The group is broadening its presence in the media. After Jean-Louis Bouchard’s opinion column in the French journal Les Echos, Samira Draoua, Econocom’s Managing Director for France, spoke on the French channel BFM Business in the show JMLECO to talk about Econocom’s business lines, environmental action and entrepreneurial culture.
Here is the link to the interview (in French – 8 minutes) and its translation below.
A trustworthy partner in the digital transformation of firms
The Franco-Belgian group Econocom, founded by Jean-Louis Bouchard, originally specialised in the trade of IT products. Today, it supports firms in their digital transformation. Here, Samira Draoua, the group’s Managing Director for France, tells us about this sector’s challenges.
Could you tell us about what Econocom does?
We work in three main business lines:
- buying and reselling IT products (refurbished and new) – the field Econocom started out in;
- leasing out IT products and making them available;
- services relating to these devices.
Why do you define yourself as a player in digital responsibility?
You find this notion of digital responsibility in our business lines today, but also in our origins. Econocom started out by refurbishing IT products. So the notion of sustainability is in our DNA. And back then, you didn’t buy and resell IT products to be part of the circular economy – you did so because new IT products were very rare. Fifty years ago, users would turn to refurbished products because they’d have to wait a very long time to receive a brand new IBM device!
How did Econocom survive the pandemic?
All went well for us during the pandemic, even though the period was challenging for our clients. Econocom weathered the storm through its three business lines, which fulfilled their purpose meaningfully during the pandemic. We helped schools and hospitals carry on their operations through our on-site work, especially through our digital services business line.
Our support also proved vital for French firms and public organisations as they weren’t ready for remote working. So our teams increased their efforts to meet the needs of our clients.
One of your aims is to reduce the carbon footprint of digital technology. How do you plan to do that?
Eighty percent of digital technology’s carbon footprint comes from the manufacturing of devices. Yet Econocom doesn’t produce devices – it buys, sells, maintains and refurbishes them. So we can act in the remaining twenty percent: in the sustainability and use of these devices.
Econocom helps reduce this carbon footprint by giving products a second life – even a third life. We also help our clients measure and reduce their carbon footprint through solutions that are effective, practical and straightforward.
Ever since Econocom was founded, it has been based on a culture of entrepreneurship. How have you adjusted to that?
Like in any business culture, it’s only once you’re on the ground that you can truly understand such an entrepreneurial approach. I see myself as someone who has escaped the shackles of large French firms and multinationals. My encounter with Econocom was very special – there I found free space for expression and initiatives.
The group gives all its employees the chance to take an initiative and bring it to fruition. Econocom can support them simply, for example, in the beginnings of a project, but can also help create new firms. For example, we helped create a joint venture with a CAC 40 company.
