About the speaker: Hélène has been with Nestlé for over 14 years, starting her career as a production manager in France. Prior to her role as Head of Global Operations, she managed two factories in Hungary, responsible for the production of Cocoa & Malt Beverages and Coffee Mixes, and Confectionary Chocolate hollow figures. Now focused on the coffee segment of the business, Helene oversees global ops for Nespresso.

About the company: Nestlé Nespresso S.A., trading as Nespresso, is an operating unit of the Nestlé Group, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Nespresso machines brew espresso and coffee from coffee capsules (or pods in machines for home or professional use), a type of pre-apportioned single-use container, or reusable capsules (pods), of ground coffee beans, sometimes with added flavorings. Packaged portions of espresso coffee, like those from Nespresso, has become one of the fastest growing segments of the coffee market, accounting for 20 to 40 percent of the value of ground coffee sales in the US$17 billion European coffee market. We are working in 81 countries with a common purpose to serve and delight our customers with unforgettable coffee experiences every single day.

Actor George Clooney appeared in ads for Nespresso, with company representatives insisting that he had been elected by Club members to become the brand’s ambassador (vs the brand ‘buying his sponsorship’), in a form of celebrity advertising that emphasizes the status of the brand over that of the endorsing star.

Revenue: €6.5B

Employees: 13,000