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.