Governance

Richard Bielle graduated from École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP), promotion of 1986.
Richard Bielle began his career in the financial sector. In 1988, he joined Renault Trucks, where he held various financial management positions. In 1997, he joined ING Barings as senior manager in charge of project financing before moving to CFAO in 1999 as development director for the Automotive division.
He became CFAO’s head of finance in 2002 and Chief Operating Officer of CFAO Automotive three years later.
Appointed as Chairman of the Management Board in 2009, Richard Bielle is Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Group since 2017 following the governance structural changes.

Tatsuya Hirata holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Doshisha University in Kyoto.
In 1993, he joined Toyota Tsusho Corporation and appointed to Machinery business. In 2003, he was promoted to Machinery Division Director for Toyota Tsusho Europe SA (Czech Republic).
In 2008, Mr Hirata returned to Japan to work for Toyota Tsusho Corporation, where he held the position of Project Director of Overseas plant construction for several years. In 2014, he was appointed Managing Director of Toyota Tsusho East Africa, based in Kenya. In 2018, he became Director of CFAO’s Energy Division in France.
In 2019, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Energy & Infrastructure SBU of Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan.
In April 2023, Mr Hirata joined CFAO as Deputy CEO and a member of the Group’s Board of Directors and CEO of the CFAO Infrastructure Division.

Alain Pécheur is a ESG management school graduate and holds an MBA from HEC business school.
He began his career in 1992 at CFAO as an auditor before becoming a financial controller.
He was appointed Internal Audit Manager in 1998 then oversaw Purchasing. He took charge of CFAO Financial Services in 2002.
In 2005, he joined CFAO Automotive as Chief Financial Officer.
Alain Pécheur has been Chief Financial Officer since 2009 and has overseen CFAO’s Information Systems since 2018. He is a member of the Board of Directors since 2017.

Annie Dateu holds a master’s degree in business law and a postgraduate diploma in economic law.
She began her career as a Legal Advisor at Système U.
In 1996, she joined the legal direction of Solvay group where she was in charge of the competition laws. She was then appointed Legal Director of the company in 2001 for France, Africa and the Middle East regions. She then assumed the same position at Abbot Products in 2010. She joined Eurapharma as Legal Director in 2011.
Annie Dateu has been CFAO Group’s Vice President Corporate Affairs since April 2020. She oversees the Legal, Risks-Insurance-Security, Compliance, Strategic Planning & Development and Corporate Services departments.

Cécile Desrez holds a master’s degree in private law and a postgraduate degree in human resources management. She worked for several years in HR for chemical industries and distribution sector.
Cécile Desrez became head of social development of the Kering group in 2002, then HR Director France for Conforama in 2008.
She joined CFAO as Deputy Human Resources Director in 2011.
Cecile Desrez has been Vice President Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility since 2014 and has headed the Group’s Communications Department since 2018.

Côme Vercken graduated from Paris Dauphine University in 2003 with a Master’s degree in management and economics, with specialization in finance.

After five years with AXA Investment Managers, he joined the Ogepar Group in Congo-Brazzaville in 2008 as Finance and Operations Director. From 2012 to 2019, he consolidated his financial expertise in Africa by holding various key positions, including Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at the Castel Group in Angola, and Partner and Portfolio Director at Syntaxis Capital Africa, based between Nigeria and England. In 2019, Côme Vercken joined the CFAO Group to oversee divestments & acquisitions and strategic planning. He is also Managing Director of Health54, a venture capital fund focusing on the healthcare sector. He was appointed to the Executive Committee in September 2023.

After graduating from ISG business school, Marc Hirschfeld worked for various automotive manufacturers in the USA and France, first in sales & marketing then in retail as general manager for dealerships.
He joined the CFAO Group in 2007 as Director of the Automotive business in La Reunion, a French overseas territory. In 2012, he became Director of Automotive Equipment & Services in Algeria until 2015, when he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of CFAO Automotive, Equipment & Services for East Africa, the Maghreb, French Overseas Territories and Asia.
Marc Hirschfeld has been CEO of the CFAO Automotive division since April 2018.

