Innovation is a buzzword in big companies. It’s everywhere - in mission statements, marketing campaigns, and corporate strategies. But when you look beneath the surface, something doesn’t add up. Companies pour millions into innovation programs, hire top agencies, and set ambitious goals. Yet, many of these efforts barely make an impact.
Why? Because the way innovation happens inside corporations is far messier than most people realize.
To unpack this, we sat down with Agathe Blanchon-Ehrsam, VP of Plant-Based Growth Strategy and Innovation at Danone. Agathe has been on both sides of the table. She spent 17 years in consulting as a partner at Vivaldi, advising Fortune 500 companies on strategy and innovation. Now, she’s in-house, responsible for turning those strategies into reality.
In our conversation, Agathe pulled back the curtain on what really goes on inside large companies, the unexpected challenges of making innovation work in-house, and why the skills she developed in consulting were both an advantage and a hurdle.
For years, Agathe had no plans to go in-house. She built her career helping businesses uncover new market opportunities and transform their brands. But after nearly two decades in consulting, she started to feel the gap between strategy and execution.
“I wanted to think about how to be part of change, to find new ways of impacting people’s lives,” she shared.
That realization led her to Danone, where she now leads innovation and growth strategy for its plant-based division.
The shift was more than just a change in job title. It completely transformed how she thought about innovation. In consulting, the focus was always on identifying the best opportunities. In-house, the only opportunities that matter are the ones you can actually execute.
When external consultants design an innovation strategy, they focus on big questions: Where are the growth opportunities? How should the company position itself? What investments should be made?
But when you move in-house, you quickly realize that strategy is just one piece of the puzzle. Execution is where things get complicated.
Inside large companies, innovation isn’t just about finding the right opportunities. It’s about navigating a complex system of internal processes, incentives, and decision-making structures. Even the best idea will fail if the right teams aren’t aligned to make it happen.
“You spend 20% of your time on strategy and 80% making sure people buy into it.”
That’s where most corporate innovation efforts break down. Leaders assume that if they have a strong strategy, execution will follow. But in reality, execution requires influencing multiple stakeholders, securing cross-functional buy-in, and ensuring that an idea fits within operational constraints.
Companies love to talk about innovation, but the execution is another story. Too often, internal processes, competing priorities, and organizational inertia get in the way.
When you’re external, you underestimate how much the system dictates what’s possible. Inside, you realize that even the best idea won’t survive if you don’t have the right internal alignment
Here’s where companies go wrong:
Ideas Over Execution: Innovation teams focus too much on generating ideas and not enough on making them work within the company’s constraints.
Lack of Internal Buy-In: If leadership, finance, and operations aren’t on board, even the most promising initiative will stall.
Short-Term Thinking: Many companies expect innovation to deliver quick wins instead of investing in sustained, long-term efforts.
That’s why Agathe spends more time influencing stakeholders and aligning teams than she does coming up with new ideas
A single innovation project won’t change a company. Real growth requires a structured system for identifying, developing, and scaling new opportunities.
To make innovation work inside a large company, organizations need to:
Secure full leadership commitment. If the CEO and board aren’t fully behind it, don’t waste your time.
Align teams around long-term growth goals. Innovation only succeeds when incentives and priorities are in sync across departments.
Build a system, not just a project. Growth isn’t a one-off initiative. It requires dedicated teams, repeatable processes, and sustained investment.
“Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It has to be embedded into how the company operates.”
Despite now leading a growth strategy in-house, Agathe still sees a critical role for external partners. But she believes consultancies need to rethink how they work with corporate teams.
The best consulting partners don’t just deliver ambitious strategies and then walk away. They help companies bridge the gap between vision and execution. They understand internal constraints and help navigate the complexity of making an idea work within a corporate environment.
“I love working with agencies because they stretch our thinking. But the best ones understand our internal realities and adapt their approach accordingly.”
At the end of the day, innovation isn’t just about big ideas. It’s about having the right people in place to turn those ideas into reality.
A company’s ability to drive growth depends on whether it has the right talent—people who can connect strategy to execution, influence internal stakeholders, and manage the complexity of bringing new initiatives to market.
That’s why companies turn to Bamboo Crowd.
Bamboo Crowd specializes in finding top-tier talent who can do exactly that. From growth strategists to venture builders, we connect companies with the people who don’t just talk about innovation—they make it happen.
If you’re serious about turning innovation into real business impact, it starts with hiring the right team. Contact Bamboo Crowd today to find the talent that will drive your next stage of growth.