Essaddik Simou

CEO

Issy-les-Moulineaux, Île-de-France, France14 yrs 9 mos experience
Highly Stable

Key Highlights

  • Built a Finance Transformation business unit generating €1.6M revenue.
  • Led UAT execution recovery for large-scale carve-out projects.
  • Improved margin calculation systems across multiple regions.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a Finance Transformation Leader with expertise in M&A and ERP modernization.

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Skills

Core Skills

Finance TransformationProject Management

Other Skills

M&ARegulatory complianceFinance IT & Data StrategyData governanceOperational cost reductionProject duration optimizationUAT executionCross-functional coordinationQuality gatesStakeholder alignmentStakeholder engagementRisk managementDigital transformationClient collaborationCross-industry insights

About

Finance transformation leader (PMI, carve-outs, ERP, Operating Model). I work with CFOs and executive teams, including PE-backed environments, to secure post-acquisition value delivery and accelerate execution. 15+ years in complex contexts (M&A, carve-outs, ERP replatforming) across automotive, banking, and services. Positioning: Finance × Data × Operating Model interface. Targets: cash, control, time-to-close, integration velocity. Reference (AI-augmented decision cockpit): https://ai-augmented-finance-decision-cockp.vercel.app Scope: - Finance Operating Model & process transformation (OTC, R2R, FP&A) - Post-merger integration / carve-out readiness (governance, synergy tracking, risk & controls) - ERP & Finance IT modernization (SAP ECC6 / S/4HANA, Central Finance) and data governance Selected outcomes: - Built a Finance Transformation business unit (Niji, 2025): €1.6M revenue, -25% operational costs, -40% project duration - Stellantis: optimized post-merger Finance portfolio (140 systems / 38 processes): -30% manual operations, -21% IT scope rationalization - Opel/Vauxhall (PSA): Finance PMI: -50% manual OTC effort; successful ECC6 → S/4HANA migration Execution model: board-ready framing, explicit governance, documented trade-offs, disciplined value tracking (baseline, KPIs, adoption).

Experience

14 yrs 9 mos
Total Experience
5 yrs
Average Tenure
--
Current Experience

Niji

5 roles

Senior Director Project Management

Oct 2024Mar 2025 · 5 mos

  • Mission:
  • Led the recovery of UAT execution for a large-scale carve-out project, ensuring +150 applications and processes were tested and validated on time.
  • Oversaw cross-functional coordination to streamline testing, defect resolution, and stakeholder alignment.
  • Ensured compliance with quality gates and delivery milestones, securing a seamless transition.
  • Designed, monitored, and controlled the hypercare phase, implementing a structured governance model to mitigate risks and ensure operational stability.
  • Achievements:
  • Brought UAT execution back on track, delivering all tests within the planned timeline.
  • Ensured full business readiness through a structured hypercare strategy, minimizing post-go-live disruptions.
  • Strengthened stakeholder engagement and governance, ensuring a smooth transition and long-term sustainability.
UAT executionCross-functional coordinationQuality gatesStakeholder alignmentProject ManagementFinance transformation

Senior Project Director

Aug 2024Nov 2024 · 3 mos

  • Mission:
  • Led and guided cross-functional teams in diagnosing current processes & IT architecture, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
  • Oversaw the analysis of existing interfaces, identifying optimization opportunities and defining a target architecture for seamless inter-application data flows.
  • Directed the gap analysis between current and target macro-processes (Sales, Delivery, Invoicing), ensuring a structured transition plan.
  • Steered the development of a strategic roadmap, addressing risk management and mitigation for implementation.
  • Achievements:
  • Delivered an optimized architecture, reducing complexity and enhancing system scalability.
  • Ensured stakeholder alignment and buy-in, strengthening governance and decision-making.
  • Provided a structured transformation roadmap, improving process efficiency and IT integration.
Process diagnosisIT architecture optimizationRisk managementFinance transformationProject Management

