International CFO

SYSCO (US listed company) - Global leader in B2B food production and distribution (2020 sales: $53bn, 57 000 FTE)
Perimeter : CFO France (€1.1bn sales, 4 000 FTE)

Key responsibilities

• Executive Committee member, management of a team of 130 over 3 main locations
• Full financial scope, plus real estate and indirect procurement

Key achievements

• Took part in 5-year strategic turnaround plan and execution
• Large business and ERP (SAP) integration and transformation project
• Finance reorganisation and transformation into a business partner function
• Complete review and implementation of updated KPIs, budget process, tools (BI) and performance monitoring governance
• Led the company refinancing project (€400m) and structural cost saving initiatives (€7m)

(US listed) - Global leader in water, hygiene products & services (2018 sales: $15bn, 49 000 FTE)

($750m sales, 2 800 FTE)

Key responsibilities

• 3 countries (France, Belgium, Netherlands), 40 legal entities, $28bn balance sheet, leading a team of 52 over 12 locations
• Member of the Western Europe management team and the Europe Finance leadership team
• US Gaap & statutory accounting, tax, compliance, internal control, legal & contracts, function controlling, credit management

Key achievements

• Financial integration of a major acquisition ($300m sales)
• Team development and reorganisation, including recruitment of country finance leaders
• SOx implementation
• Successful management of complex tax audits and legal restructuring

REXEL (LBO/listed) – Global leader in distribution of electrical supplies (2017 sales: €13bn, 27 000 FTE)

Rexel Belgium (€340m sales, 600 FTE, 35 branches)

Key achievements

• Executive Committee member, led a team of 31 in an internal/external growth context supported by ecommerce development (to 30% of sales)
• Responsibilities included statutory and management accounting and reporting, budgeting/forecasting, tax, AP, AR, credit management, treasury, audit, legal, m&a, contract management and pricing
• Transformed and digitalised credit management processes: 20% reduction in overdues, decrease in DSO and bad debt
• Cash flow optimisation: cash collection procedures (€2m), procure to pay cycle (€1m), year-end supplier rebate negotiation (€3m)
• Supervision role over the Rexel Netherlands CFO (2015 sales: €210m) in the context of a turnaround plan
• Designed and implemented a tool to rationalise pricing and enhance margin (€0.7m yearly EBIT impact)

M&A

• Coordinated legal and financial sides of 2 acquisitions (sales: €65m), with tight closing and merging deadlines
• Conducted valuation, due diligence, negotiation, signing, merger, integration and synergy delivery

(160 branches, £200m sales, 1 000 FTE)

Transformation projects

• Successfully took over from senior FD, managed and developed a team of 25
• Executive Committee member, led the company in turnaround mode to multiply its EBIT by three in 2010
• Recommended and supported restructuring plans, including a 12% staff reduction and network optimisation
• Improved DSO and limited bad debt exposure
• Developed internal control through process design, monitoring and communication

Credit management

• Formalised credit limit request process, implemented escalation process and monitored service levels
• Reviewed collection targets and overdue analysis

Controlling/Reporting

• Performed monthly review of management accounts and reviewed closing options with CFO
• Produced monthly business review comments to Group
• Improved forecasting tools, built annual budgets, forecasts and 3-year plans
• Reviewed tax calculations

M&A

• Successfully coordinated a £6m acquisition from initial desk analysis to financial integration, including financial and legal due diligence, price and SPA negotiation, closing and production of pro-forma financials ; liaised with both internal and external parties
• Following acquisition, took responsibility for the incoming finance team of 6
• Designed and implemented accounting and reporting process to meet Group requirements

ERP project

• Took responsibility for assessing integrity and consistency of gross margin calculation and control

Reporting/Forecasting

• Analysed and challenged monthly reporting, budgets and forecasts from international subsidiaries (Europe, Latin America) through direct access to local CFOs (7 countries, €700m sales)
• Controlled compliance with Group reporting rules and procedures
• Took part in monthly business review meetings with Group top management

Projects

• Followed up subsidiaries' local projects (acquisitions, restructuring) and transversal projects (IFRS adoption, reporting model, costs by function, raw material sensitivity analysis)

M&A

• Analysed targets, participated in Group Investment Committee
• Modeled acquisition scenarios and impacts on forecasts and debt rating

Corporate and Investment Banking

• Produced and presented credit requests for UK clients to the Credit Committee
• Performed financial analysis, cash-flow modelling, industry and market research

Leading European retailer

• Controlling department of a regional subsidiary (150 supermarkets, €1bn sales)
• Monthly closing, implementation of an investment valuation tool to assess network development projects