It is rare, over the course of a career, to meet someone who profoundly transforms the way a team lives and breathes innovation. Lanja Randrianarison is one of those rare sparks — one of those talents that mark a clear before and after.
I had the privilege of working alongside her within the Innovation Department of the AXIAN Group. When she joined, she was taking on her first role as an Innovation Community Builder. Very quickly, driven by an extraordinary thirst for learning, she was already reaching for a new challenge — becoming an Innovation Community Partner. Two demanding roles, both new to her, yet she mastered them with a speed and ease that commanded admiration.
Her singularity?
A rare ability to adapt and excel in constantly changing environments — all while staying true to the very essence of innovation: the creation of connections, the animation of ecosystems, and the art of bringing bold ideas to life.
Where many see obstacles, Lanja sees opportunities.
Where others hesitate, she acts — with conviction and purpose.
Passion as her engine, autonomy as her signature
Lanja possesses that rare gift of turning ambitious initiatives into tangible successes. Passionate about activating the pillars of innovation — that constant challenge that tests both creativity and team resilience — she managed, through her autonomy and vision, to align our projects with the highest international standards.
Her mastery helped evolve our innovation culture program into a model where innovation is no longer a concept, but a daily lived experience.
When creativity becomes a strategic lever
Endowed with boundless creativity and a remarkable ability to turn ideas into action, Lanja profoundly reshaped our approaches.
Under her leadership, our mechanisms for engaging innovative communities underwent continuous and measurable improvement.
Do not hire Lanja to do what has already been done.
Hire her to do what no one has yet dared.
She notably succeeded in transforming an internal innovation challenge into a genuine Open Innovation catalyst, by opening it to external partners from its fourth edition onward — a bold move made possible by her capacity to draw lessons from the field and leverage data to optimize our actions.
The result: one of the most advanced sets of open innovation performance indicators ever developed within a large group.
A lesson in leadership and audacity
Beyond skills, there is the human dimension. Lanja embodies an authentic form of leadership — one that inspires and unites.
Her passion, inner strength, and unwavering commitment have left a deep and lasting mark.
She reminded me of a conviction I now carry as a mantra:
In innovation, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
Lanja does not simply follow the paths already drawn; she creates new ones.
And it is precisely this audacity that makes her a driving force in any environment she steps into.
The legacy of an inspiring collaboration
Working with Lanja means experiencing innovation not as a discipline, but as a human and collective adventure.
She reminds us that behind every project, there are stories, emotions, and people ready to go beyond their own limits.
Thank you, Lanja, for these years of creativity, courage, and inspiration.
A fearless hacker knows no impossibility.