Solina, a seamless management of international business travel

Region

EMEA: Europe, Middle East, and Africa, LATAM: Latin America, NORAM: North America, APAC: Asia-Pacific

Headquarters

Paris, France

Industry

Food

Products Used

• Navan Travel Payments
• Navan Business Travel

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Since 1988, Solina has been developing culinary solutions for savoury food manufacturers around the world. Now a major partner in the agri-food industry, the French company operates in 20 countries across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and South Africa.

The company has grown rapidly, driven by acquisitions and international expansion, and this has brought new challenges — including the management of employee travel. In 2023, the urgent need for a unified solution led Solina to Navan.

Before Navan

For nearly fifteen years, Solina's travel management was fragmented and complex, relying on a mix of several tools and a traditional business travel agency. As the company grew, this approach quickly proved inadequate for achieving global oversight, responsive customer support, and effective multi-currency management.

Limited visibility of travel-related data made it difficult to monitor budgets and make informed decisions. In the event of a problem, travelers could only contact support during limited hours, despite the company operating across several time zones.

The situation called for radical change: Solina needed to find a solution that matched its international ambitions.

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“One of Navan’s strengths is that we can integrate our own travel policy into it: the tool adapts to our culture and or teams.”

Katja Vauken

Executive Assistant & Group Event Manager

The Navan effect

Autonomy and flexibility in global travel

With nearly 1,000 employees traveling regularly to meet prospects, coordinate projects, or visit subsidiaries across multiple continents, Solina needed a solution that prioritized traveler autonomy while maintaining global control. The primary challenge was finding a multilingual platform with effective global, around the clock support.

Solina implemented a “soft” travel policy designed to empower users. If an employee exceeds the authorized spending limit, their manager is automatically notified via email, allowing the booking process to continue uninterrupted. This approach promotes flexibility while maintaining financial visibility.

Travelers are incentivized to choose budget-friendly hotels through rewards that they can then use for their own personal travel. Navan funds these rewards, ensuring Solina benefits from the savings achieved without incurring any extra costs.

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“Navan is highly innovative: the solution evolves alongside our needs.”

Katja Vauken

Executive Assistant & Group Event Manager

A collaborative and continuous rollout

Solina adopted a methodical approach to implementation, focusing on providing tailored employee support and encouraging collective buy-in. 

The rollout began in December 2023 with immersive training sessions built around real-world travel scenarios. This hands-on format allowed employees to test the solution firsthand, fostering trust and open communication.

“Solina regularly adopts new tools. It was important for employees to understand why we chose Navan, and we succeeded in communicating that,” said Katja Vauken, Executive Assistant & Groupe Event Manager.

The result was smooth adoption, driven by clear communication and collective confidence in the new platform.

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“The teams in charge of the project were highly committed, both at Navan and Solina.”

Eric Filliat

Director of Human Resources

IT and HR integrations as a solid foundation 

The successful implementation was further solidified by seamlessly integrating Navan with Solina’s existing IT and accounting systems. Early involvement from the IT department was essential to guarantee data security, connect Navan to internal tools, and manage secure access via Single Sign-On (SSO).

“Navan is now part of the Solina group’s toolkit. For users, organizing and managing travel is all done in one place,” said Katja. This integration provides a unified and efficient experience for all users.

Solina was also meticulous in its approach to integrating its pre-existing accounting system. This was critical given the company’s rapid international development and frequent acquisitions, which regularly introduce new entities and employees. Navan adapted directly to Solina’s specific requirements, managing local payment constraints to guarantee financial rigor and compliance across all global operations.

This close coordination among the IT, HR, and operational teams ensured that security, compliance, and process efficiency were all addressed equally. 

As a result, Solina now benefits from a unified, flexible, and future-proof digital ecosystem.

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“Navan is a partner that shares our values, particularly a culture of customer focus, innovation, and responsibility.”

Eric Filliat

Director of Human Resources

Users as actors of change

Through Navan, Solina has empowered its travelers across Europe and America with the autonomy they need through an intuitive self-service interface and responsive support.

Every 6 months, HR teams host interactive Q&A sessions with local teams to capture feedback and identify areas for improvement. This allows Solina to consistently refine processes and ensures that staff feel heard.

Solina’s successful collaboration with Navan has enabled the company to preserve its ethos while improving processes and lowering costs.

With Navan, Solina has transformed its business travel management. The result: an improved user experience, valuable time savings for teams, and renewed visibility on the travel budget.