A new adventure for Caroline Eriset (*)
1. THE CHALLENGE
The story begins in Paris’s west suburbs in 2015.
Since its independence in 1999, the company in question has established itself among the top ten in French building development, especially in the construction, energy and real estate sectors. With a turnover of €680 million and around 2,500 employees, it needed a rapid solution to deal with disruptions in its Finance department due to significant growth.
Close to a burnout, the Secretary General couldn’t keep up with the work or take the fundamental actions necessary to manage the company’s new size. The management team mutually agreed to call upon WAYDEN to find an interim manager able to relieve this critical situation
2. THE SOLUTION
The first challenge for Benoit Durand-Tisnes was to find a very specific kind of interim manager: in addition to relieving the Secretary General (i.e. transforming and optimising parts of his responsibilities), it was also important to make sure he didn’t feel threatened in his position, so he would remain confident and collaborative.
Benoit looked for a candidate with a strong ability to listen and effectively deal with this dual constraint. He had full confidence that Caroline Eriset, an interim manager well-known within the WAYDEN Selection network, would be able to take charge of this project with total success.
The interim manager’s background
Caroline Eriset is a seasoned finance professional and certified accountant. With two degrees and a constant passion for new training to stay up to date on the latest standards, she began her career at PGA – ARTHUR ANDERSEN as a consultant before taking the position of Accounting Manager at AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES France, where she managed the annual accounts and forecasts while optimising the working capital.
Caroline was then appointed Accounting and Tax Director of the FENWICH-LINDE group in France (leader of industrial trucks in Europe) where she was responsible for the two holding companies and acted as a consultant within the 10 subsidiaries. In 2009, she joined PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS to take over the Accounting Department and manage the takeover, merger, split and liquidation operations of their entities. Two years later, she transitioned to interim management where she carried out several successful assignments, including a 6-month assignment at PLASTIC OMNIUM.
3. THE ACTION
Functioning as Secretary General, Caroline Eriset carried out the projects entrusted to her with a perfect mastery of operational management:
- Taking charge of the structuring operations to increase the level of autonomy of the teams, recruiting three directors to manage the topics under the Secretary General
- Improvements to the information system and reporting tool, monitoring of the automobile fleet, preparation of the annual fiscal closing on 30 September 2015, budgeting for 2016 and more
- Two loan applications to request funding for external growth operations, as the company continued down a rapid growth path
Throughout the assignment, WAYDEN communicated very regularly with the client (progress reporting, involvement of the decision-maker concerning the manager’s actions, etc.) to reassure them that the project was progressing well. In addition to the direct client (the Secretary General), a close monitoring gateway was also established with the HR director and company president.
4. THE RESULT
This 6-month project allowed the Secretary General to take back control of his priorities with a clear vision. It was a real liberator for him, for his position and for the company itself.
Unfortunately, it’s rather rare in this day and age to take part in a positive endeavour that genuinely empowers the manager and gives him the tools and confidence he needs to succeed.
At the end of the assignment, WAYDEN assisted the client in identifying and recruiting the future Accounting Department for this new organisation.