Aline Delebarre-Mahieu's Interview

Aline Delebarre-Mahieu

"Its strong growth in recent years requires giving the Group a more international dimension by structuring and implementing changes for better collective performance".

 October 09th 2024, by Rayene Imane Chikhi 

Rayene: Can you introduce yourself?

Aline : Originally from Provence, I spent 30 years in this beautiful region before moving to the United Kingdom with my family. During that time, I worked for Airbus Helicopters. Upon my return, I joined the pink city, Toulouse, to take on new responsibilities within Airbus Defence & Space, and later in the Sopra Steria Group. After 11 incredible years, I recently relocated to the French Riviera.

I am passionate about travel, sports, and art, whether cultural or culinary. I define myself as an epicurean.

My motto: ‘The right time to laugh? Whenever you can!’

My values: respect for others and oneself, and integrity.

Rayene: A few words about your professional background?

Aline : For over 20 years, I have been working in the field of Human Resources, my area of expertise. I would say that as an HR Director, I have had both a classic and an unconventional career.

Classic, because I have held every specialist and generalist position within the function. Unconventional, because I have led large-scale projects in international contexts in Asia, England, and Europe, including the acquisition of an Airbus subsidiary by the Sopra Steria Group. My role was to support the transformation on cultural, organizational, and digital levels, while respecting social dialogue.

After 17 years in the aerospace industry, I discovered the world of services. Two different and enriching environments.

I sought a dynamic career by making functional and geographical moves and managing multicultural teams. These experiences have allowed me to develop intellectual curiosity and explore diverse ways of working while embracing the uniqueness of each individual. To illustrate one of my core values—team spirit—I really like the quote by K. Blanchard: ‘None of us is as smart as all of us. 

Rayene: How did you come to join Smile?

Aline : After gaining experience in the luxury and automotive sectors, I joined the Airbus Group in 2000, where I thrived in various Divisions, regions, and countries. In 2018, I decided to join Sopra Steria following the acquisition of CIMPA, a subsidiary specializing in PLM (Product Lifecycle Management). With this experience, my transition to Smile feels natural as it is a continuation of my previous responsibilities. I am very excited to begin a new chapter and uphold the Group’s values.

Rayene: What are your main missions and what are the challenges of your position?

Aline : The main goal is to work on developing the HR strategy to meet Smile’s challenges. Its strong growth in recent years requires giving the Group a more international dimension by structuring and implementing changes for better collective performance. For example, the implementation of common HR processes will allow for more ambitious development plans as well as shared company goals. My role, alongside you and my teams, is to identify, stimulate, and embed all value-creating levers. This is the mindset in which I intend to act by rolling out innovative projects. In the coming weeks, I will focus on reviewing the existing roadmap, challenging it, highlighting the priorities, and enhancing it.