Good morning! Tapestry and Capri cancel their merger, 1.25 million new users switch to Bluesky, and a CEO grows with them A $49 billion company. Have a peaceful weekend.
– Climate change. Estelle Brashlyanoff is one of the most influential female CEOs in Europe. Her $49 billion company, Veolia, is ranked No. 77 on Europe’s Fortune 500 (where only 6.2% of companies are headed by women) and No. 308 on the Global 500 (where the stats are even lower, at 5.6%). ). But it is difficult to explain to the general public what Veolia does. “We are quite unique, so we don’t have many points of comparison,” Brashlyanov says.
Brashlyanov joined Veolia nearly 20 years ago, so she had time to practice the elevator idea — but the business has changed dramatically in two decades. Today, Veolia provides solutions for the “ecological transition,” says Brashlyanov. This includes waste management, water supply, and energy, from wastewater collection and hazardous waste treatment to controlling heating and air conditioning throughout cities. In recent years, Veolia has shifted from a more traditional approach to these industries, to promoting itself as a company that can help others adapt to climate change. Most recently, Veolia Paris helped clean the Seine River so that athletes could swim in the famously dirty river during the Olympic Games.
During the two decades that Brashlyanov has been doing this work, she has witnessed the evolution of attitudes toward climate change. We have moved from the realization, which we now share, to what can we do about it? “I think this represents a very big shift,” she says.
Daniel Leal/AFP – Getty Images
Technology has also evolved. “Twenty years ago, we thought some things were completely impossible, and I’ve seen them happen. We thought we couldn’t recycle things, which we can now recycle.” Copper from a nuclear facility. “We are more efficient in many ways. We are even using new generation artificial intelligence to save energy in the water. Do you think this would be possible 20 years ago?”
Veolia is based in France, but Brashlyanov describes it as a global company, not a French one. Forty percent of its business is located outside Europe. Brashlyanov is familiar with state and municipal laws from California to Ohio, and can talk at length about the differences between working in a country with a centralized local government system (as she did in the United Kingdom) or a more distributed system.
The Paris Olympics were a start, but the CEO’s hope is that Veolia will become a company that people know alongside climate experts and local government officials. “(In 10 years) the general public will probably know us better,” she says. “We don’t have anything to sell to the general public, but here we are.”
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
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Also in the headlines
– Not better together. Tapestry, the parent company of Coach and Kate Spade, led by CEO Joanne Crevoiserat, has ended its attempts to acquire Capri Holdings, which owns Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo. The companies cited legal uncertainty as a reason to halt the $8.5 billion merger deal, which was investigated by the Federal Trade Commission under Lina Khan. Wall Street Journal
– Searching for bluer skies. Social media platform Bluesky has gained more than 1.25 million new users in the past week as some people search for an alternative to Elon Musk’s X following the US presidential election. “We are excited to welcome everyone looking for a better social media experience,” said CEO Jay Graber.CNBC
– Scott Stock. MacKenzie Scott has offloaded nearly $8.4 billion worth of Amazon stock. Scott then made a $65 million gift to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a New York nonprofit. This is its largest known donation this year, after a slower period compared to previous giving periods. Bloomberg
– Hit the slopes again. Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn comes out of retirement and rejoins the US Ski Team. Vonn, 40, last competed in the Olympics six years ago and has suffered a number of injuries during her career. “Getting back to skating pain-free has been an amazing journey,” she said. AP
Movers and shakers
ETCH, a carbon removal company, was named Katie Elite CEO. Most recently, she was President of Hydrogen Energy and Mobility for North America at Air Liquide.
Cars for Kids, a children’s education non-profit, was appointed Cheryl Sutterfield Jones As CEO. Previously, she was president of the JPS Foundation.
Named Trusted Digital Identity Services, it is a data collection destination Maureen Vanji chief executive officer. Most recently, she was a managing director at Accenture Federal Services.
Named after Caleres, it is a collection of footwear brands Nancy Petito Senior Vice President of Brands in New York. She most recently served as Vice President of Shoe, Jewelry and Belt Sales at Tory Burch.
Ocular Therapeutix, a developer of treatments for retinal diseases and eye conditions, has been appointed Namrata Saroj As a business leader. She was previously a development strategy consultant for the company.
Designated by the National Association of Advertisers Colin Benjy To its board of directors. Bengi is Mars’ CMO and Head of Growth at Mars Snacking.
On my radar
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Trump’s defense secretary said women should not be in combat roles. These female veterans fear what comes next CNN
Martha Stewart’s empire has generated more income than just her domestic life Bloomberg
Parting words
“I don’t identify with my brokenness. It’s not my identity.“
— Singer SZA is on The transformation her new music has taken