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Management Project

Location:
Chevy Chase, MD, 20815
Posted:
August 15, 2011

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Resume:

Apollinaire Amondji, Executive MBA

**** ***** ***** **** *****, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815

Home: 301-***-****, Mobile phone: 301-***-****, Email:

***********.*******@*****.**

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER / FINANCE CONTROLLER

Results oriented professional with 14 years experience in international

business operations in the IT industry, capable of bringing to your

organization the necessary financial leadership to execute a successful

global strategy

Utilize keen analysis, proven ability to multitask and to work on cross-

functional teams in a matrix organizational structure to improve value

creation and business processes. Superior interpersonal skills, capable

of showing leadership in a multicultural environment and a

multidisciplinary team.

Proven areas of expertise include:

. Bilingual French and English with conversational Spanish

. Operations Management

. Financial planning and analysis

. Budget development and management

. Project Earned Value Management System

. Revenue Recognition

. International consolidation accounting

. Significant large scale ERP and reporting tools knowledge and use:

Oracle, BusinessObjects, Hyperion

. Linear/Integer programming and queuing analysis software knowledge:

Storm

. MS Office suite

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Bull, 1997 to 2011

Bull is a leading European IT company which covers the entire IT value

chain. With a revenue of $1.6 billion and a total headcount of 8,600

people, Bull provides hardware and systems solutions (Bull's Tera 100 is

the most powerful supercomputer ever designed and developed in Europe and

the world's 3rd most powerful supercomputer), services and solutions

(services and solutions integration, product related services, third party

maintenance). Bull is a publicly traded company on Euronext Paris stock

exchange. For additional information, please visit www.bull.com

Finance Controller, Telecom Services Business Unit,

Bull Consulting and Solutions division, Les Clayes-Sous-Bois, France,

2008 to 2011

Recruited following an external-internal advertised search to provide

financial leadership of tax, treasury, risk, and profit management to a

fast growing Business Unit specializing in value added services and

solutions integration, which was expanding its activities primarily in

emerging countries (Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the

Caribbean). Accountable for $60 million operations and 229 staff.

Challenged to improve EBIT and accelerate cash flows.

Notable Achievements:

. Managed the financial aspects of the monthly operational review (EVM

techniques) of all projects in the portfolio with revenue over $1

million, including early identification of deviations on projects,

suggesting efficient corrective actions to be taken, accelerating cash

collection, closely monitoring projects in a crises situation and

adjusting the projects follow up financial data accordingly.

. Saved over $1.3 million potential loss in the 1st half 2010, through

increased withholding tax awareness on overseas projects and change

requests negotiation.

. Reduced the number of "bleeding projects" from 5 to 2 in 1.5 years

through a tight monitoring process for projects in a crises situation.

. Reduced the past due over 60 days by 75% in 6 months, particularly on

overseas clients by quickly resolving tax and invoices related

disputes. Collected $1.5 million of disputed invoices from one of our

Middle East clients, $1 million from our Mauritius clients and $0.4

million from one of our Caribbean clients in the 1st half 2010.

. Lead the monthly, quarterly and annual financial closing process,

including revenue recognition for a variety of projects (fixed price

projects, time and material projects, third party maintenance

projects), unbilled revenue review, provide feedback on the key

performance indicators, conduct forecast and variance analysis.

. Play a decisive role in the presales cycle by providing bid teams with

financial support for every new tender application, including rate of

return and risk assessment, cash flow analysis, subcontractors and

partnership negotiation and review, and tax screening, primarily for

overseas projects.

. Implemented a tax screening mechanism in our "go or no go" Business

Commitment Review decision making process, primarily for overseas

projects to identify and anticipate on hidden costs such as non

recoverable taxes or withholding taxes which could represent up to 20%

of total revenue of the project.

. Contribute, as a member of the management committee, to all actions

related to value creation and business processes improvement,

especially through our budgeting and strategic planning process,

including costs cutting measures, workforce right sizing actions,

strategic alliances negotiation.

Finance Controller Sub Saharan Africa Region,

Bull Overseas Operations division, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 2002 to 2008

Top financial position in the region, supervised and coordinated the

accounting and finance activities of 5 countries in west, central and

southern Africa with region annual revenue of $46 million. Managed the

career development of the 15 member financial team of which 5 were direct

reports.