Fabrice de Creisquer graduated from ESCE international business school in Paris.
After a first experience in Madagascar and Japan, Fabrice de Creisquer joinined SICAM (Madagascar) to develop long-term rental, tourism and pay-TV subsidiaries. He then headed  the subsidiary of an automotive group in Mayotte for three years until he was appointed Managing officer and Country Delegate for CFAO in Madagascar, from 2006 to 2010. He became, in 2011, CEO of CFAO Automotive in Senegal and Country Delegate then moved on to similar roles in Côte d’Ivoire between 2015 and 2018. He is appointed Chief Executive Officer of CFAO Automotive Western Africa In 2018. Fabrice de Creisquer is Chief Executive Officer of CFAO Automotive East & Southern Africa since 2021.

After graduating from Institut National des Sciences Appliquées in Lyon and Institut d’Administration des Entreprises (IAE) in Montpellier, Marc Ferréol started his career at CFAO in 1986 at Cami in Cameroon, as a Deputy Area Manager then Deputy CEO.
In 1996, he was appointed Chairman and CEO of CFAO Congo. He served as CEO of Socada in Cameroon from 2000 to 2005, when he was appointed Deputy CEO of CFAO and Chairman and CEO of CFAO Motors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He then held the position of Chief Operating Officer in French-speaking African countries before becoming CEO for CFAO in Western Africa in 2014.
Marc Ferréol has been Chief Executive Officer of CFAO Automotive Central Africa since 2017.

Goran Krizmanic graduated in mechanical engineering and business administration, and draws on 24 years of management experience, mainly in the automotive industry. In 2001, he joined TTC group with the objective of establishing the Toyota brand in his home country, Croatia. His career has taken him to several countries in Europe and in Africa. In 2016, he was appointed General Manager of the Automotive Division at Toyota Tsusho Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa.
From 2018 to 2021, Goran Krizmanic has been Chief Executive Officer of CFAO Automotive East & Southern Africa.

He has been Chief Executive Officer of CFAO Automotive Western Africa since 2021.

After graduating with a degree in economics from Keio University in Tokyo, Masafumi Yamashita joined the Toyota Tsusho Corporation in 1997. For 10 years, he rose through the ranks in the Finance department. In 2007, he joined the Africa Automotive department before being transferred to the Automotive division of TTC as coordinator. In 2011, he was appointed Deputy CEO at Toyota in Angola. In 2014, he joined the Projet Automotive department. Two years later, he joined the Africa Automotive department as Group Leader, then in 2017 was appointed CEO. In 2019, when the Africa division of TTC was reorganised into two entities (Africa Automotive and Toyota Africa Automotive), he was appointed CEO of the Africa Automotive department.
Masafumi Yamashita came to CFAO’s French headquarters in 2022 and holds the position of Director of the Toyota Business Unit within the CFAO Mobility division.

Andrew Velleman holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting science from the University of South Africa. He began his career in the financial sector at EY in the UK before moving on to join the food distribution industry in South Africa. He joined TTC in 2003 then, in 2007, Toyota Tsusho South Africa, which went on to become CFAO in 2017. He held various positions before being appointed Operations Director of the Production Support Division in 2018.
Andrew Velleman has been Chief Executive Officer of CFAO South Africa since April 2020.

Philippe graduated from Ecole Centrale de Nantes.
He started his career in audit at Mazars and then in banking within BPCE Group in Paris.
In 2013, he pursued a Master in Business Administration in Cape Town and London, which led him to complete assignments for several companies located in Zambia, Nigeria, as well as Africa Merchant Capital in the United Kingdom.
He joined CFAO in 2015, as a M&A manager. He was then promoted head of development and strategic planning early 2018, and then became in 2019, CFO for CFAO South Africa division.
In 2023, Philippe Franiatte was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive Officer Corporate & Development within CFAO South Africa division.

Jean-Marc Leccia is a EPSCI (École des praticiens du commerce international) international business school graduate. He started his professional journey within Bexter Laboratories, where he was Export Manager for Africa and the Maghreb regions.
He joined Eurapharma in 1991 and was responsible for promotional activities before creating the E.P.Dis France pre-wholesale business in 2000. He has headed operations in English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa and the Maghreb since 2005.
Jean-Marc Leccia has been Chief Executive Officer of CFAO Healthcare since 2012.

Ken Accajou graduated from ISG business school.
Ken Accajou was Sales Director of Sopharma in the French West Indies before becoming deputy director of the French-speaking Africa & Madagascar regions from 2004 to 2008. He was then appointed Director for the Maghreb and English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa. He became Managing Director of Sopharma in September 2009. He took charge of Eurapharma’s business in French-speaking Africa & Madagascar in 2013.
Ken Accajou has been Deputy CEO and head of the distribution business since 2017.

