Arnaud Fouillade is a graduate of Audencia. This sports enthusiast has always dreamed of working in this world. After a stint in auditing, he is now deputy financial director of PSG (Paris Saint-Germain). He opens up about his daily life within the legendary club!
The journey of Arnaud Fouillade
What is your academic background?
I went to preparatory class after a bac S, then I joined Audencia. I then moved towards a finance specialization via the Audit master’s degree which had just been created in partnership with the Big Five, namely the 5 largest audit firms: KPMG, EY, PwC, Deloitte and Mazars. I thus completed my end-of-study internship at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, a firm that I joined directly at the end of this internship as a Junior.
The initial objective was to join an audit firm to acquire a maximum of skills in a very short time, discover a large number of sectors of activity with diverse and varied issues, and manage teams. I therefore had in mind to stay 5-6 years and obtain a Manager rank and then move to a company and possibly to a client. Ultimately, I worked twice as long there, because I found a family atmosphere and working environment and above all I met inspiring and stimulating people who became friends. Sport being a passion, I had the chance to audit companies in this field such as Nike, Le Coq Sportif, then PSG. Then, after 11 years at PwC, a position opened up at PSG as accounting manager. I was on a world tour, I asked myself questions about my overall professional project and I finally applied from the computer of a hotel in the depths of the Amazon. After my return and a complete process with a certain number of interviews, I received positive feedback.
Are you a PSG supporter?
Being a “supporter” today has an almost pejorative connotation, because we associate a lot of passion around this word and unfortunately sometimes a little excess and excess. I’m passionate about football in general and I of course like Paris Saint Germain. I played football during my youth categories at a regional level until being part of the Aube departmental selection, before joining the preparatory classes. But this sport has always remained in the back of my mind, with the project of combining work and passion. This is also why I was very hesitant about leaving PwC. After 11 years of career, I took my diplomas with the objective of being an associate within 3 or 4 years, but the heart took precedence over reason.
Is this a choice you regret?
I changed jobs in the middle of the pandemic. The first months were complex: change of environment, discovery of a new profession, a new team, the coronavirus which hit the world of sport head-on, failure of Médiapro on TV rights, match without audience… Furthermore, I arrived in the middle of the accounting closing period. Let’s be honest, the first six months were a huge challenge, but they allowed me to quickly learn what I might have learned in 2-3 years, and three years later, it’s a choice which I absolutely do not regret.
The daily life of an administrative and financial director (DAF)
The job of CFO can seem a little boring. Why did you head down this path?
I would say that the profession of accountant has a boring connotation. Because most people remain stuck on an image of the accountant from several years, even decades, ago. But it is a profession that has evolved enormously and is much richer than you might think. Furthermore, accounting is today only part of my scope. I am also responsible for management control, which has a more projective vision of our activity. I like to say that I master the past and the present with accounting and the future with management control.
There is also an information systems dimension which is key in my job today, with for example, the implementation of a new management tool. purchase-to-pay which invites me to be in contact with the entire club since it concerns operational staff with order taking through to payment with the Finance teams, the deployment of new expense report tools, consolidation or even tomorrow budget monitoring . Finally, I am also in constant interaction with our auditors, our lawyers, our tax specialists, counterparts from other Ligue 1 clubs as well as the French (DNCG, FFF, LFP) and European (UEFA) authorities. All these daily relationships and the plurality of issues make the job of CFO a rich and exciting profession where learning is permanent.
What does your daily life look like?
Today, I am in charge of the entire “PSG Group” which includes eight companies: PSG Football (men’s team and women’s team, as well as youth), Merchandising, Judo, Handball, Training Center (new training center). training in Poissy), as well as the SESE (company which manages the Parc des Princes), the endowment fund and the foundation. In total, this represents more than 600 employees for approximately 650 million euros in turnover for the 2021/22 season and we should get closer to 800 million euros in 2022/23.
I never feel like I’m living the same day. At PSG, the level of activity is constant and intense. I don’t see the days passing.
We have a lot of projects in progress, from the Training Center, to our tool changes and even the transfer period. During the transfer window for example, an emergency may arise and the financial department must simulate the impact of signing a player or leaving him during the day, both in terms of income statement, cash and ratios. followed by UEFA.
The transfer window is a very stimulating period which allows you to be at the heart of the reactor. This is why I signed for PSG, to experience intense moments like these and participate in a global project that goes beyond us. The arrival of Lionel Messi is the perfect example, I had the chance to work on the cryptocurrency part in particular. In a few days, it was necessary to measure the financial impacts of such an arrangement and try to optimize it. We are thus the first club to have paid a player in crypto. It’s exhilarating!
How much time passes between the first approach and the officialization of a player?
It is daily work carried out by our sports management which can require a lot of negotiations between the different stakeholders, the Club, the player, the agents, the selling Club. The Finance department is involved in simulations of the impact of operations, purchases as well as sales or renewals, and our role is to ensure compliance with the rules laid down by UEFA and to optimize the financial arrangements made.
What is the recipe for success for PSG whose valuation is taking off?
Paris Saint-Germain has seen the biggest progress at club level on this subject. The Club was thus valued in May 2023 by Forbes magazine at $4.2 billion, in 7e position among the top 10 most valuable football clubs in the world in 2023. We are thus 1er in terms of sponsorship income as well as ticketing income.
The partnership with Jordan brand has also been a strong success in terms of communication and international development.
We are also looking for new territorial businesses. The arrival of Neymar, Mbappé and Messi gave us another aura. The Japan Tour was also a great success, both on a human and financial level. Without a doubt, we will repeat the experience.
Opportunities and recruitment at PSG!
What professional opportunities are offered at PSG?
For a business school student, in the financial area, many positions are open, particularly for gap or end-of-studies internships, whether in the management control or accounting section. These opportunities can then be converted into permanent contracts, for some.
I also opened an intern position to support me on a daily basis in my missions. After his experience last year, the student who worked with me got a job as a player agent. Six months of experience at PSG is a real plus for your CV!
How does the recruitment process take place to join PSG?
The process is as follows: first interview with our Human Resources department, then an interview with operational management to whom we will report. The process is very short for internships. Mine was much longer. I met a person from HR, my future manager, the deputy general manager Jean-Claude Blanc, as well as certain members of the board. In total, I had 5 interviews for a process that lasted two and a half months.
Is being a PSG player a plus in recruitment?
We are not only recruiting football fans. We do not want to compartmentalize ourselves and miss out on interesting profiles with a vision that is just as relevant as an enthusiast. It’s not because you’re not a PSG supporter that you have any less chance of joining the Club. In the professional world, we know how to separate things. But it is true that, as I mentioned before, the work environment is intense, exciting, surprising. Being passionate about football is a real plus to absorb the sometimes heavy workload.
Any final advice for students reading us?
A career is being built. I always wanted to work in the world of football and I built this path little by little. You have to be patient, lay stones, gradually. You should not think that when you leave school, everything is acquired. You have to know how to prove yourself and have a medium-term vision.
Unable to immediately integrate the world of sport with the responsibilities I expected, I sought to develop expertise. I therefore applied to work on the Nike audit mission at PwC, then Le Coq Sportif, then PSG Football, and at the same time I created my network. I became manager and senior manager on these same missions and one day the opportunity presented itself. And in those moments, you have to take your chance, not be afraid, and go for it. It’s easy to say these words today, because if I look back 3 years ago, the choice was not easy, but once again, what a good decision! I will therefore summarize my advice in 3 words: work, involvement and audacity.
