Greetings, dear reader!

Below, you will find some details (without breaking any NDAs) of the work and accomplishments I have made in my career. It’s pretty long, but standing out in a data-driven society starts by providing data! All content below is cross-checkable.

1 Education and my first job (1980–2004)

My family is Romanian, but I was born and raised in France. I have two degrees, one in software engineering and the other in disputes applied to software projects.

I developed commercial B2C applications in C++ for Windows (using the Microsoft Foundation Class) during my study.

I also made a thesis on supervised neural networks and implemented a prototype using the .NET framework.

I’ve started my career in a governmental institution. I’ve built a light Knowledge management system that significantly decreased the time spent by all the stakeholders researching for specific information.

I’ve learned some fundamentals about my career:

1. making simple sentences when discussing complex ideas,
2. the chain of command
3. The best feedback about usability you can get is when you are behind end-users to watch how they use your products!

2 Crossknowledge

2.1 Paris / 2005–2007

I switched to the private sector and worked for Crossknowledge, a startup in the e-learning industry. My work included but was not limited to:

• build a reporting system from scratch
• pilot the specifications and delivery of 2 generations of a Learning Management Systems (which included sub-projects such as migration, relaunches, change management)
• build and supervise the implementation of synchronous events (on-site and remote training, blended with e-learning) that includes the various workflows (business and logistics) and the record management
• advise and implement innovative tools and features, productivity enhancements (back office level) based on the feedback of all the stakeholders
• support the initial deployment along with the account managers

As a PMO, I supported the business by delivering training, pre-sales, and supervising the technical integration with 3rd part systems.

After two years and a half, Crossknowledge made a strategic partnership with a Japanese company. I received the opportunity to go to Japan as an expatriate to manage all the operations, and I took it!

2.2 Tokyo / 2007–2010

From Japan, I was in charge to:

• build the platform dedicated to APAC, that is, both the infrastructure and the application
• coordinate locals vendors (Datacenter, admin/DevOps) in Japan (which included the contract negotiations, terms and conditions, and SLA) along with the vendors and resources in France to build the application dedicated to Japan (and fix the design issues of the previous LMS version)
• Create some bounds with the local partner in Japan by liaising/facilitating all levels: business, operations, and technical elements
• Direct the operations in India and China, where I helped the business partners build their system to leverage CrossKnowledge’s content and technology.

At the end of my mandate, everything was on track and I needed to pursue other challenges.

3 Sales, account and project management 2010–2013 (freelance)

3.1 IA Writer

My work included (but was not limited) to:

• build from sketches the first version of IA writer on desktop (MacOSx) and enhance the iPad version as a PM/PMO.
• in charge of the various types of sourcing: direct hires, contractors, vendors.
• work on the product design by giving inputs/feedback/prototyping from the rough vision I received.

We released the initial desktop version to the public (IA Writer 1.0), several iterations of the iPad version, and the initial prototype of the iPhone version.

The team continued developing the ecosystem and obtained the app of the year reward several times (including the year I was part of the project).

3.2 Danone Japan intranet (on behalf of the Plant)

I was mandated to bid for an RFP for an engaging intranet for Danone Japan.

After coordinating with several team members, I put together an expanded brief and then pitched it to the Client. Thanks to this teamwork, we won the RFP.

I was then in charge of supervising the end-to-end implementation, detailing all the flows, coordinating the stakeholders at the Client’s level to make sure the integration would match all the stakeholders’ expectations (CEO, CTO, CIO, and the Corporate communication manager).

I also supported the change management by training the local champions designated by the Client.

Ten years later, the platform is still being used, significantly reducing all the emails sent between employees.

3.3 ASICS made of sports deployment (on behalf of the Plant)

My assignments were:

• to implement a new experience in terms of UI-UX for one of the essential marketing campaigns in 2012 of ASICS: made of sports.
• to bridge between the user experience agency, the front-end agency, all ASICS entities in Europe, and our team in China to deploy the campaign.
• to kick-off site European site rebranding.

The result was the deployment of the campaign was done in time and according to the Client’s expectations.

3.4 Hubspot integration (on behalf of 24–7.co.jp)

• I was mandated to pilot the integration of the « inbound marketing » concepts and HubSpot technologies within several Japanese companies.
• I have designed the content plan from a creative direction perspective, piloted writers, illustrators to create the appropriate materials (blogs, white paper, videos, cheat sheets).

