Louis Vuitton 2005 Annual Report Download - page 59

LVMH 2005 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
brand and are organized through training centers for each business
sector. These seminars are led by outside trainers as well as in-house
specialists.
In addition, LVMH organizes induction seminars for newcomers to
introduce them to the culture of the Group, its values, its basic manage-
ment principles, and its brands. Over 15,600 employees benefited from
these seminars in 2005.
“Universe” days (perfumes, jewelry, champagne, leather goods, etc.)
were also initiated in 2005 to provide our employees with a real intro-
duction to a different professional world and to give them an opportu-
nity to expand their sources of inspiration and innovation.
Several Group companies have also developed sales training adapted
to their business. For example, Sephora has launched an innovative
training vehicle based on the values of the brand, which integrates new
employees, and teaches them the fundamentals of the retail businesses
along with the required skill-set for the company.
Finally, every year, each Group company defines strategic training plans
adapted to the requirements for growing their business. For example,
Parfums Christian Dior has developed modules to increase employee
awareness of the economics of the company, along with in-depth “olfac-
tory” training and “Innovation and Creativity” sessions, in order to give
the teams working on innovative ideas the techniques and methodology
they need to develop their creative approach.
DEVELOP AND PERPETUATE SKILLS A priority for LVMH
is to develop the skills needed for its businesses through training, mobil-
ity, the development of transversal group projects and inter-company
operational networks. The goal is to make LVMH a true “learning organ-
ization" within which each employee can develop him/herself individ-
ually and professionally.
●Every year, Louis Vuitton launches nearly 250 new leather products.
This steady creative rate is possible thanks to the enormous team efforts
made by designers, prototype technicians, model makers and quality
analysts.
A team of designers from around the world works in close collabora-
tion with twenty prototype technicians working in a dedicated workshop
at the Paris location. These highly-qualified leather workers, who are
able to produce a bag from the template to the final stitching, are respon-
sible for creating 3D models of what the designers have imagined. These
technicians, who learn their craft at the Louis Vuitton workshops, trans-
mit their expertise by training young apprentices every year.
Their expertise is also passed on during the fashion show preparations,
when finishers at eight production sites are also available to help to
complete the prototypes.
●The jewelry is created through a combination of highly-specialized
skills, know-how and traditional techniques. The setter mounts or sets
the stones on the mountings prepared by the jeweler. The polisher gives
luster and shine to the setting. As the true custodian of the craftsman-
ship, the workshop manager ensures that ancestral working traditions and
methods are perpetuated and, like his predecessors, transmits his expe-
rience by training young artisans.
With about ten setters, jewelers and polishers, the Chaumet Jewelry
Workshop is a place of training and knowledge transfer overseen by the
workshop manager. It takes several years to train a jeweler. Chaumet
ensures the preservation of this know-how by regularly hiring young
professionals.
PASSIONATE ABOUT CREATIVITY
57
AVERAGE WORKFORCE BY GEOGRAPHIC REGION
in%
France 19,114 32%
Europe (ex. France) 11,979 20%
North America 11,981 20%
Latin America 1,676 3%
Asia/Pacific 9,787 17%
Japan 4,677 8%
TOTAL 59,214
AVERAGE WORKFORCE BY BUSINESS GROUP
in %
Wines and Spirits 5,273 9%
Fashion and Leather Goods 17,903 30%
Perfumes and Cosmetics 13,385 23%
Watches and Jewelry 1,809 3%
Selective retailing 19,969 34%
Other activities 875 1%
TOTAL 59,214