Whysebird
MEET THE TEAM BEHIND WHYSEBIRD
A global team delivering end to end excellence
Alexandra Briend-Marchal
Paris
A graduate of the Toulouse Veterinary School, I joined a biology laboratory in 2001. I developed it before becoming a partner in 2008. In 2013, I bought out the laboratory on my own through an LBO. With an MBA and a remarkable team, I structured and grew it before selling it in 2022 as part of a project to build a multi-site veterinary biology hub within a group — a mission that required a 360° deployment of my experience and my vision of this market in France.
Over these 23 years dedicated to the veterinary profession, I never stopped learning and analysing my successes and my mistakes. My legitimacy comes from the field, from concrete and measurable results, and from the continuous creation of value — for myself and for the thriving ecosystem that gradually took shape around me.
But how do we define this notion of created value? Is it a maximised EBITDA? Impeccable service, both technically and in terms of client experience? A strong reputation in a market? A stable, collaborative, and committed team?
Probably all of the above, because to sum it up: created value measures an organisation's ability to generate a return on investment for its shareholders, while sustainably meeting the expectations of all other stakeholders.
With FAIRY CHESS, this is precisely what I wish to address: identifying value drivers, transforming practices to achieve optimal operational performance, and ensuring the satisfaction of both employees and clients.
Sebastien Barillot
London / Paris
Sébastien is the Executive Director at Whysebird
Sébastien works with executives and senior leadership teams to build the decision discipline, team alignment, and operating rituals that turn strategic intent into consistent results.
With over 20 years of international experience across Europe and Asia, he has held executive positions at Burberry and worked alongside leadership teams at LVMH and Richemont in some of the most operationally demanding environments in global business — luxury, high watchmaking, and technology.
Through Whysebird, he brings that operational standard directly into client organisations: not as an outside observer, but as someone who has carried the same weight his clients carry now.
Leslie Berton
London / Paris
Leslie is a France ↔ UK go-to-market partner working with companies that need to adapt how they explain, sell and build trust in a local market.
Most market-entry problems are not only translation problems. They are often questions of buyer expectation, credibility, proof, category language, decision-making culture and internal clarity.
François Souchet
London / Paris
Trained as an engineer (classes préparatoires at Lycée Stanislas, civil engineering master's at ESTP, master's in engineering management at the University of Melbourne), François began his career at Accenture in operations and supply chain, advising industrial clients globally on productivity, cost, and operational resilience. He subsequently led Make Fashion Circular at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2018–2021), a research institution producing macroeconomic and sector-level analysis on circular systems, where he developed quantitative models of the macroeconomic opportunity of the circular transition and built operational frameworks adopted at scale.
His applied work at Swanstant spans industrial and institutional clients on quantitative climate-economic analysis across commodity markets, heavy industry, and consumer-facing sectors. He is a member of the SMEP Independent Technical Advisory Panel.
The firm's methodology is reviewed by an advisory committee of climate-economic specialists.
Alexandre Georgeault
Aix en Provence
With 20 years of experience managing business units and SMEs ranging from 40 to 300 employees, I have navigated a wide variety of challenges, including creation, takeovers, restructuring, shareholder changes, fundraising, sales, transfers, hyper-growth, and major crises.
In 2012, I took over an SME, completely transforming its culture and organization, and passed it on in 2023. The journey with the teams throughout this process deeply fascinated me.
I have a passion for learning and experimentation, particularly when it comes to understanding individuals and organizations.
In my interventions, I draw upon concepts from:
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The psychology of groups and individuals, including Berne's Organizational Theory and Transactional Analysis
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Coaching methods, especially those developed by Mr. Vincent Lenhardt
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Key organizational management techniques such as Total Quality Management, Lean Management, and Agile Methodologies
In 2023, I decided to share my expertise and support others by founding Equation Conseil and developing the CLOSER Organizational Performance® approach.