Capucine, when did you join Xella and what was your professional background before?
I joined Xella in April 2022. Before that, I worked for a company in the construction sector that specialized in the sale of interior decorative panels, mainly through distributor networks.
By joining Xella, I moved from the interior side of the building to the exterior envelope, which allowed me to discover more technical products while staying in an environment that felt familiar to me. The target customers and the internal organization were quite similar, which made the transition both natural and enriching.
What motivated you to choose Xella?
I am particularly motivated by complex B2B environments, where there are real challenges to tackle. Xella’s products, which have a relatively low market share in France, immediately caught my attention because I saw a strong communication challenge and a real opportunity to make a difference. Promoting something that isn’t immediately familiar to everyone is a real challenge, but also great marketing territory.
I was also familiar with the interior building environment, so through Siporex, I saw great potential to increase its visibility. Altogether, Xella offered a stimulating environment where I felt I could bring value while continuing to grow professionally.
What were your biggest challenges and opportunities in the beginning?
When I joined, communication covered a very broad scope and addressed many different sectors. It was not yet fully structured, which was both a challenge and a great opportunity.
This situation gave me the freedom to be creative and to build a modern and ambitious communication strategy. I explored new approaches, diversified our communication tools with a stronger focus on digital channels, and started working with a new generation of professionals, including construction industry influencers.
What helped a lot was the support I received from the teams. The sales team shared their experience, the production team was incredibly welcoming, and I visited every plant early on to understand our products from the ground up. This mix of openness and collaboration made it possible to grow very successfully.
A lot has changed in communication at Xella France since then. What are you most proud of?
We transformed our communication approach. It used to be more traditional and sometimes a bit outdated. Now it’s more digital, more modern, and more aligned with how people consume information today.
The industry can be conservative at times, so getting everyone on board was a challenge. I think communication only works when it is understood and supported internally. And today, three years later, the new approach is well established and brings real value.
