Pepe Jeans, on his experience with Madavi: “It has been super positive; has mobilized the people “

Javier Raventós, of Pepe Jeans, evaluates his experience with Madavi:

“The experience has been really positive. It has mobilized people, and above all it has given the teams the capacity to do things and to transform, as well as empowering them   and that is a potent factor.”

Someone said that large companies become so and maintain themselves at the top thanks to constant movement. That is the case of Pepe Jeans London, an international group that is a leader in its sector.

At the end of the 90´s, Javier Raventós and Carlos Ortega took control of the company through an MBO (management buyout), which was launched with the support of 3i. Today, the company manages world known trademarks such as, Hackett, Pepe Jeans, Norton and Façonnable and has important teams in Spain, London, Amsterdam, India and México.

We spoke with Javier Raventós, the General Manager of Corporate Services in Pepe Jeans

Raventós has dedicated his professional trajectory to this company. We spoke to him about the challenging moment of transformation that the company was living and the collaboration of Madavi in this process; “a very positive experience” according to his own words.

“In the last 20 years, the company has been well managed and the trademark has reached a very high level, but the speed of change especially in the sector of fashion and the evolution from an analogical world to a digital one, which has caught some of the directors a little bit old, has meant that things have to be done in a different way; listening more and more to the young; empowering collaborators; working on transversal processes … We are faced by a change which in Pepe Jeans we live like an opportunity, and not with fear. Fortunately, in order to do so we have a very strong team”.

Given this context of change, the company decided to undertake an important process of transformation, in which it is immersed at present. “That was when we contacted  Madavi. We already had a relationship with them four years ago. On that occasion it was a short project with  very clear objectives and results (improve profitability) and the experience with Madavi was a success”.

At that moment we introduced, guided by Madavi, Appreciative Inquiry, that is to say, “ we looked for the strengths of our teams to accelerate”. “ It worked very well and that is why when we had to pose the transformation project we called once again Fernando Iglesias, of Madavi”.

So once more you decided to bet on your strengths to boost change?

We have very young teams that quickly engage with the project and that is why we indeed decided on that model, which had already worked for us and which facilitates the transformation with more dynamism that others that are more reactive.

Javier Raventós admits that to tackle a project of global transformation “is very complex” for any company but in his opinion to identify the areas on which to act with the teams in a positive fashion has much more impact. “It is true that when you do it only visualizing the strengths there is always something left out, but you have covered 90% of the elements of transformation. You can cover the other 10% left out with other processes, projects and action plans.”

From the Madavi model, from its summits, many initiatives flourish; “ people are connected and make more of an effort to achieve results because it is their projects, their dynamics, their responsibility and especially  for the young who are precisely the ones who most push you.”.

According to Javier’s evaluation, these models “which are not hierarchical”, “all the energy of the teams increases and sweeps away all the potential blocks. As they are very active and positive dynamics it is very difficult that a reaction and a brake can be produced.”

Have the expectations been met?

“Yes absolutely the energy of the organization rose dramatically during the Summit which we lived with Madavi. It is a very collaborative project that is very well set out.

The experience has been very positive, even though there has been a certain amount of resistance due to internal matters.

It has mobilised people and above all it has put in the hands of the teams the capacity to do things and to transform; it has empowered them, and that is very potent. In my opinion, the best thing about this experience has been the empowering of the teams, that is to say: you can do it. You put the energy and we shall support you; you direct. That is what allows you to advance more quickly”.

The path walked with Madavi forms part of a process of change that is transforming the company and already begins to have an impact on the market, in the form of a better experience for the client.