TEN Consulting — Thomas Negrel

The record

What changes when I arrive.

Every engagement is a state change. These are the ones that mattered most.

Month-end close 40 days → 21 days No additional headcount

Accounts receivable No function → $2M collected AR infrastructure and EDI built hands-on with consultant · Ulta · Best Buy · Nordstrom

Board reporting Reactive → Questions anticipated Trust established in 2 months

Accounting system Legacy, on-premise → Cloud, live in 3 months Full implementation led end to end

Store development Misaligned with growth plan → Rebuilt to meet targets Site selection · Design · Lease negotiation

Budget process 4 months → 1 month, teams aligned Mezzetta 2025–26 · Finance, sales and marketing building one plan

Cross-functional planning Defensive silos → Credible shared projections Controls set at the right level, without slowing the business

Read the case studies in full

Where I help

Four areas, one throughline.

Finance is the instrument, not the objective. The work is making the organization able to see itself clearly and act on what it sees.

01 — Financial process optimization

Faster closes, reporting people trust

Month-end close optimization
Expense management and internal controls
AP, AR and working capital optimization
Performance KPI development

02 — Growth alignment & operations

Teams built for where you're going

Assess and rebuild teams to match skillsets to growth goals
Align finance with operations
Management rituals and tooling that hold under scale

03 — Strategy & stakeholders

Credible plans, calm board rooms

Strategic financial plans that survive scrutiny
Fundraising, financing, M&A and board reporting
Exit readiness across HR, legal, IT, financial and tax

04 — Business model & market

Where the margin actually is

Revenue optimization and cost reduction
SKU velocity, gross margin and repurchase analysis
B2C and B2B dynamics across omnichannel distribution

Engagement models

Scoped to the problem, not the calendar.

Hourly or packaged

Short-term initiatives

Month-end close optimization
Expense management and internal controls
AP, AR and working capital
Reporting quality and KPI build

Retainer

Ongoing advisory

Right-sizing finance teams, processes and systems
Keeping strategy and financial planning aligned
Anticipating and planning for future needs
Refinancing existing lines or sourcing new ones

Retainer

Interim CFO — full or fractional

Leadership through transition or growth
Full ownership of finance and accounting, as long as needed

Hourly or packaged

Custom engagements

M&A activity and due diligence preparation
Sale process readiness
Selecting investment banks and advisors
Securing liquidity — strategic and tactical

The path

An unusual route to the CFO seat.

Command before finance, and finance before advisory. Each step is why I'm comfortable in rooms where the answer isn't known yet.

1998–2001

French Army Academy

MA in International Relations.

2001–2008

French Armed Forces

Operational unit leader, 100+ people. Multiple domestic and overseas deployments.

2009–2010

MBA, Finance concentration

Graduated on the Dean's list.

2010–2014

Mergers & acquisitions — generalist

Transactions across multiple sectors. Taught corporate finance in the HEC Paris undergraduate program.

2014–2017

Mergers & acquisitions — restaurant sector

Advising US clients on M&A, IPOs and follow-on offerings. Selected for the internal leadership program.

2017–2021

Chief Financial Officer

Specialty's Café & Bakery. $110M revenue. Finance, real estate and legal.

2021–2022

Chief Operating Officer

SBE — Ella Mia. Multi-brand hospitality operations. Confirm framing

2022–2023

Interim CFO

Credo Beauty. $30M revenue. Team transition and relocation, first financial audit.

2023–2024

Interim CFO

Solawave. $50M revenue. Retail and wholesale analysis, demand and supply planning.

2025–2026

Interim CFO

Mezzetta. $300M revenue. Business integration across finance, operations, IT and strategy. Direct partnership with CEO and board.

In their words

What it's like on the other side of the table.

He established transparency and reliability in the numbers, hit deadlines, and consistently anticipated the board's questions — turning what had been a reactive process into one that was timely, clear, and collaborative. He was not just keeping the lights on.

Thomas served as our interim CFO during a period of significant transition, and his leadership proved invaluable. He provides strategic direction with clarity and foresight but also dives into the details when necessary.

He has a practical mindset, understands what matters most to different stakeholders, and doesn't get lost in the noise. While we were on opposite sides of the audit, the process was efficient and constructive thanks in large part to his leadership.

Exceptional financial acumen, coupled with remarkable project management capabilities and a truly collaborative approach with operations. Thomas always approached every project with what was best for the organization overall.

His ability to ask the right questions and challenge assumptions helped drive smarter decisions across departments. A supportive and energetic leader who brings out the best in a team.

Thomas' financial and operational acuity was incredibly impressive. He had the ability to break down complex ideas into simpler terms for our operating team.

Who I am

Planning under pressure, then and now.

I led operational units of a hundred people before I ever built a financial model. That order matters. It taught me that plans are worth exactly what the team executing them understands, and that the hardest part of any turnaround is rarely the arithmetic.

Since 2017 I've sat in C-level seats across hospitality, beauty, retail and consumer packaged goods — as VP of Finance, as COO, and as interim CFO through transitions, audits and relocations. A father of four, and a road cyclist with a serious training habit.

Your talent is already in the building

Strong teams are usually built from the people you have. Create the conditions for their success and they rise to it.

Work hard only when necessary

The rest of the time, simplify and automate to free up your team's attention. They end up happier, more productive and more loyal.

Debrief, learn, adjust

Processes and systems need regular correction. We build the rituals that make an organization learn from a mistake once.

The operating loop

Plan
Execute and make mistakes
Leave your ego behind and learn
Repeat steps 1 to 3

Start here

Let's find out whether I'm the right person for this.

A thirty-minute call. Tell me what's not working and I'll tell you honestly whether it's a problem I can solve. Book directly, or send a note below.

Book a discovery call Connect on LinkedIn

+1 415 481 9495