Anne DEKKER

Hercule Consulting is a professional services firm providing personalized Outsourced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) services to companies in need of strategic financial leadership to achieve their business goals, and aiming at Creating Shared Value.

Orbiss offers the full set of finance activities (accounting, tax , controlling, payroll, audit, M&A, CFO advisory services) tio French companies willing to scale-up in the USA.

Hercule Consulting is a professional services firm providing Outsourced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) services to small and medium sized companies in need of strategic financial leadership to achieve their business goals.
We serve a wide range of industries, with a specific expertise in the hospitality and food industries, as well as in the development of French companies on the US market.

• Reported to the CEO of North America, defines and roll-outs the strategy of the brands (La Madeleine, Mimi’s Café, Brioche Dorée and Bruegger’s Bagels until its sale in October 2017) to reduce indebtedness, improve performance and foster development: managed asset management and M&A transactions, coordinated operational initiatives to improve Restaurant Operating Profit (ROP), built Long Range Plans, participates in the quarterly forecast and year-end closing with the VP Finance LDA to control the impact of the strategy on the financial statements, prepared board decks, handles communication with shareholders.
• Led the finance function of the Brioche Dorée business unit (business volume of $ 68 million): manages a team of 5, oversees accounting, controlling (reporting, forecasting, budgeting), capex, cash-management, real estate, legal, tax. Point of contact for external partners (landlords, franchisees, brokers).
• Coordinated the refranchising of La Madeleine (sale and franchise back of 29 restaurants) aiming at finding new franchisees with strong development commitments: managed the consulting firm, prepared the Confidential Information Memorandum and valuation, reviewed bids, participated in the selection of buyers and in the closing.
• Led the sale of Bruegger’s Bagels to Caribou / Einstein (JAB Holding): prepared valuation and management presentation, coordinated leadership meetings and due diligence, participated in the closing (including review of the Share Purchase Agreement and the Transition Service Agreement), involved in the internal and external communications, calculated the financial impacts.
• Oversaw the closure and lease restructuring of 14 Mimi’s restaurants: impact of + $1.8M in EBITDA.
• Participated in the launch of a new Brioche Dorée concept in the USA: identification of the target markets, definition of the business model, coordination of the teams for the first opening in Washington D.C.

• Reported to PHS Chief Executive Officer, member of the PHS Executive Committee
• 8 Business Units in 3 domains: Childcare, Senior care and Concierge, in Europe (France, UK, Ireland, Sweden, Luxembourg, Germany), USA and Asia– Estimated Business Volume Year End 2016: € 650M
• Headed the finance teams, including the corporate team of 3 controllers and 1 legal advisor, and the 6 Business Unit Directors of Finance
• Led the accounting (statutory accounts in local GAAP, group reporting in IFRS GAAP), the forecast, budget and business planning processes (including analysis)
• Designed an operational reporting (KPIs, referential and Business Intelligence tools) to improve performance
• Ensured the proper financing of the 8 Business Units through equity and debt, in compliance with local legal and tax regulations
• Performed restructuring of legal entities (merger, acquisition, liquidation) to optimize the legal structure of the division
• Reorganized the worldwide finance organization to gain in efficiency and productivity, including the migration of the accounting functions to the group Shared Services Center (SAP & Hyperion systems).
• Participated in numerous due diligences in the childcare business (USA and Germany): selection and coordination of the advisors, management of the different parties involved (finance, tax, legal, operations, HR), Financial modeling and valuation, Enterprise Value calculation, financing structure, SPA preparation
• Managed an acquisition in the Senior care domain in Ireland and ensures the proper integration of the new subsidiary
• Rolled-out a cash-pooling solution for the French subsidiaries.
• Monitored the legal procedure to launch the franchise model of the Senior Care business in France.
• Coordinated efforts with the Business Units Managing Directors to improve profitability through specific initiatives, generating annual savings of € 2 million.

