Interview with Philippe de Chanville and Christian Raisson (EDHEC Master 2003 and 1994), the 2023 EDHEC Persons of the Year

This year, not 1 but 2 graduates will be named as our “EDHEC Persons of the Year” at the EDHEC Rendez-Vous in Paris. The now inseparable Philippe de Chanville and Christian Raisson (respectively EDHEC Grande École graduates of 2003 and 1994) together founded ManoMano a little over 10 years ago, after meeting each other in a company. With 21 million SKUs in DIY and garden products in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium, their unicorn – valued at $2.6 billion and now the marketplace of some 5000 sellers – has given a healthy boost to a sector that hadn’t yet begun its digital metamorphosis. Their belief in human values and their innovation continue to blossom from this chrysalis in a state of perpetual reconstruction ...

How did you come to launch this entrepreneurial project together?

Christian Raisson: First of all we had a mutual and simultaneous desire to set up a company. That we should do it together was almost self-evident, like an impulse, even though we hadn’t worked together much in our old firm. We spent forever questioning our ambitions and what we wanted to do. It is often said that even at the far reaches of the Earth, people from EDHEC recognise each other because of their shared values, respect, the capacity to listen and their humility. It’s a reality! Very quickly, we could see that our values were very closely aligned. All we had to do was agree on a business idea. 

Philippe de Chanville: We immediately gelled as entrepreneurs, and even had the same vision of the importance of human values within the company. We wanted to set up a business in which we could flourish as people. It’s more than just a business that uses human resources. But it’s not an NGO either. Our goal is to provide a revenue source for families in a fulfilling work environment where people can develop skills.

To what extent are these values conveyed within your organisation?

PdC: A corporate culture begins with its top managers and is conveyed by example. The reality of such a culture is that it is embodied within the company, beginning at the top. So some of our grand ideals as well as our failings can be found at ManoMano! Setting an example is an integral part of the way a company works, especially when its top managers are very much present and interact with staff a lot. Christian and I spent time formally establishing the company’s values, and so we can be very clear about what we went through when launching it.

CR: But we don’t want to fall into the trap of being paternalistic towards ManoMano employees either, we place great importance on their freedom. It’s a delicate balance.

What are your best practices managing as a duo?

CR: Our governance structure evolved over time, we learned to work better and better together. When working as a duo of entrepreneurs and associates, complementarity and shared reflections are much more effective. Nowadays, we increasingly share tasks so we speak with just one voice. Meetings, which always have three participants, make for a little less flexibility, but we save a lot of time and the decision that emerges is all the richer for it. This process has been a journey: working on egos, understanding how the other works, realising that one brain is more sensitive to certain subjects. Paying attention to the other takes effort. And I think that this shared work is also an example for our managers at ManoMano. 

How do you innovate and always stay one step ahead of the competition?

CR: Philippe and I have the huge advantage of not coming from mass consumer retailing or industry. Our background is in finance and we love DIY! Our marketplace model is a bit of an odd man out that you don’t find anywhere else. We never had to suffer constraints imposed by a DIY or gardening behemoth. All of the innovations we’ve introduced to the market have been based on an exclusively customer-focused perspective, which gives us a slightly different vision to the competition. We are paving our own way, which is also one of our strengths. 

What does having a presence in several European countries teach you about online trends in the worlds of DIY and gardening?

PdC: By nature some countries are more digitally inclined, like the UK and Germany. Spain and Italy less so, but they’re much more mobile than desktop. That determines the digital landscape, but everywhere we observe the same thing: the worlds of DIY and garden products are behind others in their digital transition.

CR: Sustainability and the transformation of energy sources are more advanced in some countries than others. Germany is at the forefront: we sell a lot of solar panels there, heat pumps and economic heating systems. And we sense that this wave will inevitably arrive everywhere else, which gives us ideas about expanding our offer in other markets.

How do you see this market evolving in coming years? 

PdC: The digital wave is transforming consumer habits in every sector, including DIY and gardening, a market where the delay can be explained by the more technical nature of the products, which requires complex usage of data and the best algorithms. And this trend is far from coming to an end. Digital technology is a real gain for our customers from every point of view. It still has some way to go in terms of offers, pricing and advice, in other words everything that helps the customer see their projects through. Before we look too far down the road, we consider the next step: how can we move even faster in this transition?

CR: The next step will be to sell services that accompany the sale of our products, like “Do It Yourself” and “Do It For Me”. It’s not just a stand-alone product. A few years ago, we set up Supermano, a way for DIY enthusiasts to help each other out with small interior home improvement projects. There is still huge potential in this area.

Tell us what makes responsible innovation work at ManoMano.

CR: This is a topic Philippe and I are passionate about. We were the first to introduce a Carbon Score for our entire catalogue. On internal CO₂ emissions – for which staff have the most figures and documents – we have set an ambitious 5-year target for reductions, with commitments to the UN Science-Based Target initiative. We can do even better in every product category! In 2018 we created our own logistics, Mano Fulfillment, and each week we closely monitor empty transportation data to bring it down from 60% (two years ago) to 20%. One of our values has changed: “benevolence” has become “responsibility”, not only towards human beings but also the planet. We don’t want our customers to see it as just another marketing coup.

PdC: In our annual CSR report ManoImpact, the component parts “Individuals”, “Society”, “Integration” and “Environment” represent around 30 different initiatives, such as our Carbon Score or second-hand products. Each employee can spend one day a month working for an association of their choosing to contribute to a good cause. Whenever we can, we take on staff from social rehabilitation programmes. Sometimes quality is better than quantity, for example by recruiting fewer people in positions of vulnerability, but ensuring that they ultimately end up with a contract. 

Do these responsibility initiatives influence ManoMano’s partners?

CR: The aim is of course to influence them and, together, to change the world. We can’t do anything without them. You might say we force the system to change. We often use the example of the Nutri-Score, thanks to which many products have been revised. Customers are much more wary of this now. Having an A or B rating has become a competitive advantage. Any manufacturer that sees its products given a poor Carbon Score is going to think about the way it operates and change its production or transportation processes.

What does the EDHEC Alumni network mean for you?

PdC: In the top 5 business schools, EDHEC stands out, among other things, for the way it teaches its students to seek personal alignment rather than encouraging them to follow the latest fads. The EDHEC Alumni network for me offers the certainty that I will always be able to find people who have managed to find their own path based on their convictions. EDHEC gives us reassurance that that is possible. To think differently, based on one’s values, is not to be ostracised or diminish one’s chances of success, it’s just a different way of doing business.

CR: EDHEC also gave us confidence from the outset. When two people from EDHEC set up a company, both the network and the School itself reach out to suggest ways to collaborate. Philippe leaned on the collective intelligence of EDHEC, with conferences and marketing case studies for students. That also helps a project to take off.

Also, every day entrepreneurs reach out to us. I always reply to people from EDHEC. We have a kind of shared heritage and a duty to pass on our experience. This school trained us, and has now put the spotlight on us by electing us “Entrepreneurs of the Year”, it has supported us, so now it’s up to us to give something back. The School’s alumni help their peers so they can move forward. We also have a seat on some of the School’s boards to strengthen the voice of entrepreneurship within decision-making bodies. I would say that our relationship with EDHEC is a bit like a marriage and a shared life of success.

PdC: EDHEC also gave us our first ever interns and employees. That of course contributed to our corporate culture, but it was also a considerable influx of structured and well-intentioned people who enabled the company to become what it is today.