In 2022, he appointed, Head of English & Portuguese speaking area, Retail & Pre-Wholesale.

In 2001 Fabrice Edler earned a PhD in Pharmacy as well as a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Business Management. He later graduated from an Executive MBA program at the ICN Business School and EM Strasbourg in 2011. He began his career as the head of an Alliance Healthcare Repartition health facility, both at local and regional levels, then took the helm of the company’s operations in the North & Eastern region. In 2017 Fabrice Edler joined the CFAO group’s Healthcare branch as Managing Director of the SOREDIP business in Reunion.

In November 2022, Fabrice was appointed Head of Wholesale French overseas collectivities and territories in CFAO Healthcare division.

Franck Thomas graduated from IAE Rennes with a Master’s degree in management in 1990.
He began his career in the sales division of major agri-food companies, such as Carlsberg, Danone and Blédina. In 2011, he took over as head of Danone Nutricia for French-speaking Africa, followed by Managing Director of Fan Milk in Côte d’Ivoire and Togo. In 2019, Franck Thomas joined the CFAO Group within the CFAO Healthcare business segment as Managing Director of Sopharma in the Caribbean. In October 2023, he was appointed Director of Wholesale French-speaking Africa & Madagascar.

Jean-Christophe Brindeau holds a degree in geography and graduated in finance for managers from EM Lyon Business School.
From 1992 until 2016, Jean-Christophe Brindeau held several positions at food retailer group Casino in France, South America and the Indian Ocean where he became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vindémia, the region’s leading distributor, from 2012 to 2015.
In 2017, he began heading operations at the Ho Hio Hen group, a major distributor in the French West Indies and in French Guiana.
Jean-Christophe Brindeau has been Chief Executive Officer of CFAO Retail since January 2018.

Marc Bandelier holds a master’s degree in agronomy and food science from Agro Paris Tech as well as a master’s degree in international food industry management from ESSEC business school.
Marc Bandelier began his career in 1988 in the United States, working for the French Industrial Development Agency. In 1991, he was recruited by the Mars Group where he successively held several positions in production, finance and marketing. From 2001 to 2004, Marc Bandelier was Brands Director for the brewery Kronenbourg in France. In 2014, he joined ECKS Granini where he held the position of Marketing Director then Sales Director. In 2010, he was appointed General Manager of the joint-venture between ECKS Granini and Nestlé Waters in Switzerland.
Marc Bandelier joined CFAO in 2014 as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of CFAO FMCG & Agri. He has been CEO of the business unit since 2015.

Philippe Miquel holds a PhD in chemical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, USA.

He began his career in 1996 with Gaz de France, before moving to GDF SUEZ, where he consolidated his expertise in the energy sector, especially in Africa. In 2016, he became Regional Director for West and Central Africa at ENGIE before being appointed CEO North Africa. In 2023, Philippe Miquel joined the CFAO Group within the CFAO Infrastructure business segment as Development Director and Deputy-CEO of Technology & Energy. Since September 15, Philippe Miquel has been Managing Director of CFAO Infrastructure – B2B Sector.

Richard Bielle graduated from École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP), promotion of 1986.
Richard Bielle began his career in the financial sector. In 1988, he joined Renault Trucks, where he held various financial management positions. In 1997, he joined ING Barings as senior manager in charge of project financing before moving to CFAO in 1999 as development director for the Automotive division.
He became CFAO’s head of finance in 2002 and Chief Operating Officer of CFAO Automotive three years later.
Appointed as Chairman of the Management Board in 2009, Richard Bielle is Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Group since 2017 following the governance structural changes.

Tatsuya Hirata holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Doshisha University in Kyoto.
In 1993, he joined Toyota Tsusho Corporation and appointed to Machinery business. In 2003, he was promoted to Machinery Division Director for Toyota Tsusho Europe SA (Czech Republic).
In 2008, Mr Hirata returned to Japan to work for Toyota Tsusho Corporation, where he held the position of Project Director of Overseas plant construction for several years. In 2014, he was appointed Managing Director of Toyota Tsusho East Africa, based in Kenya. In 2018, he became Director of CFAO’s Energy Division in France.
In 2019, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Energy & Infrastructure SBU of Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan.
In April 2023, Mr Hirata joined CFAO as Deputy CEO and a member of the Group’s Board of Directors and CEO of the CFAO Infrastructure Division.

