He created the original Pandarens and still works with Blizzard, so really they might as well be one in the same.
Didier has a heavy fixation on pandas, which he explains in the launch episode of BlizzCast, among other things;
"...for some reason, I decided to do like a panda guy because, actually, also like 'Samwise', 'Panda' is my nickname because I’m kind of a big hairy bear dude, but I’m not very fearsome. <Laughs> So I got the nickname “Panda.”"
Through this personal link, Didier became responsible for the creation of the pandaren, a race originally regarded by fans — and used by Blizzard — as a " April Fools joke", but still with legitimacy within the lore. He had originally created the race for his daughter soon after her birth.
Among other things, panda icons also appeared accompanying much of Samwise's art, and could be seen in Warcraft III as the emblem adorning night elf demon hunters' warblades. Much of the pandaren culture, dress, society, and weapons were inspired by samurai and Hong Kong martial arts films, both of which Didier greatly appreciates.