Fabrice Bayle, Manager, Strategy and M&A, Netherlands

Years with AD

Curious

Personality

Team

Work Ethic

Travel

Hobby

What attracted you to your chosen work?
During my master’s studies, I had the opportunity to work as a financial analyst for a Thailand-based company doing consulting services and investments in the hotel industry. I learned a lot in regard to financial modelling and enjoyed working on investment opportunities, though my studies being more oriented toward investment banking, I felt like I didn’t fully grasp some corporate finance concepts.

A few years later, enriched with several years of experience in corporate finance learning from the very skillful european Avery Dennison Label and Graphic Materials (LGM) Finance team, I was looking for a role which would allow me to leverage my finance background in the context of investment opportunities while developing my business and strategic acumen and a role in M&A seemed to present all those characteristics.

What skills did you develop early that are still useful today?
As I was following finance studies and being part of one of the first generation that grew up with computers at home, allowing me to handle IT systems with relative ease in an environment where companies were digitizing their processes, I tried to develop some financial modelling skills.This helped me at the early stage of my career to support various process improvement initiatives related to financial reporting and is something I am still using today in my current role.

I also had opportunities to work in several countries and for companies of various sizes and industries which, I believe, helped me develop a certain adaptability making it easier today to collaborate across the different businesses and regions within the company.

How have you grown in your career at Avery Dennison?
I started my career at Avery Dennison as a financial analyst in the Operations Finance department of LGM EMENA. I then joined the FP&A team for almost 2 years, before returning to Operations Finance as manager until last year, when I joined the Corporate Development team.

Several key factors helped me in this progression, the most important being the people I had the chance to work with: the Finance team in Europe whose knowledge and professionalism allowed me to learn and grow; the Operations and Supply Chain organization; and the Avery Dennison Reflective Solutions team, who inspired me with their passion and their teamspirit, and my managers who created an environment where I could fulfil my ambitions and supported my development.

Another critical factor was the opportunity to participate in various projects. It allowed me to interact with other functions, get new perspectives and enlarge my skill set.

Several key factors helped me in this progression, the most important being the people I had the chance to work with.

What's the biggest stretch opportunity you've taken on?
I would consider my current role as my biggest stretch opportunity as it’s not exclusively related to finance and it happened during Covid. The pandemic played a paradoxical role in that matter. On one hand, transitioning roles virtually presented some challenges, on the other hand, I feel like interacting with people in their environment and going through a similar situation brought us closer on a personal level. I am also very thankful to my team who made this process much easier by maintaining an atmosphere of inclusion and being always eager to share their knowledge.

What role has mentorship played in your career?
Mentorship definitely played a role and one of the key lessons I learned would be that career progresses are made by taking risks, going outside the comfort zone and learning to bounce back from failures.

I would add that I also learned a lot from the younger generation, extremely talented and with a very educated perception of the current global challenges.

What’s the best career decision you’ve ever made?
Rather than one decision in particular, I would rather think of some principles which have helped me make the right choices for my career. I have often prioritized responsibilities over short term remuneration improvements and tried to choose my next step based on where I would learn and enjoy the most, considering both the role and its environment, rather than trying to follow what could be considered as a standard career path. I think that except for some highly specialized roles, there are always bridges and having a different profile and skill set can be a positive differentiator.

As you think about the next steps in your career, what are the most important actions you plan to take?
Connecting further within but also outside the company by attending seminars and networking events.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?
I find interacting with individuals from various backgrounds and cultures, within and outside the company, extremely enriching. Working with representatives from all functions widens my perspective and my understanding of our business and allows me to constantly learn.

The second aspect I enjoy is the fact that it’s very dynamic, each investment opportunity has its own story and its own challenges.

Finally, as I am also concerned by how the climate is evolving and by which world we are shaping for the future generations, being in a role and in an industry where I feel I could make an impact definitely brings me extra motivation.

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