• Sonepar Distribution (Tuesday)
• Cirque du Soleil (Tuesday)
• Nortel (Thursday)
• Thomson (Thursday)
• FutureU (Friday)
• Instigo (Friday)

SONEPAR DISTRIBUTION 
1999 sales: EUR 5.1 billion, 16200 employees in 26 countries
Company Home Page: http://www.sonepardis.com

Sonepar Distribution is a privately-held group founded as a family concern. Decidedly low-profile and focused on a single core business, Sonepar Distribution is the leading wholesaler of electrical equipment in Europe and North-America. Sonepar Distribution is No. 1 in Europe with 15% market share, No. 2 in Canada and No. 10 in the United States. Sixty-five percent of the group's revenue is outside France. Sonepar's financial strength and shareholder base ensure its long-term survival and continuing expansion at the heart of the electrical equipment industry.

Sonepar understood the implications of an ambitious international development strategy early on. In line with its strategy of being close to the customer, the Group began expanding its presence outside France in 1982. The acquisition of Otra, a Dutch company that was already present in the German market, marked a milestone in Sonepar Distribution's development. This business development strategy has been driven by both internal and external growth, incrementally and selectively, with the aim of understanding and adapting to new markets.

At each step in the process, new teams have been added until, today, with more than two-thirds of revenue is earned outside France, Sonepar Distribution has built the first truly international network. The group encompasses 988 branches and 16,200 people in 26 countries.

The visit to Sonepar will provide us with a direct experience of a company that has managed to grow profitably in the context of an ambitious international and e-business strategy.

Themes: international development, family company, integration of e-business.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL 
1998 sales: $120 million. 1 year sales growth: 16.5%
Employees: 1,400. 1 year employee growth: 7.7%
Company Home Page: http://www.CIRQUEDUSOLEIL.com/
Company Capsule: Hoover's Online
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In the early 1980s, a group of young street performers from Quebec pooled their talent and dreams and founded the "Club des Talons Hauts" or "High-Heels Club", aptly named because most of the performers were stilt-walkers. The Club also featured fire eaters, jugglers and other buskers.

At that time, Quebec did not have a circus tradition like those in European countries. So, the Club members decided to organize a festival where street performers would come together to exchange ideas and techniques. They called this event the "Fête Foraine de Baie St-Paul" (the Baie Saint-Paul Fair). That was all a few visionaries needed to hatch the idea of bringing all this talent together under one roof, or - why not? - a big top! Thus, Cirque du Soleil was born.

Today, Cirque du Soleil presents sold-out circus performances on five continents, including a permanent show in Las Vegas. The Cirque du Soleil does not use animals; it focuses instead on human creativity, daring stunts and hilarious clown performances.

Cirque du Soleil is a Quebec-based organization with international operations in the fields of artistic creation, production, performance and merchandising. The hallmark of Cirque du Soleil's accomplishments is its innovative and transdisciplinary nature. Its pursuit of excellence and sense of challenge have made Cirque du Soleil a recognized leader both in Canada and abroad. In 15 years, Cirque du Soleil has built an amazing team and organization, using unique management approaches, a commitment to community and a dedication to young people around the world.

Themes: from local to global success, how to recruit and train top multicultural talent from around the world, how to achieve extraordinary results with performers from vastly different backgrounds and cultures.

NORTEL 
1999 sales: $22,2 billion. 1 year sales growth: 26.4%
1999 net income: ($170 million)
1999 employees: 76,700. 1 year employee growth: 2.2%
Company Home Page: http://www.nortelnetworks.com/corporate/
Company Capsule: Hoover's Online
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For Nortel Networks, the future of telecommunications is optical. The #2 maker of telecom equipment (after Lucent), the Ontario-based company is a leader in fiber-optic systems for high-capacity networks. Nortel (formerly Northern Telecom) provides communications infrastructure equipment and services for packet-, Internet protocol-, and circuit-based networks, as well as wireless voice, data and broadband systems. It also offers network management, e-business, and customer relationship management software.

Nortel has solidified its position as a top equipment maker through acquisitions, most notably in data networking (where it hopes to challenge Cisco) and fiber optics. CEO John Roth has used Nortel's 1998 $7 billion buy of Bay Networks to transform the company from a staid seller of simple telephone systems to a cutting-edge manufacturer of Internet gear.

During the visit to Nortel, we will focus on the lessons learned by the company in getting teams from around the world to innovate and work together successfully. We will also experience how Nortel is transforming itself into an e-business.

Theme: global management of innovation, integrating e-business into a traditional culture.

THOMSON Corporation 
1999 revenue: $5.8 billion.
Total electronic-based revenues: $2.7 billion.
32000 employees worldwide.
Company Home Page: http://www.thomson.com
Company Capsule: Hoover's Online
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A pioneer in the old print economy (newspapers and publishing house), Thomson helped create the electronic age with early proprietary online systems and CD-ROM products. The company then moved aggressively to capitalize on the reach, customization, and speed of the Internet to deliver additional value to its customers.

The rapid adoption of the Internet has created an opportunity for Thomson to provide customers with Web-based information delivery platforms that make it easier for them to do business. Thomson holds leading positions on a global basis in the information sectors of the legal and regulatory, financial services, scientific, reference, healthcare, education and corporate training markets.

The transformation of Thomson Corporation--from print to electronic to integrated Web-enabled platforms of data and systems that make it easier for customers to do business--has been underway for several years. Today, Thomson is a durable e-brand that brings time-honored business practices and long-term strategic thinking to the electronic economy.

The visit will show us what is possible for an organization that commits itself to an ambitious e-business strategy.

Themes: e-business in action. Transformation from Mortar to Click.

 

Company Home Page: http://www.futureu.com

FutureU is RealChange's partner in the exciting field of e-learning. The two companies work together to help organizations enhance the results of all their professional development efforts through the use of technological-enhanced communication, information delivery, and life-long-learning.

In this presentation, FutureU principals Claude Whitmyer and Gail Terry Grimes will present an introduction to e-learning, how it works, why it's a valuable trend, where to begin, and what to expect in the future.

Themes: exploration of trends in e-education and e-learning tools to build an e-business

INSTIGO Custom Corporate Seminars & Presentations 
Company Home Page: http://www.instigo.com

The menu of possible tools for technology-enriched communication, training, and team building is extensive, and new tools reach the market every day. RealChange and its e-learning partner, FutureU, are always studying the possibilities in order to advise Manutan in choosing the right tools for various purposes.

The developers of one promising tool are based in the Toronto area. Instigo uses streaming audio software, synchronized slides, graphs and charts to present live training seminars over the Web, supplemented by real-time surveys and messaging. By itself, Instigo is not a complete e-learning solution; however, it may be a useful tool, much as learning expeditions represent one part of a larger leadership development program. The site visit will include a demonstration of what this potential vendor has to contribute to a larger overall e-learning initiative by the Manutan Group.

Themes: exploration of possible e-education tools to build an e-business

Note: The final expedition program will depend on the availability of qualified company representatives and the authorization of site visits. Although some contacts and requests for visits and presentations are already confirmed, if any plans fall through we will arrange another visit of equivalent or greater interest.