Senior Project Director

Jun 2024Feb 2025 · 8 mos

  • Leading world-class finance business solutions and executing transformative digital projects in the finance sector.
  • In my role at NIJI, I leverage extensive expertise in OTC, R2R, and FP&A processes to drive innovation and solve complex financial challenges. My focus is on maximizing the value of digital journeys for our clients, utilizing cutting edge technology to deliver strategic and impactful solutions.
  • Key Responsibilities:
  • Lead Digital Transformation: Pilot, organize, and oversee large scale finance projects, ensuring alignment with client goals and delivering exceptional value.
  • Project Management: Manage project timelines and production, including reporting, risk management, and quality control of deliverables against predefined specifications.
  • Innovate & Solve: Apply advanced technologies and methodologies to address real-world financial challenges and enhance efficiency.
  • Client & Team Collaboration: Engage closely with clients, mentor diverse teams, and foster growth and excellence in project execution.
  • Cross Industry Insights: Utilize insights from various sectors to develop tailored financial solutions, contributing to our service offerings and expanding our client base.
  • Team Leadership: Oversee team assignments, recruitment, and career planning, ensuring the right mix of expertise to meet project objectives.
  • Consulting & Advisory: Provide technological consulting, supporting business solutions, bridging the gap with tech teams, guiding clients through their digital transformation journeys.
  • I am committed to integrating strategic alignment, expert execution, and impactful results in every project.
  • Let’s connect to explore how we can drive innovation and growth together in the finance sector.
Digital transformationProject managementClient collaborationCross-industry insightsFinance transformationProject Management

Senior Project Director

Jun 2024Aug 2024 · 2 mos

  • Mission:
  • Designed and led the UAT strategy for the migration from legacy systems to a new ERP, ensuring business alignment and risk mitigation.
  • Established a structured testing framework, overseeing execution, defect resolution, and stakeholder coordination.
  • Controlled UAT progress, compliance, and quality gates, ensuring a seamless product delivery and adoption.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to optimize system validation, business readiness, and go-live success.
  • Key achievements:
  • Ensured a smooth ERP transition with minimal business disruption.
  • Delivered a scalable UAT methodology, adopted as a best practice.
  • Strengthened stakeholder engagement, improving adoption and system effectiveness.
UAT strategy designStakeholder coordinationQuality controlFinance transformationProject Management

Head of Finance Transformation | M&A | Regulatory Compliance | Finance IT & Data Strategy

May 2024Present · 2 yrs 1 mo

  • Scope
  • Finance transformation and M&A-related programs (PMI / carve-outs), spanning finance process modernization (OTC, R2R, FP&A), ERP/finance IT strategy, data governance, and regulatory compliance.
  • Lead multidisciplinary teams (finance, data, cloud/BI) end-to-end: executive framing → RFP → solution selection → implementation oversight → go-live readiness → hypercare.
  • Decisions & governance
  • Established and ran the transformation governance model with executive stakeholders: decision rights, steering cadence, value tracking, risk escalation, and quality gates.
  • Translated strategic options into explicit trade-offs (risk/return, sequencing, operating constraints) to accelerate alignment across Finance, IT, Risk/Audit, and business leadership.
  • Outcomes (selected)
  • Built the Finance Transformation BU at Niji (2025): €1.6M revenue, -25% operational costs, -40% project duration (time-to-delivery).
  • Improved executive decision-making by structuring board-ready views: key decisions, core metrics, material risks, and 90-day roadmaps (AI as augmentation under accountability).
  • What this demonstrates
  • Executive governance: decision rights, steering cadence, value tracking, and risk escalation (from framing to hypercare)
  • End-to-end ownership: RFP → vendor selection → implementation oversight → go-live readiness → stabilization
  • Cross-functional leadership: Finance / IT / Risk-Audit alignment in complex environments (M&A / carve-out / compliance)
Finance transformationM&ARegulatory complianceFinance IT & Data StrategyProject ManagementData governance

