Aline-Laure Akpovi

GBB is a privately held beauty group operating in Global partnership (licensing, distribution) with fashion & luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Philippe Plein, Chopard, and as a non-profit advisor to leading brands. Tech-based/B2B/E-commerce Leveraging my expertise in financial analysis, accounting principles and finance transformation to provide strategic insights and help GBB scale up Selected Achievements → Set up finance departments and streamlined processes by resolving daily business challenges, building business structures, implementing methods, and providing operational decision-making support based on financial analysis → Optimized profit and loss (P&L) and gross margin approach, and advised executive leaders on growth & scale up strategies → Improved inventory, turnover and cashflow monitoring. Defined NetSuite implementation requirements for all departments and led to its scale up to absorb the fast growth Key areas of responsibility → Full ownership of company accounting and financial functions → Automation of financial statutory/consolidated statements preparation process and coordination of monthly statutory & consolidated closings within five days → NetSuite implementation. Cashflow forecasting & Budgeting systems optimization → Oversight and management of a worldwide distribution network

In charge of Caudalie (a leading French skincare & cosmetics group with an open-source beauty app. platform) 41 subsidiaries worldwide with hundreds $ millions of revenues. Served on the board of Directors and SteerCo Selected Achievements → Built cross functional Senior Executive awareness and support for Finance transformation initiatives → Provided Value added Financial and strategic analysis to subsidiaries, focusing on maximizing products contribution margin and enhancing profitability: Revenues increase by 50% and EBITDA overperforming by 27% over 3 years → Built Best in class Management performance measurement tools, FP & A tools. Led FP&A activities during significant retail expansion and business model change. Lead for the annual budget and forecast reviews for all the retail entities of the Group and for the periodical financial reporting, including in-depth review of the Group Financial Statement and KPIs. Accountable for all the management reporting activities (flash sales, periodical sales reports, divisional and functional P&L, CRM reports, Margin analysis, etc.). Monitoring of margin at flow thru and local level → Commercial strategy: Supported Retail team in successfully defining and implementing periodical targets → Drove risk management, P&L controls, and legal/finance policy development. Ensured Group accounts consolidation in accordance with US GAAP / IFRS / FRS101 / French GAAP / other local GAAPS compliance → Acted as the Group Global representative for all matters relating to External audit, Tax & legal affairs (UK / NA / EU & Asia) with optimization and efficiency improved by 15% → Spearheaded the Group Transfer Pricing Policy development to ensure a comprehensive tax strategy leading to tax audits cost saving of $50 millions → Effectively coordinated and reengineered Group processes as a leader in the documentation, control of internal Group control policies. Successfully built a diverse team of 35 controllers and internal auditors to strengthen the Finance and controlling department → Reduced discretionary OpEx by 12% YOY through strong process implementation, consistent control and improvement → Saved 10% in project costs by conducting data analysis and control activities → Increased time efficiency across finance and operational department by 20% with NetSuite implementation → Covid 19: Championed a global response as a leader of our legal and financial support for multiple subsidiaries, leading to full realization and double Caudalie market share Key areas of responsibility → Full ownership of company accounting and financial functions including month end and YE closing processes, ensuring GAAP, regulatory and corporate compliance → Management of all worldwide online and offline retail financial controlling → Engagement and close partnership with stakeholders, including Caudalie Founders, CEO, Suppliers and Banks → Full responsibility of all aspects of Group policy definition and strategic planning, including ongoing research and analysis of regulatory compliance and leadership of HR, legal, finance, and operations functions including purchasing, production, quality assurance, inventory control, import/export, logistics, ITGC and data management. Adapted Group strategies for a cohesive corporate culture → Drove the identification and implementation of areas with potential for cost savings and performance improvements → Board member, developing EBITDA strategies, evaluating macroeconomic trends, and integrating secondary information, ad hoc reports, analysis and business plans (new retail openings, concession franchising partnership, etc.) to support the decision-making process and the company strategic development

Selected Achievements → Ensured full compliance with client, statutory, & GAM requirements, regulatory implementation, and timely final deliverables → Led audit engagements with minimal audit deficiencies findings by PCAOB → Delivered full compliance of Sanofi transition from NYSE to NASDAQ with regulatory requirements, ensuring SANOFI meets and maintains the standards set by the SEC, NASDAQ and other appropriate regulatory agencies for financial governance and internal audit → Spearheaded the development of a digital roadmap for an audit transformation, driving a 30% increase in client satisfaction Key areas of responsibility → Delivery of integrated audits for U.S. affiliates as a leader in risks-based, agile strategic planning for SANOFI global SOX initiative, including the development of audit timetables, audit team leadership, budgeting, audit of financial statements and audit of the Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Management of a 60-member field team → Lead Director IFRS 15 & 16 implementation → Provided non-assurance advisory services: financial statement conversions to US GAAP, accounting advisory and SOX advisory services to non-audit clients, US GAAP and SEC (comfort letters, agreed-upon procedures and reviews of registration statements), spearheaded compliance initiatives by critically reviewing policies, ensuring relevance and subsequently implementing whilst adhering to regulatory requirements, conducting due diligence valuation and PPA exercise; internal process robustness assessment; IPO; M&A; fundraising → Undertook wider offices activities: audit quality methodology referent; EY lead managers training, recruit

Selected Achievements → Recorded a 20% portfolio expansion in 18 months, realizing over 40% profit margin increase Key areas of responsibility → Led audit of French subsidiaries of U.S. companies (IFRS / US GAAP), managed multiple auditing projects as a team leader, tested internal controls, and monitored project progress and team performance. Shared services audit → Managed quality control and review of financial statements for US GAAP compliance, accounting advisory, and SOX advisory services and managed a 25-member field team as a mentor & trainer. Seniors recruitment team lead → Audit quality methodology referent; Audit solutions consulting + Global assurance, monitoring of new technologies

Selected Achievements → Support to the main executions in all due diligence procedures during M&A transactions by Clients → Reduced monthly and YE closing time by 30% through implementation of new consolidation procedures and robust SOD processes → Successfully managed the preparation and support of finance and accounting functions for the “Best of France” & “La French Tech” 2015 Key areas of responsibility → Managed the strategic planning and implementation of audit reviews for financial statements, implementation of regulatory compliance initiatives, accounting procedures development, internal controls (ICOFR: SOX, Volcker Rule) → Conducted internal audits, implementation of accounting systems and had ownership of communications with boards committees and stakeholders → Preparation of state/federal tax returns and Led Tax optimization process implementation. → Consulting services: Accounting reviews, financial statements consolidation (US GAAP / IFRS / French GAAP), Transfer pricing implementation & review. Established new shared service centers from the ground up, including the design and implementation of internal control processes in Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, and Colombia to mutualize accounting, financial, H.R and support services for US related entities. Developed Cost centers, Profit centers and costs allocation strategies. Supervision, mentoring and training staff. Team performance management