Finance Transformation — How do you reconcile strategic agility, digital transformation and granular performance management in a hypergrowth context?

Transforming the Finance Function in a Hypergrowth Context

Discover the perspective of Augustin Barrelet, CFO Secure Power Division & Data Center Business at Schneider Electric

Faced with an explosion in demand across the data center sector, Schneider Electric's finance function is rethinking its roles, tools and priorities to support a high-velocity transformation.

The digital infrastructure market is growing at breakneck speed, driven by the widespread adoption of cloud computing, artificial intelligence and exponentially increasing compute demands. In this context, Schneider Electric's Secure Power & Data Center Business division plays a strategic role, delivering double-digit growth and already accounting for 20% of the group's revenue.

To keep pace with this exceptional momentum, the finance function must reinvent itself. It is no longer just about managing budgets or producing reports, it means supporting fast decisions, steering resource allocation, managing contractual risk, and actively contributing to digital transformation. A deep transformation of methods, tools and skills is underway, driven by the Horizon program and a full overhaul of performance management systems..

As part of an exclusive study conducted with Ifop, "AI, Functions, Regulations: The Priorities of Finance Functions 2025–2026", for the white paper Finance at the Horizon 2030: Steering and Technological Transformation, Augustin Barrelet, CFO of the division, reflects on the challenges of this shift and shares the keys to making finance a central player in a hypergrowth environment. Read his interview in full below.

The data center market is experiencing exponential growth. How is this dynamic shaping the priorities and responsibilities of the CFO within your division?

The data center business is currently the group's largest growth driver and already accounts for 20% of its revenue. As CFO, I focus on three imperatives: continuously adapting our production capacity to meet rapidly expanding demand, particularly in North America; supporting innovation,  especially in artificial intelligence, which is radically transforming our sector and requires significant R&D investment, both internally and through targeted acquisitions; and steering an agile financial strategy capable of quickly reallocating resources toward emerging opportunities in R&D or the supply chain. This demands transparent communication and the ability to justify budget adjustments in response to rapidly shifting market conditions.

At the same time, risk management has become an absolute priority. We manage large-scale contracts, which requires heightened vigilance on contractual matters, as some of these clients represent a significant share of our revenue. We work closely with the group's risk management and legal teams to anticipate and mitigate potential risks. This situation pushes us to innovate in our approaches, as the amounts at stake often exceed the group's usual thresholds.

In the face of these challenges, how is the digital transformation of the finance function helping to optimize your operations?

Our priority is to increase the operational efficiency of the finance function, particularly in reporting and analysis.

This ambition is driven at the group level through the Horizon program, which is the backbone of this transformation. It aims to standardize our digital architecture by deploying an EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) solution and a digital finance layer sitting "above" our ERPs. This will allow us to standardize reporting, achieve granular end-to-end data visibility and eliminate custom reports.

This also represents a profound mindset shift for finance teams, who still perform a significant number of tasks manually. The goal is also to achieve better end-to-end data integration without waiting for ERP changes across the various divisions.

In addition, this automation will strengthen our regulatory compliance and pave the way for more strategic use of artificial intelligence — particularly in financial forecasting — by building on a consistent and reliable data foundation, which is an absolute prerequisite for success.

"We had 18 months to implement SAP's Digital Finance Layer and then deploy the EPM, with very little time between the two phases to get acquainted with our new environment."

 — Augustin Barrelet, CFO at Schneider Electric

Does your division have a specific benefit from implementing this program?

Traditionally within the group, data was structured by offering and by country, but we lacked a unified view of our customers. This evolution is therefore aligned with one of our core objectives: developing a customer-centric perspective for tracking financial performance.

We need standardized, granular data, and again, the ability to automate as many processes as possible. The new architecture will give us a consolidated view of our customers and their contribution to our performance.

Did implementing this program present particular challenges for your teams, and how did you overcome them?

Migrating to a new digital architecture was a major challenge for our division, as we use an Oracle ERP that is separate from the SAP solution deployed across the rest of the group.

The timeline was also extremely tight. We had 18 months to implement SAP's Digital Finance Layer and then deploy the EPM, with very little time between the two phases to get acquainted with our new environment. The project required building a middleware layer to ensure system interoperability.

This demanded a great deal of agility within a large organization where a transformation of this scale mobilizes many different departments. Beyond my own teams, we also had to collaborate with the unit that globally manages finance transformation at Schneider Electric, as well as a number of shared services such as accounting, Financial Planning & Analysis, and the data and IT teams.

We were operating in a double-digit growth environment, so a project of this magnitude inevitably creates tension. The reason we managed to stay on course is the commitment of our teams, who fully understood what was at stake. Schneider's strong collaborative culture was also an essential asset, this type of transformation requires working as a community and collaborating with people outside your direct reporting line.

We also brought in hybrid profiles with both finance expertise and a strong affinity for data. The ideal candidates are people who have already been through transformation projects, demonstrate strong resilience, and know how to collaborate across functions, particularly with IT.

"My division is leading a major ERP transition, moving from Oracle to SAP by 2030."
— Augustin Barrelet, CFO at Schneider Electric

What are the next steps in this transformation?

We are continuing to improve our forecasting capabilities by implementing drivers-based forecasting.

This method involves identifying and modeling the drivers — measurable operational and economic variables, that directly influence our financial results. For example, to forecast revenue growth, we analyze factors such as pricing increases or changes in sales volumes. By modeling these relationships using historical and current data, we can refine our assumptions and build more accurate forecasts.

In addition, my division is leading a major ERP transition, moving from Oracle to SAP by 2030, which will complete our full integration into the group's digital architecture.

*Micropole joined the Talan Group in October 2024.