Stellantis

2 roles

Project Portfolio Manager

Promoted

Jan 2023May 2024 · 1 yr 4 mos

  • Strategic Planning: Collaborate with senior management to align financial project portfolios with the organization's strategic goals and objectives.
  • Financial Analysis: Conduct financial analysis, including cost-benefit analysis
  • Project Selection: Evaluate and prioritize potential financial projects based on criteria such as return on investment (ROI), risk assessment, resource availability, and alignment with strategic goals.
  • Resource Allocation: Allocate financial and human resources effectively across various projects to ensure optimal utilization and minimize resource conflicts.
  • Risk Management: Identify and assess financial risks associated with projects in the portfolio.
  • Performance Monitoring: Continuously monitor the progress and performance of projects within the portfolio.
  • Communication: Maintain clear and effective communication channels with project managers, stakeholders, and senior management.
  • Portfolio Optimization: Periodically review the composition of the project portfolio and iensure it remains aligned with the organization's strategic objectives and financial targets.
  • Compliance and Governance: Ensure that financial projects adhere to relevant financial regulations, accounting standards, and internal governance policies.
  • Continuous Improvement: Promote a culture of continuous improvement within the finance project portfolio management process.
  • Adaptability: Be flexible and responsive to changing business conditions and priorities.
Strategic planningFinancial analysisRisk managementFinance transformationProject Management

Product Manager

Jun 2021Jul 2023 · 2 yrs 1 mo

  • Within the framework of FCA and PSA alliance, in charge of improving a margin calculation and profitability system for all regions (EE/MEA/NA/SA/IAP/China). Main duties:
  • Business process optimisation and validation through proof of concepts /prototypes
  • Big Data management and implementation of latest Business Intelligence tools
  • Continuously improving profitability system to stay ahead of market changes and allow efficient decision making
Business process optimizationBig Data managementBusiness Intelligence toolsFinance transformationProject Management

Groupe psa

3 roles

Finance Project manager - Business Transformation Manager

Jun 2018Nov 2021 · 3 yrs 5 mos

  • In the realm of invoicing and accounting, I offered support for developing and implementing a proprietary system in the Enlarged Europe region, serving Peugeot, Citroën, and DS. Additionally, I assumed the role of finance leader for the Opel and Vauxhall business transformation and integration into the new ecosystem.
  • Key Responsibilities:
  • Maintain a clear vision of the challenges and changes in the ecosystem where the product will be implemented, including contextual shifts, external influences, and ripple effects.
  • Align the overarching strategy with user requirements and Groupe PSA standards.
  • Establish and ensure adherence to project guidelines, minimizing deviations across different countries.
  • Implement standardized practices across all countries.
  • Evaluate risks and develop mitigation plans.
  • Oversee the quality and completion of phase reviews, milestones, and deliverables.
  • Monitor and control workload estimation, roadmap development, project planning, resource management, cost management and deadline management.
Project managementRisk managementQuality controlFinance transformationProject Management

Project Manager

Promoted

Jan 2015Jun 2018 · 3 yrs 5 mos

  • Within IT solutions deployment framework for Peugeot, Citroën and DS brands on the French market,
  • In charge of planning, management, coordination, and implementation of legal requirements and processes on behalf of accounting and financial department until go live.
  • User requirements collection
  • Business processes definition and convergence
  • Change management, test strategy and test plan approval
  • Follow up of transversal projects progress in order to define priorities and support needs
  • Project management transition official from V cycle methodology to AGILE
Project managementChange managementAgile methodologiesFinance transformationProject Management

Project Owner support - Responsible for accounting, invoicing and stock management

Apr 2010Jan 2015 · 4 yrs 9 mos

  • Analysis of the consistency of billing processes according to defined logistics, accounting and Incoterms flows, continuous process improvement.
  • Management of accounting and billing applications
  • Creation of accounting schemes, control and system adjustments,
  • Closing of accounts, reporting on invoicing and monitoring of stocks.
Billing process analysisAccounting managementContinuous process improvementFinance transformationProject Management

Pricewaterhousecoopers limited

Stagiaire Consolideur

Apr 2009Jun 2009 · 2 mos · Rennes Area, France

  • Soutien dans l'établissement d'états financiers en IFRS,
  • Accompagnement dans le processus de consolidation,
  • Etablissement d'un business plan,
  • Choix de la consolidation comptable en tant que rapport de stage.
Financial reportingConsolidation process support

Education

Mines Paris - PSL

Engineer's degree — Computer Engineering

Feb 2024Nov 2025

IUT Beaulieu Rennes

DUT finance comptabilité — Accounting and Finance

Jan 2007Jan 2009

Eco/Gestion Rennes 1

Applied Economics

Jan 2006Jan 2007

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