Olivier Leonetti's Biography
Early Career and Education
Olivier Leonetti began his academic journey at Aix-Marseille University, where he earned a Master's degree in Economics and Finance. He then pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Grenoble IAE, followed by a Master's in Internal Audit at Aix-Marseille Graduate School of Management - IAE. Leonetti is also a Certified Accountant, having completed his accounting and finance studies with ICAEW from 1997 to 19991 2.
Professional Beginnings
Leonetti's early career included a role as a Project Lead at Groupe PSA, where he served as part of his French military service (VSNE) from September 1989 to February 1991. He then transitioned to the Gillette Company, where he worked as a Senior Internal Auditor for the Eastern Hemisphere and later as Braun UK Finance Manager from February 1991 to June 1995. Following this, he served as Finance Director for RAC in France from June 1995 to July 19972.
Ascending the Corporate Ladder
In July 1997, Leonetti joined Dell, where he held various finance leadership roles, including Vice President Finance for different regions and segments, contributing to the company's strategic redefinition and financial planning until April 2011. He then moved to Amgen as Vice President Finance - Global Commercial Operations, where he led product development and commercial strategies worldwide until September 20142.
Executive Leadership
Leonetti's executive career further accelerated when he became the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at Western Digital from September 2014 to September 2016. His tenure included the repositioning of the company's strategy and the acquisition of SanDisk. He then served as Chief Finance Officer and Chief Information Officer at Zebra Technologies from October 2016 to August 2020, where he managed finance functions and contributed to a significant stock appreciation2.
Recent Roles and Achievements
In September 2020, Leonetti was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer at Johnson Controls, where he led all aspects of finance and corporate strategy until January 2024. His leadership saw the company achieve a revenue of $28B and a market capitalization of $45B. As of February 2024, Leonetti serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Eaton, a power management company with $25B in revenue and a market capitalization of $109B3 4 2 5.
Board Memberships and Volunteering
Throughout his career, Leonetti has held board memberships, including at Eaton from April 2019 to January 2024, where he was part of the Audit, Finance, and Innovation committees. He has also been involved in volunteering, serving as a board member for All-In Milwaukee since May 2021 and for Junior Achievement of Chicago from September 2018 to August 2021, demonstrating his commitment to education and community development2.
Olivier Leonetti's career is marked by his strategic financial leadership and his ability to drive transformation and growth within global corporations. His expertise in finance and his role in significant corporate acquisitions and strategy redefinitions have established him as a key figure in the industry.
Citations
Footnotes
https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/company/about-us/leadership-team/corporate-officers/olivier-leonetti.html ↩
https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/company/news-insights/news-releases/2024/eaton-appoints-board-member--olivier-leonetti--executive-vice-pr.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6
https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2024/01/17/johnson-controls-names-new-cfo.html ↩
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/eaton_emobility-activity-7160671083782676481-KsZD ↩
https://www.wsj.com/articles/eaton-names-johnson-controls-finance-chief-as-next-cfo-68040f87 ↩