Safety Officer, Danone.

One learning and development example noted by Esser is the investment in Danone Functional Academies, which was championed by both her and the CEO de Saint-Affrique.

These are “strategic learning platforms designed to accelerate capability building and foster continuous growth across all business functions”.

Danone has a specific Microsoft AI Academy that supports teams with digital and strategy upskilling.

Esser notes that as Danone leans into digital transformation, it does so with “a human-centric approach, leveraging AI and data to enhance decision-making while maintaining our commitment to wellbeing, equity and purpose”, says Esser.

She is very clear – “while we embrace innovation, we never lose sight of what matters most: our people”.

Top of mind is “nourishing the social pact uniting Danoners and Danone in a context where the relationship to work and its meaning are being deeply reshaped”.

“Our Cancer Pledge is a testament to this – providing tangible support and flexibility for employees and families facing health challenges.

“For our company, whose mission is rooted in health, we believe that providing coverage and support for all in key events of life is part of our social contract.

“We remain deeply committed to caring for our people and keeping humanity at the heart of everything we do.”

Danone and UNLEASH World

Esser and de Saint-Affrique will be sharing more about their CEO-CHRO alliance, and how it truly turns people strategy into impact, at UNLEASH World this October.

They’re “thrilled to be speaking at UNLEASH World 2025, especially as the event takes place in Paris, just a few steps from our global headquarters”.

“We’re excited to share our journey” and “connecting with peers who are reimaging the role of HR in shaping a performance-oriented people-centric company with long lasting impact”.

It’s not too late to join us in Paris for UNLEASH World 2025, 20 to 22 October – you can grab a pass here.