• Reported to the Group Chief Financial Officer and the Group Investments Chief Operating Officer
• 110 hotels (69 owned & leased, 41 managed & franchised), revenues of €320 M Year End 2013
• Headed the finance (accountants, business analysts, internal controller), legal and technical / construction teams: 8 direct reports, staff of 60 persons
• Supervised the accounting, budget, forecast, cash-management, tax and internal control
• Coordinated 5 asset management deals for loss making hotels (straight disposal of 2 hotels, sale and management-back of 1 hotel, sale and franchise-back of 2 hotels), generating an increase of the Operating Profit of € 1.5 million: hotels valuation, research of partners, negotiations, SPA preparation, closing.
• Launched initiatives improving the cash from operations by 15%.
• Established an efficient Benelux finance organization by restructuring and pooling resources between the Amsterdam and Brussels offices, generating cost reductions of 30%.
• Optimized the €13 million capex plan through a strategic allocation per hotel based on performance.
• Oversaw various development projects (€10 million-renovation of an upscale hotel in Amsterdam, €12 million-construction of an economy hotel in Rotterdam), ensuring compliance with the budget.

• Reported to the COO - Accor Americas (1,300 hotels, revenues of $1.1 billion Year End 2011) then to the CFO - Accor North America (1,111 hotels, revenues of $820 million Year End 2011)
• Participated in the launch of Pullman hotels in USA and Canada: coordination of the projects between the development, technical, finance, marketing and operations teams; market analysis, definition of competitive set, review of investment strategy, preparation of business plans and financial analysis, draft of lease, management or franchise agreement term-sheets, creation of communication documents for investors
• Managed Asset Management projects for Novotel hotels (3 in Canada, 1 in New York City): hotels valuation, relationship with brokers, preparation of due diligence and data-rooms, assessment of the interest of some partnerships, set-up relationships with new owners, coordination of renovation plan
• Participated in the sale of Motel 6 to Blackstone: preparation of presentation materials for investors, coordination of the data room, participation in meetings with advisors, preparation of business plans
• Coordinated the creation of a new business unit after the sale of Motel 6 for the 17 remaining hotels: identification of the needs for each function; investigated the opportunity to outsource some tasks; researched new offices.

• Reported to the Group EVP Development and Strategy
• Set up a partnership with a competitor to develop urban residences, Adagio, in Europe (50 units, turnover of €230M in 2007)
• Coordinated an acquisition in Portugal (50% of a company of 30 hotels, revenues of €90M)
• Sought partners (REIT, ownership companies, competitors, private investors) to foster the development, especially in the USA
• Analyzed the Mexican, Spanish and Indian markets to identify development opportunities: evolution of the macroeconomics, financing structures, strategy of the main hospitality players
• Achieved a market study of the Mexican Hospitality Market to launch Motel 6
• Screened all the US chains to identify acquisition or partnership opportunities for Motel 6 / Studio 6 (budget / economy brands) and Sofitel / Pullman (luxury / upper upscale brands)
• Realized a benchmark of the franchise agreements of Motel 6 competitors to offer a more competitive contract to prospective franchisees

• Managed the monthly financial reporting of 1,350 hotels in 15 countries, revenues of $3.9 billion (50% of group)
• Ensured the aggregation of the financial reporting in compliance with group deadlines and IFRS GAAP
• Analyzed variances, benchmarked the countries, controlled head-office costs, assessed projects performance (marketing campaigns in France, hotel development in Spain)
• Communicated financial reports and analysis with recommendations (head-office restructuring in Scandinavia, hotels development in Eastern Europe) to the CEO and to the Group Reporting Department
• Reorganized the EMEA Reporting Department (a full-time staff of 7) to incorporate it into the Group Reporting Department
• Developed new process and optimized Oracle and Business Intelligence tools to reduce deadlines (less 2 days), and improve quality of reports, analysis and communication tools.
• Realized 50% costs saving thanks to efficiency gains, and then achieved the transfer to the Group Financial Reporting Department

• Led the project “New Group Financial Reporting System”, to optimize the production of the financial information, by shortening reporting deadlines and layers, and improving accuracy of financial data
• Recruited, trained and managed a full-time staff of 4 people
• Managed the implementation of this new Accounting & Financial Reporting System (Oracle) in coordination with the IT teams
Supervised the production of the group financial statements of the Dutch, Casinos and Carlson Wagonlit subsidiaries (12,5 % of Accor sales)