THE HEIRS OF THE ECONOMY. Vincent Bastide, on behalf of the father

Vincent et Guy Bastide : le premier est entré en 1995 dans le groupe fondé par le second en 1977. Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

Founded in 1977 by Guy Bastide, a pharmacist from Nîmes, the group, now listed on the stock exchange, specializes in home health services and the sale and rental of equipment. It's Vincent, the son who is now at the helm.

Guy Bastide remembers it very well. It is even, in his eyes, the founding act of confirmation that, in the minds of his collaborators, he is no longer at the helm of the group than' #39;he founded in 1977.

"People started walking past my office and just casually said hello. They no longer came in. He had just inducted Vincent, his son, at the head of the group. In hindsight, he saw a “quite revealing” attitude.

Guy Bastide decides to get away from his daily life in a pharmacy

When he founded what would become Bastide Confort Médical, Guy Bastide started from an observation: “those with respiratory failure do not benefit from appropriate medical support to their pathology.

He decides to leave his daily routine in the pharmacy to turn to these patients, and allow them to regain their dignity, at home, alongside their loved ones, thus increasing their chances of improving their condition.

Vincent joined the group in 1995

He travels the roads of Gard "to convince hospitals and politicians, interested in this new vision of patient care, but above all to gain the trust of doctors".

The company then takes off and develops. In 1995, Vincent joined it. "I had all the functions of someone who had created a company, with a long-lasting, traditional vision for the company, says Guy. It wasn't for resale.

"People have to rise to the occasion" of the function

The idea of ​​this boss of Aveyron origin is clear, that of passing the reins to his children "if'they were capable of it& ;quot;. For him, things could not be more unavoidable: "in a company, people must live up to their position entrusted to them by management".

And this is valid for everyone. Starting with his son Vincent. Originally, nothing predestined the youngest of Guy's three children to take over from his father. “No one can claim to be an entrepreneur by nature,” he says. The risk still exists.

A father who took up a lot of space

"My father loves his business too much to put it in difficulty", adds Vincent. When he joins the group, the latter must first and foremost “prove to myself that I had the ability to take the reins” quot;. Before proving it to his father.

And then, in his eyes, there is this necessity: "a family transmission, for it to be carried out in good conditions, requires that those concerned have a good relationship with each other". A primordial condition for the son. Especially in the face of a father who took up a lot of space.

"The founder must put his personality on hold"

"The founder of a company is always a guy who has a certain personality, explains Guy Bastide. If he decides to hand over, he must know how to put his personality on hold.

He adds: "often, the founder keeps a strong position, so his importance must decrease at the same time as that of the one we put in place increases". The signs of dubbing of the new leader ? "We see it by the attitude of the collaborators: either they go towards the new, or they continue to go towards the old' ;quot;.

To Vincent "to make a first name"

Guy blazed the trail, wrote the story. To Vincent to "make a first name”. And the least we can say is that he succeeded. The Bastide group is today one of the major players in the health sector in France and Europe.

"The strategy was to bring the group to be present throughout France. Then to take it internationally, says the man who became CEO in 2021. Above all, we changed the strategy: we are putting more emphasis today on the most technical activities, such as respiratory assistance.

"I'm not surprised" by Vincent

It was Guy who, in 1997, initiated the IPO of the group on the stock market. A strong decision and a "relevant tool, but unfortunately subject to hazards". Would Vincent come out of it ? "It would be a strategic choice, he answers. But that would be a shame because we would deprive ourselves of the means to finance our development.

Although he is still present within the group, Guy leaves the reins firmly held by his son. "Vincent has a realistic vision of things", he slips, to analyze his way of leading the group he founded. Is he proud of his son ? "I'm not surprised".

The father's tribute to his son

For the father, the essential is safe. "It has taken on the dimension of the company and ensures continuity". He admits: "I'I am lucky to have a child who one, has skills, two, desire and three, will' ;quot;. The father's tribute to his son.

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