“We Built Competency Models. They Weren’t Enough.” | Sanofi’s Guillaume Lavoix on Building a Workforce for the AI-Driven Pharma Era
Episode summary
In this episode, Guillaume Lavoix, Global Skills Intelligence Lead at Sanofi, shares how one of the world’s largest pharma companies is embedding skills at the heart of its transformation. Guillaume explains how Sanofi’s “Skills Power” program emerged from a shifting business strategy: moving toward R&D-driven innovation and AI-enabled drug development.
He details the early steps since the original idea in 2023 - from building a global skills taxonomy with over 700 SMEs to piloting employee-driven experiences in career development and learning - and how these moves are preparing Sanofi for workforce automation and new ways of working.
This conversation is essential for HR and business leaders navigating complex transformations while ensuring workforce readiness for the future.
Watch the Episode
Key insights on scaling skills in pharma
Start with the business narrative
Sanofi’s skills journey is grounded in a major strategic pivot: focusing on R&D and AI-driven drug development. Skills data became a natural enabler to prepare the workforce for this future.
Find your allies early
Guillaume emphasizes the importance of strong executive sponsors. Early champions in digital, finance, and R&D became critical pilots for the program.
Make it employee-first
The first use cases prioritized employee experience: personalized career development, skills-based learning, and revamped internal marketplaces.
Structure matters
Sanofi built a transversal program structure with dedicated streams for Talent Acquisition, Learning, Talent Management, Tech Enablement, and Change — all overseen by a central program leadership team.
Prepare for AI’s impact
Automation is changing pharma workflows. Precision in workforce and skills data is now critical for prioritizing which roles, tasks, and activities are best suited for augmentation or reskilling.
About the speaker
As Global Skills Intelligence Lead at Sanofi, Guillaume drives the company’s enterprise-wide “Skills Power” program. He focuses on building a connected skills infrastructure that links workforce data to Sanofi’s business priorities and prepares its 80,000+ employees for the future of work.
Practical takeaways
- Anchor your skills journey in a clear business strategy and communicate it effectively to leadership.
- Build cross-functional ownership: involve HR, business units, and digital partners from day one.
- Use pilots to engage executives and employees early — and showcase quick wins to build momentum.
- Prepare your data and governance now to accelerate AI-driven workforce planning in the future.
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