Guy Burkhardt presents a conference-show that is dynamic, full of anecdotes, and real-life examples.

Ex-CEO, ex-journalist, ex-comedian, passionate about customer service and management, Guy Burkhardt’s nickname is “The customer booster”. He has a reputation for turning companies into higher-performing, more attractive and more pleasant businesses, through innovative, inspiring and humorous interventions.

His ideas come from his personal success and bring about a wake-up call, a shake, an awareness and an action. He gives concrete examples and advice that are easy to follow and implement in every sector of activity. He explains how he succeeded in creating and restructuring companies bordering bankruptcy and how he changed human relations within his own companies.

His ideas have allowed him to obtain financing, qualified collaborators, the best relationships with the authorities and the administration, and always more loyal customers.

President of an association in charge of helping CEO’s in the southwest of France, Guy Burkhardt has worked for many years to pass on his best management and customer service tips, in order to help companies grow their client base and keep them on the long term. He has trained close to 2000 people to various positions, and more specifically managers and directors.

Guy Burkhardt has always favored human values as the main hiring criteria in his companies because, he says, “in a team, the most important thing is friendship, harmony and mutual aid. Not skills, which can be learned afterwards through training.”

What people say about him:

• “I have known Guy Burkhardt for a long time, and I have always enjoyed his particular mix of originality and efficiency, a rare combination. His success, in his personal life as well as in business, prove his well-known qualities. Guy Burkhardt is an original speaker full of energy and ideas.” Philippe Douste-Blazy, Under Secretary General at the UN, Chairman of UNITAID
• “Guy Burkhardt is an optimistic businessman who proved he could overcome difficulties, innovate, dynamize but also enrich his companies in a spirit of respect of the human being. I strongly recommend this speaker.” Luc Simonet, President of the “Ligue des Optimistes du Royaume de Belgique”
• “Guy Burkhardt taught me everything I know. He was an inspiring boss who gave me the tools to manage successfully my own businesses.”Jean-Claude Pouey, business owner

Check Guy’s work as a professional speaker. Click here to view Guy’s speaker profile.

PUBLICATIONS:

BOOKS:

• “Aime ton client comme toi-même”, is easy to read and provides useful tips followed by the biggest international companies.

HIS LAST CONFERENCES:

• Paris: Convention Nationale de l’Association Française des Conférenciers Professionnels
• Bruxelles: Ligue des optimistes du Royaume de Belgique
• Waterloo: Bogaerts International School.

HIS PROFILE:

• 2004: after the conglomerate Carrefour bought Promodès, another supermarkets group, Guy Burkhardt decided to sell his business to Carrefour.
• 1997: he buys the conglomerate Bigourdis in Bagnères de Bigorre, which was on the brink of bankruptcy, and incorporates the retailers into his own group (34 m€, more or less 200 employees). Despite the numerous complications and a strong competition, the turnover showed a 50% raise and the yearly profit was almost 500 000 €, thanks to Guy Burkhardt’s know how.
• 1993: he buys a rival of the supermarket group Coop, and incorporate it into his companies in Argelès-Gazost.
• 1991: He creates the company “Distral Ayzac” in Ayzac-Ost, a 1600 square meter supermarket which will impede rivals from setting up in the area for many years.
• 1986: he creates the “Société Esquièzéenne de supermarchés”, company which will receive the best yielding score of its name brand in France, with a 10,34% net margin (before tax).
• 1985: he creates the “Société Pyrénéenne de Supermarchés” and buys a bankrupted supermarket which will later turn the highest profit per square meter in its brand name (76 m€/m² in 1989).
• 1980: he leaves Paris and his job as a journalist to go into supermarkets. He begins as an employee in the southwest of France, next to Tarbes.
• 1978:  he started working for Filipacchi, the biggest French media group. As a journalist for the weekly publication “Salut” (ex- Salut les copains), he travelled all over Europe and interviewed the biggest stars of the moment (Boney M, Abba, Plastique Bertrand, Kate Bush, Status Quo, Van Halen, Balavoine, the band Téléphone, etc..)
• 1978: Journalist and photographer for the weekly publication “Salut” (ex-Salut les copains), “Ok Magazine” and occasionally “Paris-Match”.
• 1976: assistant manager on Denis Island, Seychelles
• 1975: Comedian in California

Guy Burkhardt has helped several charities, such as “l’Armée du Salut” and “Le Volontariat” in India (an association trying to improve production in a former leprous village).Guy Burkhardt is a member of the AFCP – Association Française des Conférenciers Professionnels (a French association of professionnal speakers) and of the GSF – Global Speakers Federation.

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