The raison d'être of Keolis, an operator of plural forms of mobility that are both safe and sustainable, was revealed on March 9, 2021 by CEO Marie-Ange Debon - who took over as head of the Group on August 24, 2020.
A raison d'être enshrined in the company's articles of association
Keolis' raison d'être is the fruit of a participatory process aimed at revealing the meaning and usefulness of its activities. As an operator of multiple forms of mobility, Keolis wished to enshrine its raison d'être in its articles of association, as permitted by article 1833 of the French Civil Code.
Certain of the key role that public transport will play in an inclusive and sustainable economic recovery, and determined to put our know-how to work to meet these challenges, we have given ourselves a raison d'être that bears witness to our commitments.
Marie-Ange Debon, Chairman of the Management Board (March 9, 2021)
An approach that makes the company's raison d'être fully operational and engaging for the management board. Article 14 of the French PACTE Act stipulates that corporate governance must take the company's raison d'être into account when determining its direction and managing its activities.
A global company, a local player: Keolis' 68,500 employees work in 16 countries and operate twelve different mobility solutions. A singular variety of mobility offers to provide tailor-made responses to the needs of territories and passengers: to imagine and deploy safe and sustainable mobility at the service of each territory, for a better quality of life for one and all.
A raison d'être at the heart of Keolis' strategic project
As a committed player in the life of the city, Keolis has decided to make its raison d'être the core of its strategic corporate project. Through this raison d'être, Keolis is reaffirming its vision of plural, safe and shared forms of mobility to bring territories closer together and contribute to local vitality.
Formalizing our Raison d'Être gives us a common message that reflects the very essence of our businesses and our positioning. [...] Above all, it's a roadmap that guides our decisions and actions, and is supported by proactive indicators that enable us to monitor and report.
Marie-Ange Debon, Chairman of the Management Board(integrated report 2020)
The Group asserts its commitment to the public interest, by providing complementary solutions that benefit all its stakeholders: transit authorities, passengers, employees and commercial partners.
Keolis' ambition is to make an innovative contribution at every stage of life by promoting inclusive and responsible modes of transport. That's why KEOLIS has joined forces with many other companies on the Impact.Gouv.fr platform.
A raison d'être that creates shared value for territories, employees, the planet and partners
Through its raison d'être, KEOLIS confirms its promise to contribute to attractive and sustainable territories, to act responsibly for the planet, to develop the skills of its employees & support the transformation of its business lines, and to be a committed partner company.
Thanks to the commitment and skills of its employees, KEOLIS aims to create a value chain that is beneficial to all its stakeholders, engaging for its suppliers, inspiring for its financiers and satisfying for its customers.
Finally, this promise and all the actions implemented (detailed in the integrated 2020 annual report) are backed by 8 of the UN's seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
A reason to be revealed during the presentation of the 2020 results, marked by the Covid-19 crisis.
On March 9, 2021, Marie-Ange Debon revealed Keolis' raison d'être at the 2020 financial results press conference. One year after the breakthrough of the Covid-19 crisis, the subsidiary of SNCF and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) announced results affected by two lockdowns and several months of curfew. A major drop in ridership that has shaken the entire mobility sector.
The announcement of the Group's raison d'être at this time marks the key role that the company places on its social and environmental commitments to contribute to the post-pandemic recovery. To do this, Keolis is relying on solid fundamentals. The company's rigorous management has enabled it to maintain its debt level.
Moreover, despite the economic climate, Keolis won major new contracts such as the operation of the commuter rail network in Adelaide (Australia) and the bus network in Northern Virginia and Washington DC (USA).
