The ability to run a centralized insurance program for a company that is expanding its global reach has been one of Laurent Barbagli's key achievements.

And central to this achievement has been Mr. Barbagli's ability to garner support from Lafarge S.A.'s management and others throughout the company, said Chris Baudouin, CEO of the global client network at Aon Risk Solutions in Chicago, who has worked closely with Mr. Barbagli for many years.

The ability to obtain buy-in and support from senior management within Lafarge to run a centralized program has been key to Mr. Barbagli's success as group risk and insurance manager, Mr. Baudouin said.

Lafarge operates in more than 50 countries and derives about 50% of its revenues from emerging economies, Mr. Baudouin said. A great deal of its expansion into emerging markets has taken place during the past seven or eight years.

“International programs can be difficult to implement,” said Mr. Baudouin, particularly when a company has operations in territories where doing business can sometimes be difficult — such as the Middle East — or where insurance is not as advanced as in other areas.

Mr. Barbagli has recognized the need to work with partners around the world, and to accept and implement advice, Mr. Baudouin said.

“He has balanced the corporate risk philosophy and appetite with the issues that come with trying to implement a philosophy in the rest of the world,” he said. “Laurent has been very good at getting (his) message across to the operating units — that was one way he was able to implement the global optimization project.”

“You need tact and a little hammer,” he said, “and he was able to weigh the occasions where he needed to use one or the other — and the result was big savings for Lafarge.”

Mr. Baudouin said that Mr. Barbagli's ability to work with diverse functions across the company — such as engineering, safety and finance — as well as diverse geographies, where there are differing levels of risk management knowledge and understanding, are testament to his ability to engage and work alongside people and build relationships.