André Hardy - General Manager

Q: Where is André based?

André is based in Montrouge, France .

Q: What languages does André speak?

André speaks the following languages: French (Advanced), German (Intermediate), English (Intermediate), Spanish (Intermediate) .

Q: How many years of experience does André have?

André has at least 38 years of experience. During this time, André has worked in at least 11 different roles and for 10 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 11 months . Note that André may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is André's latest experience?

André's most recent position is Deputy Managing Director at Laiterie Terre de Sèvres - Transition Cooperative laitière de la Sèvre .

Q: What companies has André worked for in recent years?

In recent years, André has worked for Laiterie Terre de Sèvres - Transition Cooperative laitière de la Sèvre .

Q: Which industries is André most experienced in?

André is most experienced in industries like Food and Beverage , Manufacturing , and Agriculture .

Q: Which business areas is André most experienced in?

André is most experienced in business areas like Sales , Marketing , and Strategy . André also has some experience in Operations , Finance , and Logistics .

Q: Which industries has André worked in recently?

André has recently worked in industries like Food and Beverage and Agriculture .

Q: Which business areas has André worked in recently?

André has recently worked in business areas like Strategy , Finance , and Operations .

Recommended expert

Montrouge, France

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Experience

Jan 2024 - Dec 2025

2 years

Deputy Managing Director

Laiterie Terre de Sèvres - Transition Cooperative laitière de la Sèvre

Turnaround and reorganization assignment for an agricultural cooperative: support for the new shareholders during the takeover of the company, creation of the new legal entity, setup of governance, definition of a 2025-2028 business plan to secure funding from a banking pool

Achievements: Stabilization of teams; finalization of the banking pool (securing €20M in CAPEX); definition of a development strategy with revenue up +22% at the end of September
Improvement in net income at the end of September: from 13%

Jan 2023 - Present

3 years 8 months

Interim manager specialized in General Management of BUs / development strategy in the agri-food sector

Jan 2023 - Dec 2023

1 year

Various assignments for foreign companies in the agri-food sector

Jan 2020 - Dec 2022

3 years

France

Company takeover project

Jan 2015 - Dec 2019

5 years

Bratislava, Slovakia

Business Unit Director - Eastern Europe

Zott

Revenue managed: €400 million, 6 commercial entities, 3 plants in Poland, management of 150 people.

Full responsibility for the Business Unit P&L. Definition, implementation and monitoring of budgets and the P&L.

Creation of new subsidiaries in Russia and Turkey: +€35 million in 2 years, i.e. 10% additional revenue for the BU
Project development & management: strategic partnerships in Poland, change of distributors in Ukraine / Adriatic region and Bulgaria, +25% revenue
Definition of a Private Label strategy alongside brands: prioritization of categories / products / retailers / dedicated organization: between +10% and +30% revenue on prioritized categories
Coverage of all distribution channels: retail chains, hard discount, traditional trade, wholesalers, Horeca, importers & distributors: between +5% and +25% revenue by country
Reorganization of the Central Europe region: Creation of a back office in Bratislava (logistics, marketing, sales management).
Removal of country GMs / country sales directors. Complete reorganization of logistics flows: reduction of structure costs between 10% and 25% by country

Jan 2013 - Dec 2015

3 years

Lima, Peru

General Manager of Business Unit

Lactalis Parmalat

Managed revenue: $5 million, 3 commercial entities (Chile, Peru, and Argentina), team management of 10 people. Full responsibility for the Business Unit P&L.

Creation of the Parmalat Peru subsidiary in coordination with lawyers / management of import licenses with local authorities.
Development: signing of strategic partnerships with local chains (Supermercados Peruanos) and regional chains (Wallmart, Cencosud). Development of a Private Labels strategy alongside international brands.
Coverage of complementary distribution channels: traditional trade, pharmacies.
Development of a strategic partnership for infant milk with Gloria (co-packing) and Sanofi.
Organization: redefining distribution agreements with local distributors (Peru, Chile and Argentina).
Revenue growth of 45% in 2 years

Jan 2010 - Dec 2013

4 years

Vienna, Austria

General Manager of Business Unit

Lactalis Central Europe

Managed revenue: €30 million, 3 commercial entities, management of 13 people.
Creation: presentation to the Lactalis Europe board of the creation of the new BU, creation and organization of the new subsidiary.
Development: definition of a new business model in Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Development of a Private Labels strategy. Coverage of all distribution channels (GMS, HD, Horeca and wholesalers).
Revenue growth between +8% and +25% by country
Organization: new commercial and distribution setup in Austria: shift from 3 distributors to 1 distributor.
30% reduction in distribution logistics costs
New commercial organization in SK and HU with a KAM for the traditional network

