From Complexity to Empowerment: Airbus’ Approach to Decentralized Leadership: Paul Coignec

💡 Episode Key Insights

• From Intern to Regional HR Leader [00:02:00]
Paul reflects on his 12-year journey at Airbus—from starting as an intern in France to leading HR and Health & Safety across 11 APAC countries, shaping a people-first culture.

• Decentralizing HR: Empowering Local Leaders [00:09:00]
Paul explains Airbus’ move from centralization to empowerment—giving local managers autonomy to address complexity and engagement at the team level.

• Leadership University: Developing 150 Leaders a Year [00:11:00]
Airbus’ decentralized Leadership University trains regional leaders to solve engagement issues and embody company values, ensuring leadership readiness at every level.

• Balancing AI and Humanity in HR [00:20:00]
Paul outlines Airbus’ AI charter—using technology to enhance efficiency and identify future skills, not to replace jobs, ensuring ethical digital transformation.

•  Resilience as a Competitive Advantage [00:22:00]
He shares how Airbus trains employees with mental resilience programs led by ex–special forces experts, emphasizing preparation, wellbeing, and sustained performance.

 

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Navigating Complex Human Relations: Airbus’ Decentralized Approach

In the ever-evolving aerospace industry, managing a global workforce efficiently is no small feat. Paul Coignec, Head of HR and Health and Safety, Asia Pacific at Airbus, emphasizes how decentralizing decision-making is pivotal to navigating complexities within the organization. In the HR Impact Show podcast, Paul explains, 

“We try more and more to decentralize and to empower the local management to make sure that we have the opportunity to have this kind of talks or this kind of employee engagement measurements at team level."

Empowering local management transforms Airbus's ability to maneuver through intricate HR challenges, such as lengthy decision-making processes and operational complexities. By delegating more autonomy, accountability does not solely rest on top-tier management, thus fostering a more dynamic, responsive organizational structure. This approach allows Airbus’s regional teams to address their unique challenges directly and implement solutions that resonate with their specific contexts.

Moreover, the focus on authentic connectivity and straightforward problem resolution reinforces Airbus's ethos of maintaining robust leadership development frameworks, ensuring managers are equipped to manage their teams effectively. Paul's insights underscore the larger implication that decentralized management could serve as a model for other global corporations aiming to improve employee engagement operationally.

 

Leadership Innovation: Bridging Skill Gaps with Airbus' University

Airbus's commitment to its workforce’s professional development is manifest in its Leadership University. This initiative aims to cultivate a broad spectrum of leadership capabilities, irrespective of an employee’s current role or managerial status. Paul shares, "The leadership university by design is open to all, so you don't have to be a people manager to access to a training provided by the leadership university."

The openness and inclusivity of the Leadership University reflect Airbus's broader strategy of preparing its workforce for imminent industry changes. In a sector facing rapid technological advancement, nurturing internal talent is vital for sustaining competitive advantage. Airbus employs a two-tier approach: general skill-building available to all, and specialized training for its "accelerated developers." This dual strategy ensures coverage across all leadership potential, aligning talent development with Airbus's overarching goals of innovation and sustainability.

The Leadership University’s role in bridging skills gaps highlights the increasing importance of ongoing education within corporations. By fostering an ecosystem where growth and learning are continuous, Airbus exemplifies how organizations can proactively shape their future talent landscapes to meet evolving industry demands.

 

Fostering Resilience and Wellbeing: Mental Health as a Corporate Imperative

Airbus's strategy goes beyond traditional employee assistance programs (EAPs) by embedding resilience training into its offerings. Paul states, 

"We decided at the beginning of last year to train them with an ex-special forces doctor from Australia and to treat them basically as a commando or as athletes."

This innovative approach to mental health and resilience training underscores the company’s dedication to safeguarding its employees’ wellbeing. By leveraging expertise from high-stakes fields—such as special forces—Airbus provides unique, impactful strategies for stress management and psychological preparedness. Employees thus become mentally fortified to handle professional challenges, akin to athletes preparing for high-pressure competitions.

Furthermore, the focus on proactive mental health support, coupled with robust follow-up coaching, ensures that employees feel supported continuously, rather than just during crises. This sustained approach enhances the broader organizational culture, fostering a workforce that is both mentally resilient and engaged.

Reconceptualizing mental health support reflects a significant shift within modern workplaces, emphasizing that tangible actions and dedicated resources must accompany corporate well-being rhetoric.

 

Related Resources

• Connect with Paul Coignec

• Connect with Dorothy Yiu

• Join the HR Impact community: Sign Up

 

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MEET OUR GUEST

Paul Coignec

 

Paul Coignec is the Head of HR and Health and Safety, Asia-Pacific at Airbus Singapore, a position he has held since February 2023. In this capacity, together with his team, he leads the HR strategy and operations across all business units and divisions, supporting over 3,500 employees across 11 countries. With a strong emphasis on people, culture, and organizational development, Paul plays a pivotal role in fostering a high-performing and inclusive workplace environment.

A passionate advocate for the human side of business, Paul is deeply committed to building a culture where employees feel valued, engaged, and empowered. His passion extends beyond traditional HR boundaries - he also oversees workplace safety, health, and wellbeing initiatives, ensuring that employees not only thrive professionally but also enjoy a safe and supportive work environment. He believes that a holistic approach to employee experience  - one that integrates physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing - is key to sustaining high performance and innovation.

Having started his career at Airbus in France, Paul has grown with the organization, taking on a variety of HR roles across different functions and geographies. This breadth of experience has given him a deep understanding of the company's culture, operations, and people, making him a trusted advisor to the business and its leaders. Paul has a keen eye on preparing future-ready leaders who can navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing business landscape, and is passionate to redefine what the future of work looks like - placing flexibility, purpose, and capability-building at the core.

Through his leadership, Paul continues to champion initiatives that not only align with business goals but also enrich the employee experience, ensuring that Airbus remains an employer of choice.