Alain Pécheur is a ESG management school graduate and holds an MBA from HEC business school.
He began his career in 1992 at CFAO as an auditor before becoming a financial controller.
He was appointed Internal Audit Manager in 1998 then oversaw Purchasing. He took charge of CFAO Financial Services in 2002.
In 2005, he joined CFAO Automotive as Chief Financial Officer.
Alain Pécheur has been Chief Financial Officer since 2009 and has overseen CFAO’s Information Systems since 2018. He is a member of the Board of Directors since 2017.

Dennis Awori graduated from Manchester University and Ashridge Management College in the UK.
He is a Kenyan diplomat and business leader involved in promoting the private sector in Kenya & East Africa. Dennis Awori became chairman of TTC East Africa in 2015.
He has also served as chairman of Kenya Airways and currently sits as a member of several boards of directors (including Bank of Africa).
Dennis Awori is a member of the Board of Directors of CFAO since 2017.

Toshimitsu Imai started his career within TTC’s Automobile division where he worked as Chief Representative of TTC in Antananarivo, Madagascar, then as General Manager of Toyota Tsusho Africa in South Africa, and finally as General Manager of the TTC Automotive Division Planning Department of TTC in Japan just before joining CFAO.
Mr Imai joined CFAO in France as Vice President Alliance Office-Business in 2013. He became a Toyota Tsusho executive officer in 2016.
In 2018, he became Managing Officer for Toyota Motors Corporation and Chief Executive Officer in the Africa Region.
Toshimitsu Imai is at the head of the TTC Africa division and a member of the Board of Directors since 2019.

Hideyuki Iwamoto has a degree in economics from Chuo University of Tokyo.
He joined Tomen Corporation (now Toyota Tsusho) in 1985. After some time abroad at the Business Accounting Department Tomen Japan of Tomen America, he moved to Toyota Tsusho in Japan in 2003 and worked in the Corporate Planning Department, which he took charge of in 2009. He subsequently headed the Metal Planning Department before becoming an executive officer in 2013. Mr Iwamoto has been Chief Financial Officer since 2017.
Hideyuki Iwamoto is a member of the Board of Directors since 2020.

A graduate of the MIT (USA), Dr. Frannie Léautier began her career in 1992 at the World Bank (Washington) where she worked for 15 years. She held various positions, including Chief of Staff to the President and Vice President. She then headed the African Capacity Building Foundation (Zimbabwe). After a term as Senior Vice President at the African Development Bank, she joined the Trade and Development Bank Group in Nairobi (Kenya) in 2018 as Chief Operating Officer and then Executive Director of Asset Management.
Since 2020, Dr. Frannie Léautier has been a Senior Partner at the SouthBridge Group and CEO of SouthBridge Investments. She currently serves on several boards, is a founder of two companies and a member of several international organizations.
Dr. Frannie Léautier became a member of the CFAO Board of Directors in 2022.

Didier Leroy is a graduate of École Supérieure des Sciences et Technologies de l’Ingénieur of Nancy (1981) and the Cedep/Insead management program (1993).
After graduating in 1982, he joined Renault where, for 16 years, he held a number of positions of responsibility on production sites.
In September 1998, Didier Leroy joined Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) as Vice-President in charge of manufacturing, before being appointed President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing France in 2005.
In addition, in 2007 he was appointed Managing Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation and Executive Vice-President of Toyota Motor Europe (TME) for industrial activities. In 2009, he was appointed Executive Vice-President of Toyota Motor Europe’s sales functions.
In 2010 he became President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe and Chief Regional Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation for Europe
In 2015, he became Executive Vice-President of Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan and was appointed member of the Board of Directors of TMC.
In 2016, he was additionally appointed Toyota Motor Corporation’s Chief Competitive Officer across all businesses and regions worldwide.
In June 2020, Didier Leroy left his operational functions, kept his role as Chairman of Toyota Motor Europe and became advisor to the President and CEO of the Toyota Group.

Momar Nguer graduated from ESSEC business school.
Momar Nguer has extensive experience in African markets, in particular with regard to distribution network management. He began his career in 1982 at the Hewlett Packard France finance department before joining Total in 1984, where he has held various positions in France and other countries.From 2012 to 2016, he became Director of the African and Mena Region of Total Marketing Services. From 2016 to 2020, he is appointed General Director of the Marketing and Services branch of Total group and became a member of the Executive committee.
He is currently a special counsellor on Africans matters for Total’s CEO and the CEO of Mnguer Advisory.
Momar Nguer is member of the Board of Directors since 2017.