The 9th edition of the EVE International seminar will be held in Evian from October 2 to 4, 2018. Now established as a leader in management programs, EVE was first launched in 2010. Anne Thevenet-Abitbol, its Editorial and Artistic Director, talks about the origins of EVE and its values and “method”.
How did the EVE program first come into being?
Anne Thevenet-Abitbol: The EVE program is a Danone initiative, and it has been supported since its inception in 2010 by its main partners L’Oréal, Orange, Crédit Agricole, KPMG, SNCF and Caisse des Dépôts. Franck Riboud, then CEO of Danone, requested that we create an event that would encourage women to rise through the company’s ranks, and one that would work in partnership with other companies.
EVE is driven by the firm belief that the balance between women and men and the balance within each individual is a way to promote sustainable economic and social performance. The program is driven by the ambition to change people’s ways of seeing and acting, in order to bring about change in our companies.
Where does EVE get its name?
Anne Thevenet-Abitbol: EVE comes from Eve, obviously! You could say that she was the first instigator of change… bringing knowledge to humankind ;-)
But also, because the international edition happens every year in Evian, and it deals with EVolution, changing our established positions. Plus, there are some great EVEnts!
There is a strong symbolic significance in seeing change not as a process but as an incarnation, because being an “EVE” means being part of an identity, playing the role in your daily life, in how you work, living out the spirit of transformation and the culture of balance. To use our motto, it is about “being yourself to unleash your potential”.
Whether the seminar is held in Evian, Singapore, Dakar and soon New York, it is an unforgettable experience. Those who have participated report back not only on their immediate enthusiasm, but also on the fact that it has allowed them to make permanent changes.
