Make your Governance younger and more gender-balanced
Independent Company Director
Board Member
External expertise that is as pragmatic as it is strategic, within your governance, to strengthen your vision and your development in France and internationally.
IFA-certified independent governance
An independent
perspective
at the heart of your strategy
The independent director is a member of your Board of Directors, Supervisory Board, Strategic Committee, Executive Committee or Management Committee, who acts with decision-making courage and impartiality. Their role is to provide an objective and tactical perspective that challenges strategic decisions, in order to durably strengthen the company's robustness.
Independent Director certified by the French Institute of Directors (IFA) and Sciences Po Paris. The youngest certified Director in France in 2020, Gabrielle Poinot-Bougeret brings your Board strong field expertise and the perspective needed for strategic decision-making.
What is Governance?
What
From the Latin “Gubernare”, meaning “to steer a ship”: the act of governing; a way of conceiving and exercising authority.
Who
For small and mid-sized companies,
SBF120, NEXT40, CAC40.
Roles
Independent Director, Board Member, Senior Advisor.
My added value
+ D&O insurance (Directors' and Officers' Liability)
Your challenges
Your Governance challenges
Long-term strategic vision
Set a 5-year course and challenge day-to-day decisions against that trajectory.
Artificial Intelligence and Digital
Anticipate the impact of artificial intelligence and digital on the business model and organisations.
CSR, ESG and Functional Economy
Integrate environmental, social and governance issues into the strategy and new business models.
Talent Recruitment and Retention
Secure the company's attractiveness and the retention of key employees in a tight job market.
Managing Generation Z
Adapting management and corporate culture to the expectations of Generation Z.
Internationalisation
Structure an international expansion strategy and secure the set-up of new subsidiaries.
Premiumisation / Moving upmarket
Reposition the offer upmarket to capture a more demanding and more profitable clientele.
Route-to-Market / Distribution
Optimise distribution channels and market access to maximise commercial reach.
Cash-flow optimisation
Secure cash and improve financial steering to support growth without risk of disruption.
Crisis management
Anticipate and manage emergency situations: the Board relies on an experienced perspective to decide quickly and secure the company.
Succession and Transfer
Prepare and secure the transfer of the company between generations or to a buyer.
Governance conflicts
Provide a neutral perspective and structured arbitration in the event of disagreement between shareholders, executives or directors.
Simplifying complexity & crisis management
What Odysseia brings to your company
Why choose ODYSSEIA?
Governance serving performance
What sets the ODYSSEIA approach apart in company directorship.
Benchmark IFA certification in France
The benchmark Independent Director certification in France. Certificate for Company Directors (CAS), awarded by the French Institute of Directors and Sciences Po Paris. Youngest certified director in France in 2020.
Hands-on operational expertise
15 years of operational leadership in demanding environments. The strategy discussed at Board level, I have implemented in the field. This duality is rare and valuable.
International dimension
Experience in 150+ distribution countries, assignments in Europe, Asia, the United States, the Middle East and Africa. A decisive asset for companies with international ambitions or managing subsidiaries abroad.
Premium & family-owned sectors
Specific experience in family groups (Camus Holdings, 6th generation), premium companies (wines & spirits, luxury, hospitality) and human-scale structures where governance often has yet to be built.
M&A & restructuring experience
10+ M&A deals supported as an executive or director. In-depth knowledge of due diligence, negotiation, transfer and capital restructuring processes.
Commitment & availability
A director's mandate is above all a human commitment. I get involved with rigour, enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility in every mandate, to be a genuinely useful director, not a token one.
Customer culture and Route-to-Market
A fine reading of customer journeys and distribution channels, to align the Board's strategy with the reality of the market and points of sale.
Forward-looking Leadership and Decision-making Courage
An ability to anticipate disruptions and decide quickly amid uncertainty, with the rigour and candour that demanding governance requires.
Academic training and field experience
Governance Certifications
A dual benchmark training, combining academic expertise and hands-on practice of governance bodies.
Governance in practice
Independent Director / Board Member - ODYSSEIA mandates
Participation in Boards of Directors and Strategic Committees of small and mid-sized companies in the wines & spirits, industry and services sectors, in France and internationally.
Legal entity disposal - CEPS
Financial and operational audit of the carve-out of a legal entity from an industrial group. Legal, operational, accounting, logistical and managerial follow-up of the operation through to its full success.
Group Governance and Succession from the 5th to the 6th generation
Steering of the Camus Group's governance during the family transfer from the 5th to the 6th generation. Design of the Code of Ethics and Governance, structuring of the Boards of Directors.
Organisation and running of the Boards of Directors of the Group and its 10 international subsidiaries, conduct of Board meetings, drafting of minutes, follow-up of resolutions, interface between the shareholder, directors and general managers.
Use cases
When should you recruit an Independent Director / Board Member?
Give yourself the means to see market disruptions coming rather than suffering them.
Give the executive a trusted sparring partner to challenge decisions and share the strategic load.
You want to professionalise your Board and establish good governance practices.
Diversify profiles and viewpoints within the Board to reflect today's challenges.
An investor or acquirer requires a structured Board with independent directors.
Restructuring, internationalisation, strategic pivot: the Board needs a fresh and experienced perspective.
Prepare and secure the transfer of the company between generations, with a neutral and competent guarantor.
Provide neutral, structured arbitration in the event of disagreement between shareholders or between management and partners.
Wines & spirits, luxury, food industry, industry, services: deep knowledge of sector dynamics in the service of the Board.
A plurality of backgrounds, visions and profiles for maximum impact.
Strengthen your Governance
Let's discuss how to structure your governance and how a mandate can strengthen your company for present and future challenges. First 30-minute video call, free and with no commitment.