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Michel Lerendu
Founder & Chief Financial Officer at Faradae
Professional Background
Michel Lerendu is a seasoned Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with extensive expertise in guiding high-growth, innovative companies backed by private equity investors. With an impressive track record of facilitating international operations, Michel is recognized for his strategic financial insights and adeptness in steering companies towards profitable and secure exits. Over the years, he has been an invaluable asset in both corporate environments and investment funds, effectively bridging the gap between finance and operational excellence.
As the Founder and Chief Financial Officer at Faradae, Michel has taken a leadership role in ensuring that the organization aligns its financial strategies with growth objectives. His visionary approach enables the company to thrive in a competitive market landscape.
Prior to his current position, Michel held the role of Founder and Managing Partner at CFO-Readiness, demonstrating his commitment to refining financial practices in organizations across various industries. His role as Secretary General at Finance & Technology underscored his dedication to non-profit endeavors, showcasing his versatile skill set that transcends typical corporate boundaries.
Michel’s tenure includes significant leadership positions across notable firms, most prominently serving as the Chief Financial Officer at Nexthink. His pivotal contributions there solidified the company’s financial foundation and growth trajectory, showcasing his ability to manage complex financial operations in the tech sector.
Notably, Michel was the CFO at Neolane, a vital player in the marketing technology landscape before it was acquired by Adobe. His strategic acumen during this acquisition phase exemplifies his proficiency in navigating high-stakes financial environments, ensuring that stakeholders benefited from a successful exit.
Other notable roles include VP Finance at Partech Ventures and Chief Financial Officer at software companies such as Wincap Software and Apsylog. As an Independent Consultant at LERENDU Consulting, Michel offered his financial expertise to numerous clients, helping them align their financial strategies with overarching business goals. Lastly, his role as Corporate Controller at Matra Datavision further laid the groundwork for his exceptional financial leadership journey.
Education and Achievements
Michel Lerendu completed his Master of Business Administration at the esteemed HEC Paris, one of Europe’s top business schools. This prestigious education provided him with a solid foundation in business and finance, which has underpinned his successful career. The rigorous curriculum and networking opportunities afforded at HEC Paris have undoubtedly played a significant role in shaping Michel’s approach to financial management and strategy.
Throughout his career, Michel has achieved remarkable success by implementing forward-thinking financial strategies that drive organizational growth and optimize efficiency. His roles have consistently involved elevating financial reporting, enhancing operational performance, and securing investment funding to support innovative initiatives. These key achievements illustrate Michel’s effectiveness in managing financial portfolios and consulting on best practices crucial for growth in leading companies.
Achievements
- Founding Leadership: As the Founder & CFO at Faradae, Michel lays the groundwork for strong financial operations, enabling the company to focus on innovation and growth in a competitive marketplace.
- Successful Exits: Michel has been instrumental in securing safe and profitable exits for investment funds and companies alike, a testament to his financial acumen and strategic foresight.
- Corporate Growth Management: His leadership at Nexthink and Neolane speaks volumes about his ability to add significant value in fast-paced tech environments, contributing to their successful narratives in financial performance and corporate strategy.
- Consulting Expertise: Through LERENDU Consulting, Michel has leveraged his extensive knowledge to guide numerous clients in refining their financial strategies, benefiting from his unique insights gained from years of hands-on experience and corporate leadership.
In summary, Michel Lerendu’s diverse professional background accentuates his role as a leading CFO in the finance sector, with a strong emphasis on high-growth companies and international operations. His education at HEC Paris and subsequent professional journey stands as a robust foundation for his contributions in executive finance roles across various industries. His commitment to excellence, innovation, and strategic growth continues to mark his career as one of significant accomplishments and realized potential.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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