The result is those clients started getting tractions and initiated their digital transformations to include “marketing” (which was a relatively “weak” element in Japan at that time) in their sales processes.

3.5 Lifework/futecs

I was mandated to enhance a software application in VB.net and PL-SQL. To do so, I needed to understand documentation in Japanese and implement the specifications. I also helped Japanese engineers work more efficiently, having a « hack » approach to problems by trying and breaking things in a minimal scope. I’ve also suggested a roadmap approach to quite complex projects to better visibility on progress and deliverables.

3.6 product creation: BubbleReader 1.0

My objective was to create a new paradigm for transferring exercise books (especially language learning such as Japanese) on the iPad.

The key idea was to gather into one application:
— a dictionary
— audio/sound
— notebook
— exercice book
— correction of those exercices

I saw the iPad as a way to remove all the friction to swap between those multiple resources.

Moreover, It could also add value by leveraging this content by enhancing the way we read the content and adding a space-repetition system to retry failed exercises.

I created several prototypes and obtained a Japanese utility patent.

I tried to approach publishers, angel investors, and teachers’ organizations, but I felt there was no market for this digital transformation approach.

4 Co-Founder + Director and Product vision and operations management — RespondMedia (2013–2015)

I’ve co-founded a digital agency. One of our projects was to build a trip planner for tourists coming to Japan.

As foreigners ourselves, we know the frustration of foreign tourists; because of the language barrier, they miss the out-of-the-beaten track spots, itineraries, and experiences in general. So we took the idea much further. All foreigners in Japan will have sooner or later a request from friends and family to have some hints about a trip to Japan. Usually, they come up with fragmented data, such as some word or excel files with a to-do list in a specific order.

We thought we could capture this data in one place, but it should not be like Wikipedia.

I’ve come up with the idea of a concierge desk; that is the go-to guy who knows the right place to go. This “concierge” would be a community of people who have some experience to share about their daily life and place they like to introduce in Japan to their friends or family (either as individual locations or recommended trips).

People who want to go to Japan could pick up those recommendations throughout the trip planner.

We pitched the idea and the prototype behind, and the Client behind this project decided to fund it with initial funding of 2M USD.

Although all the core members are left now, the company is still there.

5 Co-founder + Director and projects management (2015–2019) / Elmas K.K

I sold product/company vision, marketing, implementation, and execution either as a freelance consultant or under my company, ELMAS K.K.

5.1 projects

5.1.1 Nippon Auto Photo (photo cabins)

I was involved in a new generation of photo cabins, enhanced with IoT.

The business service offered is to reprint photos by storing them in the cloud and pairing them with the customer’s mobile phone.

I’ve reworked the roadmap by removing all the elements not necessary in the critical path and supervised and tested the intermediate deliverables until we have a fully working version 1.0.

5.1.2 NON-PI (Catering)

NONPI was engaging its digital transformation by switching from pen and paper the food order/preparation process entirely to digital. I redefined the priorities to match the corporate roadmap discussed with the Client.

The first step was to create the e-commerce / POS since there were none; orders were using a very legacy interface that required the staff to frequently call back the clients to change the content of the order.

We’ve spent a lot of time with the teams defining the right balance between controlling better the input from clients without causing too much friction to place an order (otherwise, customers would abandon their order).

The project was on track after my intervention and finished by the team.

5.1.3 Logitoy (Edutainment)

Logitoy is a prototype of a mobile application leveraging AR. It results from a collaboration between a development company, Dirox, and a digital innovation agency, Strix-inc.

Strix-inc’s core value is “unparalleled experience”; one of the implementations is to connect the dots between analog and digital.

We wanted to make a product for children that combined pen and paper and augmented reality with this paradigm in mind.

The application “captures” handwritten texture within a template and applies it to 3d models manipulated as AR objects. Children can record the output as videos.

The prototype was satisfying for the client to pursue similar projects.

5.1.4 Softbank Robotics

I created with a local expert a training program that aims to teach the fundamentals of android to software engineers.

We packaged the content creation as a “cookbook,” that is, pieces of software that introduce several concepts one by one or as a coherent set.

We deployed the training in a blended learning approach where we organized a real-time Q&A session with the consultant.

We’ve encouraged the management to identify “champions” to focus the training on them as a first step and them deploying for the rest of the engineers.

