Christian: Guillaume Henri, you’ve been CEO since May. I remember when we first met during the integration – you were COO, neck-deep in operations. Now you’re running the whole show. What’s been different from what you expected?
Guillaume Henri: The pace, honestly. I knew being part of OLX Group would give us resources we didn’t have before, but I didn’t realise how fast things would move. Because you’ve already built the AI infrastructure, the agent playbook, the engineering teams, we’re not starting from scratch. We’re starting from where Standvirtual, Portugal or Otomoto, Poland already are. That means we can deploy features in weeks that would have taken us months – or years – to build on our own.
Christian: That was the whole point of the acquisition. We didn’t want to slow you down. But integrations can be tricky. You worked closely with Philippe during the handover – what did he build here that made this work?
Guillaume Henri: Philippe built trust. With dealers, with the team, with you and OLX leadership. He positioned the acquisition as an opportunity, not a takeover. “We’re getting access to newer technology and more resources, so let’s take this opportunity to grow even further.” That mindset carried over to the team. When I stepped in, people weren’t anxious – they were ready. Philippe was also honest about the challenges. He didn’t pretend everything was perfect. That transparency made the transition smoother.
Christian: I appreciated that about him. And I’ve noticed you’re pretty direct too, which I think is important when you’re working across borders. OLX is global, La Centrale is French, and you’re collaborating with several teams across Europe and South Africa. How do you build trust when everyone’s in different offices?
Guillaume Henri: You start by being honest about what you don’t know. I’m not going to pretend I understand the Polish market better than the Warsaw and Poznan teams. But I do know automotive, I know dealers, and I know how to listen. The OLX teams have been great – they’re not imposing a one-size-fits-all playbook. It’s more like, “here’s what worked in this market, here’s the infrastructure, now how do we adapt it for France?” That respect is mutual. And the AI work has been a strong connector. When our engineers are collaborating with OLX engineers on the same pricing models or agent framework, the collaboration happens organically.
Christian: Let’s talk about that AI work. You’ve been deploying OLX’s agentic AI across the Pilot suite – pricing intelligence, inventory management, lead automation. All of that is built on infrastructure OLX already developed. What’s the reaction from dealers?
Guillaume Henri: The feedback from dealers has been extremely positive. Pricing was already a core part of Pilot, and we are now able to move faster and expand our ambition across the entire vehicle lifecycle, from sourcing the right vehicles, which is critical for dealers, to creating stronger listings and optimising stock performance.
By combining La Centrale’s automotive intelligence with OLX’s AI capabilities and scale, we are building more than a suite of tools: an intelligent partner that can help dealers make better decisions at every stage and fundamentally improve the way they manage and grow their business.
Christian: That’s the right approach. AI has to solve real problems, not just be a feature you bolt on. What’s next on the innovation front? And I know most of it comes from what we’re already building at OLX Group.
Guillaume Henri: Video is the big one. We will soon launch OLX’s Ad2Video and Video2Ad. Ad2Video is already working in other markets, so now we bring it to France. Video2Ad will be launched in France first, then taken to other OLX markets.
Creating a video ad normally takes time and resources most dealers don’t have. With Ad2Video, they turn a listing into a professional video in seconds. That changes engagement. On the consumer side, we’re simplifying the buying journey. French buyers feel overwhelmed by choice, so thanks to OLX’s AI expertise, La Centrale accelerate its innovation to guide them to the right car faster. The infrastructure exists – we’re applying it to automotive and deepening our vertical expertise.
Christian: I know you’re a mountain climber. I’m going to ask the obvious question – do you see parallels between climbing and leading La Centrale?
Guillaume Henri: (laughs) I know, it sounds like a business school case study. But yes, there are parallels. When you climb, you need a clear objective – the summit. But the route changes based on conditions. Weather, terrain, equipment. You adapt. La Centrale is similar. Our objective is clear: strengthen La Centrale’s leadership as France’s specialist automotive platform and set a new standard for the experience we provide to dealers and consumers. But the path evolves. The market shifts, OLX builds new capabilities, technology changes. We stay focused on the objective and adapt the route.
Christian: That makes sense. And I think the vertical expertise angle is key. We’re not trying to be a generalist platform. We’re trying to be the best at automotive. Last question, and it’s personal. You’ve recently welcomed your fourth child. Congratulations! How do you balance this role with being present at home?
Guillaume Henri: It’s not easy, Christian. I won’t pretend it is. But I’ve learned balance doesn’t mean 50-50 every day. Some weeks work needs more, some weeks family needs more. The key is presence. When I’m with my kids, I’m with them. When I’m in a meeting, I’m there. Being a parent actually makes me a better leader. You learn patience, you learn you can’t control everything, you learn to celebrate small wins. My kids don’t care about our revenue targets – they care if I’m at their tennis match. That perspective keeps me grounded and reminds me the people I work with have full lives too.
Christian: Good note to end on. Thanks for the time, Guillaume Henri. Looking forward to seeing how the team keeps building on this success.
Guillaume Henri: Thanks, Christian. Let’s keep moving forward.
