For nearly 30 years, I ran companies. I often lacked someone to:
– challenge me with no political agenda,
– take a critical look at my choices and reveal my blind spots,
– discuss options without unsettling the teams,
– talk about my leadership with no career at stake.
Neither the shareholders, nor the board, nor the executive committee can take that on. The loneliness of the leader is not a personality trait; it is a structural fact.
My track record: manufacturing and food across Europe, from mid-caps to large groups. Brands and private label, B2C and B2B. Turnarounds, acquisitions, divestments, market entries. I have served as Managing Director and corporate officer in France, Germany, the UK and Belgium, under every form of ownership: family-owned, cooperative, listed and private equity-backed.
Going faster doesn’t always mean pressing the accelerator. More often, it means taking your foot off the brake. The work is to identify what is really holding things back, and to turn what seemed complex into a few simple actions which effects we measure together.
I hold both positions: the operator, who has carried the numbers and knows the weight of a decision that cannot be shared; and the outsider, who never decides for you, and speaks frankly, without complacency.
ESSEC graduate, certified coach (French RNCP level 6).
Unilin IVC — Flooring · Managing Director, member of the Group Executive Committee.
Guenther Bakeries — Food industry, QSR and private-label products · Managing Director Europe for 4 years. €300M revenue, 1,000 employees, 6 plants across 3 countries, in a leveraged buyout (LBO).
McBride Plc — Household cleaning products, publicly listed company · Group Chief Commercial Officer for 3 years. €900M in revenue. Turnaround.
Gate Gourmet — Airline catering services · Global Chief Commercial Officer, based in Brussels. €250M revenue. Expansion into an adjacent market.
CSM — Bakery ingredients and products · EMEA Development and Marketing Director for 6 years, overseeing a €1.1B business, under private equity ownership.
Mars Inc. — Ten years in marketing and general management, including Managing Director of Ebly and Board Member of the joint venture with Axéréal.
