Missions De Direction en Asie-Pacifique

I founded this Company to provide services in Asia (www.micolia.com)

8,000 employees, Sales over 1 Billion Euros

Full responsibility of strategy and P&L for Somfy activities in Asia-Pacific. Organization is based on a regional Head-Quarter (Hong-Kong), providing back-office support (Finance, Marketing, HR and IT) and legal entities based in the countries. The geographical scope of “Asia-Pacific” has been adjusted along several re-organizations, acquisitions and divestments.

Jan 2010 – July 2019: scope includes all Asia-Pacific excluding Mainland China.

It was composed of more than 10 distribution Companies organized in “Business Units”: Somfy Japan, Somfy Korea, Somfy Australia, Somfy Hong-Kong/Taiwan, Somfy Singapore, Somfy Thailand, Somfy India and i-Home (an acquisition in the field of Smart Home, based in Bangkok)

Current perimeter represents over 50 Million Euro and around 180 people.

Main achievements :

• Sustainable growth around 8 to 10% on Asia-Pacific perimeter with an increased profitability.
• Driving key growth factors (critical in a more volatile environment) :
  • Investment in specifications (Architects, Interior Designers, Property Developers, Hotel Chain Operators) to address Project segment (Commercial Buildings and Hospitality)
  • Marketing driven strategies to develop retail networks (curtain shops, Furnishing Stores, Lighting stores)
  • Opening new channels : System Integrators and Developers
  • Opening online sales to access consumers directly
• Building and successfully executing a turnaround plan for a new start-up acquired in the field of Smart Home. This acquisition opened a new channel to Developers in South-East Asia, leveraging Group solutions.
• Implementing an aggressive multi-brand strategy to address the “low-end” segment of the market and regain market share over Chinese Competition.
• Restructuring of Somfy Australia following a downside period (2010-12) to recover an annual growth over two digits in past 5 years. It involved a transformation of our Marketing strategies, re-engineering of our processes and a change of Management. Strong success in particular on launching a new service focusing on turn-key solutions for Commercial Building projects.
• Divestment of i-Blind (Korea) through a MBO, in order to re-focus the Group on its core activity, and adjust to changing market conditions
• Divestment of “Energy Eye” (U.S.A), a Company based in California in the field of Energy Management for the Hospitality market. Although outside Asia-Pacific perimeter, the Group asked me to build and manage a turn-around plan for this loss-making start-up. After analysis, the Company was divested.
• As our environment is changing rapidly linked to IoT, I built a new strategic plan based on a few key transformations, either organic or requiring acquisitions. This new plan is now being rolled-out, based on an aggressive Brand Strategy and distribution investments to reinforce the penetration of our key channels and secure market access.
• In order to self-finance as much as possible the above plan, I need to achieve the maximum productivity from our core businesses, and I redefined the key metrics to ensure a better alignment of strategies and a more efficient execution
• Building Regional Strategic Partnerships to support our strategies such as with JLL (John Lang Lasalle) to bring added-value solutions to their clients or EzVille (a subsidiary of GS Construction in Korea) to complement our control solutions for high rise residential markets.

Sept 99 – Dec 2009 : Scope included Mainland China.

I was based in Hong-Kong between Sept 99 and Dec 2001, but half of our sales turnover was in Japan, which was going through a difficult period. I moved to Japan from 2002 to 2004, and moved back to Hong-Kong end 2004 to set-up a new Regional Headquarter, after successful re-structuring of our Japanese subsidiary.

End 1999, our Company was only present in 5 countries : Japan, Australia, Korea, Hong-Kong and Singapore.

At the end of the period, we had set-up 4 new Distribution Companies (China, India, Thailand and Taiwan) as well as several Representative Offices (Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines), and negotiated a new production JV in China.

In 2010, Sales were around 45 Million Euro, and around 250 people (excluding production).

Main achievements :

• Achieved an average growth of +10%/year in the period on same perimeter (excluding Chinese JV), mostly driven by “emerging countries”
• Restructured Somfy Japan (2001), following “unethical issues” involving management, and managing directly the subsidiary for one year
• Setting-up Representative office in China, and a fully owned subsidiary a few years later, with very rapid growth and a staff around 50 people in 2010 (offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing and Chengdu were created over this period)
• Setting-up fully owned subsidiary in India, with the development of a new activity in the Vehicle Access segment (Parking solutions, Security solutions for Public Buildings and Hotels)
• Setting-up a new subsidiary in Thailand to boost our Sales in South-East-Asia
• Creating a new Company in Korea (-Blind) to focus on the development of Turn-Key projects in large Commercial Buildings (full solutions with Façade Management solutions)
• Member of the negotiation team for acquiring a majority stake in a Joint-Venture in China (approx. 5M Euros sales and 300 staff) involved in sales and production of tubular motors. I have managed this JV for the first year after acquisition (before it be integrated with the Group Industrial Division). One of the major challenge has been the transition to a new Company culture … as the partner was coming from a “previous state-owned company” and never been exposed to “Western management culture”. Sales were 80% export, and I secured the Company growth through negotiation of new contracts with major distributors (Turkey and Germany).
• Note : Around 2010, the Group made some major acquisitions in China (acquiring Dooya, a Chinese Company of around 1,500 people), and decision is made to re-organize and split the region into two Business Areas (Asia-Pacific and China)

Heading a 15 persons division, in charge of analyzing corporate strategy, brand and product portfolio management: market surveys, definition of product strategy and product specifications, development, follow-up and launching with our 18 subsidiaries worldwide.

Main achievements : Coping with an increasingly challenging competitive environment, we have re-defined our segmentation and the product offer, moving from a “product-driven” to a “solution driven” strategy by application, and a marketing approach centered on the end-user.

Definition and supervision of Regional Marketing and sales strategies. Supervised US, Japanese, Korean Singapore and Australian subsidiaries.
Main achievements : Conducted Market researches in China, leading to several discussions of Joint-Ventures.

In charge of Group’s acquisition projects, and Long Term Plan definition (including integration of acquired Companies)

Main achievements :

• Acquisition of SIMU, previously a SOMFY competitor, that allowed to consolidate our market share and strategic position in Europe. SIMU was at that time a major acquisition for SOMFY (approximately 400 Million French Francs), increasing Group sales by more than 20%
• Acquisition of 33% of FAAC (Italy), along with the negotiation of commercial and industrial partnerships. FAAC is the leader of the Gate motorization market, a segment where Somfy wishes to stretch its activity.
• Acquisition of SPIREL, France, previously a sub-contractor, allowing to improve our competitiveness and to secure sourcing of a strategic component.

300 Employees, 40 Million Euro

Water supply projects for many Indonesian towns, and Environmental studies about river pollution issues.

Responsible for engineering studies, from field surveys to technical file for tender, and construction work supervision for the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works.

I developed a methodology and built a computer software that allowed us to train in record times our local engineers, and keep a very ambitious time schedule.

50 employees

Water resource assessment project for the Eastern Abidjan aquifer. Various water supply and public utilities projects. Urban rehabilitation projects for inland towns.