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François CARON, a 2002 graduate of IÉSEG, is now Strategic Intelligence Manager at Société Générale. He tells us about his demanding yet exciting role that sits at the crossroads of innovation and strategy.

What does the role of Strategic Intelligence Manager entail?

I’m Strategic Intelligence Manager at Société Générale, in what used to be the Innovation division, now part of the Operations Department. My scope is very broad: it spans 27 business lines across around 60 countries—from traditional B2C and B2B banking to corporate services for large clients, as well as market activities and more specialized areas such as consumer finance, mobility, insurance, transaction banking, and securities services.

I also cover cross-functional topics like emerging technologies (quantum computing, artificial intelligence, generative AI, open banking), ESG issues, and the future of work. My mission is to inform the strategic thinking of the Executive Management, the Executive Committee, the Management Committee, and our digital governance boards.

The job requires both a wide-angle lens and laser-focused insights—on major trends, disruptive players (Big Techs, global banking peers, fintechs), and shifts in the value chain. That means producing strategic briefs, market overviews, and presentations. I also lead an ongoing intelligence-sharing community within the team and across business units.

I represent Société Générale at major industry events—VivaTech, Paris Fintech Week, the Web Summit—and I engage with our partners, including incubators, strategy firms, think tanks, and specialist media.

What skills and competencies are essential for this role?

I’d say the most important competency for this role is intellectual curiosity: a passion for learning, exploring a wide range of industries and professions, and maintaining a critical perspective. I stay constantly informed — during the workday, but also on weekends, holidays, or with family — keeping an eye on current events, weak signals, and emerging trends. Staying ahead of global developments is key to driving innovation and remaining competitive.

Excellent writing skills are also a must. You need to be able to communicate clearly and synthesize complex topics into two impactful pages for the Executive Committee — and ideally, without relying on AI!

Sound judgment is another crucial competency: being able to separate short-lived media buzz from deeper, more meaningful trends that may not yet be on everyone’s radar. The metaverse, for example, was heavily publicized but had little lasting impact. AI is currently booming — and rightfully so, as real adoption is happening — but it’s important to take a step back and stay realistic. Not every promised return on investment will materialize.

Finally, a cross-functional understanding of banking is essential: knowing the various business lines and how they interact. This isn’t an entry-level role — it requires deep knowledge of the ecosystem and a clear understanding of the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses. Société Générale is a global organization with nearly 120,000 employees. It takes time to fully grasp the different areas of the business, but doing so is critical to performing well in this role.

What path led you to this role?

After graduating from IÉSEG, and before joining Société Générale, I worked at several banks, both French and international. That gave me a broad, cross-functional view of the industry. I worked across many areas: retail banking, insurance, transaction banking, corporate banking—always with a focus on project management or developing new offerings.

Today, I have a wide network both inside and outside the organization, which is incredibly valuable in my role. In parallel, I regularly teach courses on financial innovation and entrepreneurship at IÉSEG. I always stress that innovation doesn’t necessarily mean launching a startup: intrapreneurship is a real and viable path—through incubation, corporate venture capital, and more. At Société Générale, thousands of us work on innovation topics—digital, AI, and new services.

What’s the biggest challenge in your job?

I’d say it’s the shifting competitive landscape. In the past, banking intelligence meant tracking the top five French banks. That era is over. Today, we’re competing with a much wider range of players: fintechs, scale-ups, tech giants like Amazon and Google. On certain fronts, our main competitors aren’t other banks like BNP—but Apple, Amazon, or Google.

There’s a fundamental reshaping of the value chain and increasing overlap between industries. Take mobility, for example: carmakers are becoming financial players. More broadly, we’re seeing blurred lines between producers and distributors of services, with the rise of e-commerce and platform economies. That’s why we need to think outside the box and draw inspiration from sectors beyond banking—like retail, telecom, and healthcare.

What advice would you give students who want to follow your path?

Expose yourself to as many areas of business as possible. Nurture your curiosity. Hone your writing skills. Don’t rush to climb the ladder—focus on doing your current job well, and opportunities will follow. Work on your writing voice and style, build your personal brand and network—starting from day one.

What role did IÉSEG play in your career?

I like to say IÉSEG made me a great “ball of modelling clay”—I learned how to adapt to all sorts of environments and situations. Of course, I don’t remember every course, but I retained key skills: structure, adaptability, and critical thinking. Those have always helped me land on my feet in new settings, thanks to the tools and mindset I developed at school.