I’ve frequently updated the stakeholders about the progress and the results of the training.

The main stakeholders were satisfied with the deliverables.

5.1.5 iPresence

I’ve supported the founder of iPresence to clarify his vision on how he could embed telepresence robots into the platform he created. One of the key elements was to differentiate between “webcams,” where you can see without being seen, and “telepresence,” which is a projection of the user in a remote environment. I have helped the founder by making visuals and mockups to capture this concept tangibly. I’ve also helped him drive the product roadmap by trying to sort priorities and communicate with all the stakeholders so that they understand the value of the whole product. My last contribution was narrowing down the company’s core message, which is “Teleportation as Service.”

5.1.6 Intercontinetal

The purpose of this project was to create an accurate forecast for the payroll of the hotel staff. Because of the various types of contracts and the high turnover, HR and line managers spent lots of time going back and forth filling excel files in different formats, resulting in unpriced information, consolidation, and projection calculation. We created a Web application with a clear and simple workflow, controlled input, and a user interface that required no training.

5.1.7 Seven&I holdings

The purpose was to create a validation workflow between multiple stakeholders as a Web application to replace cluttered emails and excel files.

The application’s design was flexible enough to adapt to the various additional requirements received during the projects, such as access right to view or input data.

I figured out the most efficient way to communicate with stakeholders was to deliver a video capture of the new version every week.

5.1.8 Aichi sky expo

I sold and managed the audit of the whole facility (280.000 square meters) by specifying the customer acceptance validation procedures and tests.

I executed those tests and captured and compiled all the data to be analyzed by the engineers remotely.

I also piloted the discussions between the local vendors and the French management by acting as a trilingual technical facilitator.

5.2 Marketing

5.2.1 Locarise

The objective was to help the owner reposition the company’s core business according to his new strategy, shifting from retail analytics to real-estate analytics. We’ve reworked the core messages/brand identity to comply with this new vision throughout a new digital presence.

5.2.2 Bioderma

I was mandated to provide the marketing director with insights into Japan’s cosmetics landscape. We’ve also organized some campaigns about the season changes, which implies allergies prevention and remediation and some tools for the Brand activation.

5.2.3 Lux, Discogs, Lixil

I contributed to the marketing pitches, including go-to-market in Japan, by introducing the “key message” along with a marketing plan to be executed (online and offline). It also includes defining a pricing structure, a roadmap with suggested KPIs.

5.3 Market entry

I helped two offshore companies specializing in web/mobile development and DevOps penetrate the Japanese market.

For each of those companies, it started by restructuring the company’s core message, building the case studies and the offers.

I was acting as a fixer and facilitating deals with leads I introduced (translation English/Japanese/French)

6 SBI Group (SBI Security solutions/ SBI Remit) on behalf of an offshore vendor (2019–2021)

For two years, I was on the front-line from engineering to high-end corporate (SLA, contracts…etc…).

I was directly responsible for continuously delivering projects and operations for multiple environments (production, staging) and the SPOC for incident management and root cause analysis.

As such, I had coordinated from one end, the cloud/network architects, DevOps, NOC team, and on the other end, all the different stakeholders (Business, Dev, corporate, operations, 3rd part banks) within a very aggressive timeline.

I was also required to understand the company’s policies and integrate those into the requirements for delivery.

I also conducted the change management from “startup paradigm” to a “Japanese enterprise” project approach, that is creating processes, documentation, and execute the implementation.

7 Products, projects, and operations advisor/consultant (2021 -)

I have started a semi-career break. I do some consulting gigs on the side to keep my brain busy on exciting topics.

7.1 Weben (Marketing/e-commerce) — delivered in December 2021

I created an e-commerce training program to support a company’s digital transformation that manufactures and distributes FMCG worldwide. My work included scoping the content creation, auditing the Client’s LMS, and redacting the content.

7.2 A public institution with AKB Ltd — delivered in February 2022

I sold and executed the audit of the network infrastructure of a public institution based on three criteria: governance, security, and reliability.

7.3 (GameFI/Web3) project

I am advising the management, operations, and product teams for corporate organization, product development, and NFT sales approach (roadmap, communication plan, coordination with communities, coordination with the stakeholders, market research and analysis, content creation, content localization, and Japanese market entry).

— -

Thank you for reading until the end!