Why synergy management is the new soft skill in permacrisis times

I recently changed positions to take care of synergy for Thales DIS and to mark the occasion, I wanted to share with you my personal reflection on this subject.

What is synergy?

The term “synergy” comes from the Greek word, “synergos”, which means to work together. It refers to the interaction between two or more things whose combined efforts are greater than the sum of their own.

Synergy often has strong business connotations, especially in the post-merger phases between two companies. To explain as such, Capgemini Consulting captured in a visual the complexity of the objectives to be achieved and proposed a methodology to be implemented.

However, this is not the only field of application when it comes to synergy.

Synergy in practice

In the arts, we often speak of alchemy:
- just think of Paul McCartney’s melodies and the poetic lyrics of John Lennon
- the tumultuous but productive relationship between Mexican painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera
In politics:
- just think of the European Union and how it brings together the different complexities and needs of 27 countries in a single political union
In sports:
- the addition of individual stars is sometimes not enough to win a cup. Instead it’s the cohesion and unison of the coach and team that ultimately leads to success
In love:
- some would say a child is the result of a synergy

Synergy is everywhere! Since man has been man, synergy has been the basis of the success. But what do all these forms of synergies have in common?

Synergy is humanity’s weapon of mass success

6 ingredients for successful synergy

I have often said that business is first done between people, before the companies that they represent. The successful construction of a harmonious relationship between two individuals will determine the success – or failure – of the business.

Two experiences come to mind:

When I was a salesman at GlobeCast, I signed a contract with a new client worth several million euros for a solution that had never before been imagined, nor sold
Later, when in charge of the partnership with Facebook, I obtained an app developer agreement that had never been granted to anyone before

Each time, the following elements were awarded:

Mutual trust and respect
Active listening and passion to understand the motivation and needs of my interlocutors
The desire to progress, collaborate and invent together (with both the client and within a team) a solution that benefits both parties
Work, work and work to make it happen
Incorrigible optimism and the passion to think big. As French sociologist Edgar Morin says, “we must hope in the improbable, and work for the improbable”
A little bit of luck to succeed

We must hope in the improbable, and work for the improbable
French sociologist Edgar Morin

Building a future we can all trust with synergy

If synergy is at the basis of the world, it also constitutes its future. Indeed, as the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, says, “we have stepped into an era of ‘permacrisis”.

Climate change, resource scarcity, energy transition and sobriety, demographic explosion, geostrategic tensions and armed conflicts, tensions within the global subcontracting chain and labor shortages are some of the global challenges to be met for humanity by the middle of the 21^st century.

However, one thing is certain: human civilization is at a turning point and our individual and collective actions in the years to come will be crucial. No actor (country, society, institution, etc.) can claim to hold all the keys alone.

Faced with these challenges, only a pooling of intelligence and energy can succeed. The world has never needed synergy so much to function.

Enhancing synergies further at Thales

Since September 1 2022, I have been Head of Synergies Strategy and Marketing at Thales DIS.

This involves leading initiatives at the crossroads of the various Thales global business units, by creating common value propositions and testing them on target markets (Defence and Security, Aerospace, Space, etc.) via different methodologies (e.g. value proposition canvas, market research).

Thales DIS is resulted from, in a large part, the acquisition by Thales of Gemalto in 2019. Now fully integrated into the Thales group, Thales DIS is at the heart of a number of synergies with teams that can benefit from the know-how and leadership of Thales DIS in the areas of digital identity and data protection.

Our expertise can be broken down into five segments in which we are committed to building a leadership position:

Mobile Connectivity, offering solutions for mobile telephone operators and manufacturers of connected objects with eSIM/SIM cards and secret provisioning platforms in remote mode
Banking and Payment, offering solutions to banks and financial institutions such as smart cards in their physical and digital versions, as well as secure solutions for online banking and payment security
Identity and Biometric services offers solutions to governments, government agencies and public services with the issuance of secure identity documents and associated services (Passports, ID cards, national registers, digital ID wallet, biometric solutions, ID verification, border and travel management, document readers and ID verification solutions, health cards and electronic healthcare solutions…)
Cloud Protection and Licensing offers solutions for physical and digital access and data protection, within the company or in the cloud, to a wide spectrum of companies
Artificial Intelligence and IOT services primarily offers solutions to the automotive, health and energy markets, with solutions for the connectivity of objects and the security of data exchanged

Two examples of this cross-BU synergy could be mentioned:

Thales Fly to Gate, a touchless, biometric pathway through airports which brings together biometrics, ID management, border control, security and airport system integrator.
5G Identity Management allows operators to reconcile their regulatory obligations in terms of Lawful Interception towards Law Enforcement Authorities with the need of protecting end-user privacy.