Jan 2006 - Dec 2010

5 years

Prague, Czech Republic

General Manager of Business Unit

Lactalis CZ

Managed revenue: €100 million, 2 production plants, 2 commercial entities, management of 450 people. Full responsibility for the Business Unit P&L. Definition, implementation and monitoring of budgets and the P&L, variance analysis.

Industrial reorganization: specialization of production sites and closure of 3 sites, integration of the 2 production sites into the Lactalis group quality and productivity standards. Commercial & Marketing reorganization: creation of the marketing department, definition of a category approach.
Logistics reorganization: 25% reduction in logistics costs following the new tender / new process
Development: signing of strategic partnerships with local chains (Coop) and regional chains (Tesco, Kaufland). Development of a local and regional Private Labels strategy.
Revenue gains between +5% and +15% by prioritized category.
Better coverage of distribution channels: traditional trade (Coop, CBA), Horeca: between +10% and +20% in revenue

Jan 2004 - Dec 2006

3 years

Laval, Canada

Key Account Manager (Auchan and Casino)

Lactalis Butter and Cheese

Jan 2001 - Dec 2004

4 years

Monaco

Marketing and Sales Director

Inverhouse Distillers

Jan 1999 - Dec 2001

3 years

Mont-de-Marsan, France

Marketing Director and Store Manager

Delpeyrat

Jan 1994 - Dec 1999

6 years

Paris, France

Group Manager, Spirits / Senior Product Manager

LVMH, Wines & Spirits

Jan 1989 - Dec 1994

6 years

Various sales and marketing roles

Groupe Lactalis

Industry Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Food and Beverage, Manufacturing, and Agriculture.

Food and Beverage

Manufacturing

Agriculture

Business Area Experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Sales, Marketing, Operations, Strategy, Finance, and Logistics.

Sales

Marketing

Operations

Strategy

Finance

Logistics

Summary

Proven expertise in managing and developing profit centers

Skills

Dairy Industry / Value Chain Analysis / Strategic Vision
Deliver Profitable Growth / Define And Deploy A Development Strategy
Improve Performance / Optimize Organizations (Subsidiaries, Bus, Plants)
Turnaround / Crisis Management / Leading Cross-Functional Teams

Languages

French

Advanced

German

Intermediate

English

Intermediate

Spanish

Intermediate

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 13

Experience in Food and Beverage 34.5 y

Avg length 3 y 8 m

Longest experience 5 y 11 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 7 (France, Slovakia, Peru, Austria, Czech Republic, +2)

Primary country France

Expertise

Recent roles Deputy Managing Director, Interim manager specialized in General Management of BUs / development strategy in the agri-food sector, Various assignments for foreign companies in the agri-food sector

Main industries Food and Beverage, Manufacturing, Agriculture

Main business areas Sales, Marketing, Operations

Profile

Created

August 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Have questions? Find more information here.

André is based in Montrouge, France.

André speaks the following languages: French (Advanced), German (Intermediate), English (Intermediate), Spanish (Intermediate).

André has at least 38 years of experience. During this time, André has worked in at least 11 different roles and for 10 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 11 months. Note that André may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Based on recent experience, André would be well-suited for roles such as: Deputy Managing Director, Interim manager specialized in General Management of BUs / development strategy in the agri-food sector, Various assignments for foreign companies in the agri-food sector.

André's most recent position is Deputy Managing Director at Laiterie Terre de Sèvres - Transition Cooperative laitière de la Sèvre.

In recent years, André has worked for Laiterie Terre de Sèvres - Transition Cooperative laitière de la Sèvre.

André is most experienced in industries like Food and Beverage, Manufacturing, and Agriculture.

André is most experienced in business areas like Sales, Marketing, and Strategy. André also has some experience in Operations, Finance, and Logistics.

André has recently worked in industries like Food and Beverage and Agriculture.

André has recently worked in business areas like Strategy, Finance, and Operations.

André will be available full-time from August 2026.

André's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.

To hire André, click the Meet button on the profile to request a meeting and discuss your project needs.