His remarkable journey through the world of consultancy and international auditing has earned him the centerpiece of Deloitte’s strategy on the continent. Forbes Afrique met this young prodigy, who has just climbed a new market within the firm by becoming responsible for the audit activity of Deloitte for French-speaking Africa. Until the beginning of the year, Romuald Wadagni was associate director and managing director of Deloitte RD Congo, a function he combined with that of quality, risk and protection director for the Deloitte brand for French-speaking African countries. Freshly appointed responsible for overseeing audit activity for French-speaking Africa, Romuald is also a “Professional Practice Director” (PPD – Director of Expertise) and retains his position as Managing Director of Deloitte RD Congo.
“I am responsible for the development of our activities, our talents and the protection of our brand in all the countries of French-speaking Africa”, specifies the Franco-Beninese who, at 39, retains the appearance of a young person first just out of adolescence.
Wadagni has spent his entire career with Deloitte. “I passed a scientific bac in Benin and then I left for France for my higher studies. I wanted to go to business school. I studied for five years in Grenoble where I obtained a diploma from the Grenoble School of Business (ÉSA), then, in 1998, I joined Deloitte. »Why Deloitte? “One of the partners of the firm, whom I had met in Grenoble, considered that I was brilliant and offered to join the group. I sent him my CV, he forwarded it, and I was recruited. After Grenoble, I went to Lyon where I stayed for four years. I became a supervisor there. I dreamed of going to the United States, being bilingual and studying again. So I applied and enrolled in the US CPA (“Certi fi ed Public Accountant”, American public accounting diploma, NLDR), then later in an MBA at Harvard Business School, where I dreamed of studying forever . There, I followed several programs, including “Private Equity and Venture Capital”.
In 2006, Romuald Wadagni returned to Paris, again for Deloitte. He then reflects on his positioning within the group. “My analysis was simple: in the United States I had the profile of a graduate of Havard. Ultimately everyone can be there. I was an accountant with an American diploma. Here in France, I graduated from a business school. My European assets therefore hardly differed from those of my French colleagues. On the other hand, my American curriculum gave me a plus that positioned me on the ramp when I returned to France. “
In addition to an in-depth knowledge of American accounting standards, he comes back with solid expertise in supporting clients during business combinations and market operations, such as IPOs. “I was able to contribute to fundraising operations of 2 to 3 billion euros,” he says. France Telecom, in particular, was the main French customer in my American years and I served Orange for ten years. I intervened in acquisitions and mergers. In 2012, Romuald became a partner partner of Deloitte. “My multicultural profile was an asset. As a Beninese, French, and familiar with the American system, I brought my technical competence, but also my sensitivity and
my African network, my knowledge of the continent, its countries, its decision-makers. “
Source: http://www.forbesafrique.com/Romuald-Wadagni-la-pepite-beninoise-du-groupe-Deloitte_a3192.html
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