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Andrew Strachan

BIO: Andrew Strachan, Consultant

Andrew Strachan e-mail : andrew.strachan@orange.fr Portable: +33 6 83 96 98 37 ; +44 774 839 8225 75 Boulevard Beaumarchais 75003 Paris, France Profile Senior Consultant; persuasive change negotiator having delivered high profile Board driven strategic corporate finance projects in organisations across numerous industry sectors. Strong personal acumen; results oriented. Searches opportunities in PE/VC cleantech investing and carbon markets. Passion to contribute to the solutions to climate change. Current CFA candidate with capacity to strategically anticipate needs and opportunities, capitalise on inefficiencies, manage disruptive organisational and cultural change, and negotiate at Board level. Mentoring and highly engaged team building, calm under stress. Confirmed negotiating skills with strong academic and analytic discipline. Entrepreneurial roots and approach. Operational experience across many countries and industries, multi-lingual. Past experience polyvalence with knowledge of venture capital based start-up dynamics, valuations; business plan development and analysis; sales negotiations and quota delivery; software development management; corporate finance, accounting, audit, and risk analysis across industries. Developed a case study in Private Equity used in Private Equity courses at London Business School and London School of Economics. Consulting Career Summary August 1996 – Present; Independent Consultant Brazil, Switzerland, France Major clients and projects: Sept. 2007 –Present; Mondial Assistance Group Paris ? Parachuted back into Mondial by the CFO following high employee turnover creating a large knowledge gap. Rebuilt expertise; proactive culture; organisation design. Assisted roadmap to SAP adoption; acted as Interim Chief Risk and Investment Officer; assured transition to a new CFO. Oct. 2001 –June 2006; Mondial Assistance Group Paris, Zurich An Insurance and Services company with over 80 international subsidiaries created in 2000as the result of a merger. Processes, controls and applications were needed for the newly formed headquarters finance department. Piloted several initiatives in a period of four years. ? Assisted CFO in delivering internal change processes and identifying resource and training requirements for the new group during the first year including reporting, budgeting, investment management, cash flow, KPI’s, infrastructure requirements, and organisational structure/culture. ? Piloted the initiative to replace existing reporting software: analyzed business opportunities, developed commercial solution with an RFP, vendor evaluation and negotiation, budget definition and negotiated board approval. ? Managed the resulting multi-million € project (Magnitude), delivered on-time and within budget. ? Re-designed and built a new chart of accounts for the group to better reflect all stakeholders’ requirements (management, divisions, board, parent company, external regulators) including KPI, commercial activity reporting, and operational indicators. ? Identifying the business opportunity, designed and built an investment portfolio tracking and management application for local entity reporting to the group and subsequent consolidation. ? Designed, wrote, executed and taught a training course for worldwide controllers (100+) on a new group reporting and consolidation software application (Carat). 1999-2000; Danzas Group Basel Logistics company purchased by Deutsche Post and now part of DHL. ? Delivered a complex Excel KPI modelling application that required significant research and modelling requirements with 5 years of monthly data for 300+ individual entities quickly assimilating the business drivers for this board driven initiative. 1998-2003; EFG Private Bank Geneva Newly formed private bank with 10 subsidiaries and no developed financial reporting processes. ? Developed the processes and implemented a reporting application (Carat). Assisted the new department in adopting best practice, reporting discipline and flexibility for change. 1997 –1998; Alusuisse Zurich Complex manufacturing group with 3000+ operating entities that had outgrown current processes and systems. ? Worked with the CFO to rationalise and automate the reporting and reduce process time lags. ? Assisted in the smooth reporting transfer for the 3000+ entities following the acquisition by Alcan in Montreal. 1996-2000; SAirGroup Zurich Massive restructuring of the group required new corporate finance processes and systems to reflect the new organisation. ? Worked with several teams composed of internal and external resources to define and implement a new consolidation and reporting application (FDC from Comshare). Developed internal reporting processes including KPI’s and commercial reporting. Managed stakeholder requirements, training and organisational adaptation to change. ? Expanded responsibilities adding value through various roles in affiliates Gate Gourmet, Swissôtel, SAirlines, SAirTechnics capitalising on the corporate application with customisation projects to adapt measurement indicators to their specific divisional drivers and reporting needs. ? Managed the transition in corporate finance applications for the passage to the year 2000. 1996-1997; Elma Chips Sao Paulo Brazilian post hyper-inflation FMCG company with no developed budget culture. ? Through implementation of a budget application, introduced, collaboratively, a budget culture and assisted in budgeting knowledge transfer to the local Arthur Andersen team. Other various short term clients: Dover Corporation, Lindt and Sprungli; Kraft, Jacobs, Suchard; Feldschlossen; Marti Holdings; Firminich… Previous Career Summary Comshare Inc. USA, France, UK July 1995 - June 1996: International Business Development, London. Directed product launches to all partners worldwide, participating in key sales opportunities and developing worldwide and local sales strategies. 85% travel, Europe and South America. July 1994 - June 1995: Project Manager, Paris. Guided successful introduction of Comshare’s financial software in the 60+ employee office in France. June 1991 - January 1994: Sales Consultant, Ann Arbor. Travelled extensively throughout the USA giving seminars and providing support on key sales opportunities for 17 US sales offices. Member of ‘Commanders Club’, reaching sales objectives each year. Assisted in product development specifications and supervised client development projects: project plans, resource requirements, and budget. February 1989 – June 1991; Orion Micro Systems, Inc., CT USA Entrepreneurial position in a 5 person VC backed start up software firm with a financial consolidation and reporting software product assisting in most activities. Steered the marketing strategy for a successful trade sale and transfer of the company to Comshare, Inc. Assured the successful integration into the acquiring company’s corporate strategy. September 1985 – February 1989; Interactive Market Systems, New York, NY USA Account Executive in a small VC backed entrepreneurial market research SW company trade sale to VNU. Education London Business School UK August 2007; Sloan Fellowship MSc in Leadership and Strategy ? Full time advanced management programme for experienced executives (also offered at Stanford and MIT). ? Winner Fuld and Co. Strategy Competition. ? Final research project on LBO of Debenhams, now adopted as a private equity class case study at London Business School and London School of Economics. Business School, State University of New York at Albany USA 1985; Bachelor of Science degree in business; minor: economics ? Co-founder and President, campus branch of the American Marketing Association ? Member Deans Advisory Council Personal Details US and UK national; Fluent in French and English; Professional Organist.