Notable Achievements:

. Managed the conversion and consolidation (using Hyperion Enterprise SE

Software) of all the local financial data and statements (statutory

books) into the US GAAP reporting system, on a monthly, quarterly and

yearly basis.

. Recognized and invited at many occasions to deliver testimonies during

the company annual finance "Best Practices" seminars.

. Granted the grade of finance reviewer during our financial yearly pre

closing review process and conducted the review of our subsidiaries in

Tunisia (North Africa) in 2004, Morocco (North Africa) in 2005, La

Reunion (French Indian Ocean island) in 2006.

. Led the identification and implementation of improvements and

efficiencies in operations.

. Conceived and implemented a costs cutting plan in the region which

resulted in 5% SGA reduction, 25% facility costs reduction, 12%

telecommunication costs reduction and 10% decrease in travel and

accommodation expenses.

. Contributed to the decision making process of business policy in the

region.

. Selected from a company wide search, to be a member of the CEO's Fast

trackers program and was granted the title of "President's ambassador

of strategy" in 2004.

. Conducted financial planning, forecast analysis, budget development

and costs management.

Country Finance Controller,

Bull Information Technology (Pty) LTD, Johannesburg, South Africa,

2001 to 2002

The South African subsidiary specialized in integration projects of custom

and tax systems and solutions primarily distributed to African, Middle

Eastern, and Eastern European countries

Notable Achievements:

. Provided financial support on bid for tender applications: P&L

establishment, cash flow planning, and invoicing plan, financing

negotiations.

. Played a key role in the financing negotiations with UK Department for

International Development on the Zambian Revenue Authority Hardware

Project for $1.2 million in 2001.

. Oversaw the financial follow up of ongoing services integration

projects.

. Managed the monthly, quarterly and yearly US GAAP closing and

reporting process.

. Conducted tax planning and reporting, payroll and benefits

administration, interfaced with local social and tax authorities.

. Interfaced with internal and external auditors.

. Initiated and implemented a new business analyses system resulting in

coordinated communication between the managing director, the project

managers and the finance department.

Country Finance Controller, Bull Senegal, Dakar, Senegal, 1999 to 2001

Promoted to my first management assignment with the challenge of

overhauling a cash burning and money loosing entity. Got the company back

on track in a year and half and led it to the position of best Sub Saharan

Africa subsidiary in terms of cash and EBIT.

Notable Achievements:

. Successfully reengineered the cash flow structure including

implementation of new payment terms for clients and reinforcement of

the cash collection which resulted in a 50% decrease of the debtors in

one year. Performed inventory optimization by initiating and

successfully introducing changes in the supply policy, including

negotiation of back to back payment terms with suppliers. Managed

negotiations for guarantee line of $600K and overdraft line of $400K

with local bank - conducted VAT refund negotiation for $260K.

. Implemented costs cutting measures including facilities costs

reduction of 30% a year, telecommunication costs reduction of 30% a

year, travels & accommodations reductions of 15% a year.

. Implemented changes in our supply practices and provided financial

support for the local implementation of the Group ERP inventory

control module.

. Managed the monthly, quarterly and yearly US GAAP closing and

reporting process.

. Managed the statutory books and interfaced with local social and tax

authorities.

. Interfaced with internal and external local auditors.

Sub Saharan Africa Region, Business Analyst, Abidjan Ivory Coast, 1997

to 1999

Notable Achievements:

. Operated the monthly consolidation and reporting process for the

region, using Hyperion SE.

. Provided the region Finance Controller with the first level of

business performance analysis for the region

. Conducted auditing and compliance analysis, provided US GAAP financial

and accounting support to country Finance Controllers.

. Prepared, for the region, all the reconciliation, documents, and

exhibits to be reviewed during the annual financial pre closing review

and during the annual internal and external audit.

EDUCATION

Executive Master of Business Administration, School of Management, Quebec

University of Montreal (ESG/UQAM), Canada, 2007.

Graduate from Ecole Superieure de Commerce (Graduate Business School) of

the National Polytechnic Institute (INPHB), Ivory Coast West Africa, 1995

Graduate from the National Institute of Economy and Accounting

(CNAM/INTEC) of Paris, France, 1995.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

. United States of America permanent resident status.

. General Administrator, Bull subsidiary in Abidjan, Ivory Coast,

West Africa, and Bull subsidiary in Libreville, Gabon, Central

Africa, 2006-2009.

. Trained professional mediator.



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