Lagardère Travel Retail has 4,971 stores in 51 countries. What governance surrounds AI?
Lagardère France is a subsidiary within a global entity called Lagardère Travel Retail. AI projects raise questions of security and data-related challenges, restricting the degree of freedom compared to at a corporate level. At a global level, two people are responsible for AI within the Strategy Department. They monitor, build awareness, test tools and launch projects for cross-functional use cases, which are then made available to all. In France, in April 2025, we launched an AI ambassadors club. This was introduced alongside our switch to a new ERP, moving to SAP. AI is developing in a context where IT teams face a tight bandwidth.
What is the role of these AI ambassadors?
The first club, ‘Active AI Friends’, brings together 15 enthusiasts for an hour every two weeks. The number of places is limited so each member can make a real contribution. The core group is about 5 people. This club brings together all company functions and generations. Some focus on video, others on artistic creation or data. The second club, ‘Informed AI Friends’, involves 70 people from the 350 head office staff, and meets two to three times per year.
