A group of students in their 20s has recently advised Michelin on how best to develop its business in China over the coming decade. The tyremaker may not implement the advice of the teams from Grenoble Graduate School of Business in France, but it finds their input a valuable cross-check for its own strategic development plans.
“Last year, when GGSB students looked at how we should develop our business in India, they came up with proposals that confirmed what we wanted to do,” says Marc Pasquet, Michelin’s recruitment director.
That was a reassuring result, but the company is also seeking fresh ideas. “This year we have tried to ask much more specific and challenging questions,” Mr Pasquet adds.