“I am passionate about what I do!”
Inspiring. That is the adjective that best suits the career of the woman who is today the first Moroccan to hold the reins of the Moroccan branch of Nestlé, the world leader in food and beverages. After brilliantly completing her studies at ISCAE, majoring in finance, Imane Zaoui’s goal was to fulfil her father’s dream of becoming a chartered accountant. “After my end-of-studies internship, I clearly understood that this was not what I wanted to do and that I was fulfilling Dad’s dream, not mine! It took me a little time and a lot of courage to tell him, two weeks before the exam, that I was not going to sit it”, recounts Nestlé’s new General Business Manager Morocco. Fortunately, her father was very supportive and continued to encourage her. “If I had to do it all again, I would do exactly the same thing; my financial background helped me a great deal and gave me a certain ease with figures, which has been an asset throughout my career…” Things then gathered pace… She was given the opportunity to take on the position of Brand Manager in a Moroccan cosmetics group. Two years later, she arrived at Nestlé wanting to work in the field. “Admittedly, I had a lot of apprehension about the field, particularly regarding the traditional market. I thought being a woman would be a handicap. But that was not the case. On the contrary, I was very warmly welcomed and was able to build relationships of trust and partnership with the various customers in the region I was in charge of”, she recalls. Over the following decade, she continued to climb the ladder within the Swiss giant until she was appointed head of its Moroccan branch.
“A career is not an end in itself!”
“A career has never been an end in itself. I am passionate about what I do and I have always chosen what I thought was good for the business”. This particular way of seeing things could be the motto of Ms Imane Zaoui, who continues: “I remember very well the advice of a former manager at Nestlé: ‘Do what is good for the business, not for your career. Your career will follow.’ Another character trait is unfailing tenacity: “In my eyes, nothing is impossible. That is no doubt what explains my determination, which borders on obstinacy,” she confides.
Ms Zaoui is the mother of two boys: Adam and Ali. For her, family is the most important thing in life. “I have been lucky enough to receive enormous support from my family, and above all from my husband, to whom I owe a great deal. We should never miss an opportunity to express our love and affection to those close to us.” Indeed, she shares her greatest passion outside work with those dear to her: “Cooking lets me catch my breath, put my thoughts in order and bring people together”.
Purpose and strong values
If Imane Zaoui has spent 13 years at Nestlé, it is because she deeply believes in its values. “Driven by its purpose – Enhancing Quality of Life and Contributing to a Healthier Future – Nestlé is committed to deep values rooted in respect. Respect for oneself, for others, for diversity and for the future,” she explains. In this respect, the “Nestlé for Healthier kids” operation, which aims to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030 through cutting-edge research on infant nutrition, product innovation and the introduction of healthier foods, is one of the Group’s most recent initiatives. Values that the company thus spreads across its entire ecosystem – farmers, distributors – notably as part of creating shared value. Internally too, these values are applied. “Two of my promotions at Nestlé came after I returned from maternity leave. That demonstrates the company’s strong values”, she explains. Values that Imane Zaoui champions every day with conviction and fervour, and of which she is one of the ambassadors!