YANN TOUTANT
CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF BLACKWINCH, AUTHOR
Yann Toutant has been implementing subscription-based models for hardware in the ICT industry for 25 years, 12 years of which as CEO of Econocom’s Dutch operations. Today with his own company, Black Winch, he helps CEOs and their teams to focus on the user experience by incorporating all components of an As-A-Service offer into a single in-house comprehensive, scalable subscription model. The doorway to circular economy is one of the main drivers, making it possible to centralise ownership and to industrialise the circularity at large scale.
Yann is a European from France; he has lived and worked in the U.S, Spain, Belgium, Scandinavia. He now bases from The Netherlands whilst embracing the location independent entrepreneur leadership style. Yann is a strong believer that the ‘location independence’ movement, focusing on impressions versus possessions, offers new opportunities to corporates and is a great booster for As-A-Service offers, especially in these post pandemic times. From his own experience, he knows that many CEOs are dealing with three major stones in their shoes: shifting business models, integrating startups and attracting the “Y” generation. The mind shift from possessions to impressions provides solutions from the inside. He loves to integrate this way of working in the projects he runs, as well as in his personal lifestyle.
Yann’s first Book, ‘As-A-Service’ – How to turn your product based business into a subscription model was published in early 2022 with the aim of spreading his commitment to connect As-A-Service and circularity
Yann is a passionate advocate for the circular economy and believes manufacturers have the power to make steps towards preserving our earth’s precious resources. One way to do this is to shift their business from being product-based to an “As-A-Service” subscription model. As-A-Service allows manufacturers to remain owners of their products, transferring “usership” instead of ownership to their customers. This means being responsible for creating a good customer experience and service, as well as reusing and recycling materials – something customers are increasingly requesting.
But how do you turn a product-based business into As-A-Service? How to navigate from using this buzzword to actually implementing a successful and scalable in-house AS-A-Service business model? There is a large selection of books available about software As-A-Service, but none of them addressed product-based businesses. This, along with Yanns years of experience both personally and within his career lead him to the decision to write his first book.
YANNICK LE ROUX
COO AND CO-FOUNDER OF BLACKWINCH
Yannick le Roux has worked in the finance, I.T. and “As A Service” solutions for over 20 years. His experience has seen him grow and develop digital transformation in businesses from the ground level up across Central Europe, USA and Canada. Most recently Yannick spent more than 8 years serving as CEO to Econocom USA and Canada division, – Generating a 120m$ annual turnover and 8% profitability after 5 years of activity. As the initiator of 5 As-A-Service companies he was fully involved in establishing successful teams across the departments of operations, sales, HR and legal.
Yannick is a European-Canadian from France; he has lived and worked in the U.S, Central Eastern Europe and now calls Montreal, Canada, home. He is passionate about leveraging the benefits of cultural uniqueness in global business to maximize not only profitability and overall corporate success, but also to foster positive skills development of individuals within work forces. Yannick’s strength of creating organizational growth and profitability from grass-roots level originates from his ability to analyze markets and set competitive, highly focused forecasts and business strategies. His combined experience as an entrepreneur and intrapreneur for large corporate entities has given him a uniquely bi-focal perspective on the financial challenges businesses face in a modernized world with a fast-paced rate of change. This is especially pertinent in moving from transactional to subscription models where in-depth financial engineering is a key success factor.
Reach out to Yannick
SOPHIE FÉRET
VP FINANCE & FUNDING AND CO-FOUNDER OF BLACKWINCH
Sophie Féret trained as a Chartered Accountant, has been working in the Office Technology sector for over 15 years. As a recognised expert in leasing and financing, she has partnered with mainly independent leasing technology providers and managed international portfolios in more than 20 countries.
In her various roles, she has achieved double-digit growth in the volume financed, up to €1.2 billion per annum, the creation and development of international financing partnerships, in excess of 30, as well as the development of international business by leading specialised task forces in the structuring of large international contracts with multinational companies.
Although she grew up and is based in France, Sophie has almost always worked for international entities. Her roles have always given her the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe and North America. This international aspect has continuously fuelled her passion for intercultural interaction and development. Her adaptability and skills in leading, educating, facilitating, and coordinating multicultural teams have made her a key player in an international business context.
As a leasing and financing expert, Sophie masters a diverse set of skills covering a wide range of key areas. From building partnerships at the grassroots level to managing legal aspects, operations and negotiations, her long-term client focus and skills in managing complex transactions/partnerships have helped her to successfully scale international operations.
Her collaborative work values translate in the fact that she rarely views difficult topics such as tax, legal or financial issues as obstacles. Instead, she facilitates effective communication around these factors to enhance business success.