Expert Insights with Denis Azria, Philippe Escudero & Frédéric Marot-Achillas by Décideurs RH.

Denis Azria, Philippe Escudero & Frédéric Marot-Achillas: “Interim management helps executive leadership move through critical turning points.”

A restructuring specialist, AXCEL Partners supports its clients across all aspects of their social restructuring plans: regulatory components, human and social dimensions, as well as industrial, operational, and financial aspects. A look back at this expertise that makes the difference with Denis Azria, Philippe Escudero and Frédéric Marot-Achillas, Managing Partners.

Décideurs. AXCEL Partners is recognized for its ability to support industrial players undergoing restructuring. What types of assignments have you been involved in this year?

Frédéric Marot-Achillas. For several years now, we have been deploying our restructuring expertise, drawing on in-depth knowledge of legal frameworks and insolvency law. When entrusted with a restructuring assignment, our goal is to intervene as early as possible to avoid formal insolvency proceedings—namely safeguard procedures, receivership, or even liquidation.

Philippe Escudero. This year again, we have been involved in a number of restructuring operations for major manufacturing groups. One of them led to the closure of an industrial site, which required managing every facet of the project: maintaining operations and fulfilling customer orders while redefining the organization and overseeing the associated business transfers. All while preserving social dialogue.

“AXCEL ensures three-way governance for each assignment: client, firm partner, and interim manager.”

F. M.-A. We also managed crisis situations in mid-sized companies facing particularly difficult circumstances. We had to regain control of cash flow, redefine production plans, restore customer confidence, and secure new orders. By the end of the assignment, the operational framework had been restored and financing opportunities identified.

Has the scope of interim management assignments broadened in recent years?

F. M.-A. In the past, we were mainly engaged for key executive roles such as CEO, HR Director, or CFO. While this remains the case, we now also operate at other hierarchical levels management control, accounting, etc. covering all company functions: HR, supply chain, industry, and more. This growing penetration across all organizational levels is notable. Nevertheless, at AXCEL, we remain particularly focused on high-stakes projects.

P. E. To carry out restructurings, we mobilize highly operational and experienced executive profiles capable of restoring confidence among teams as well as external stakeholders customers and creditors. For every assignment, AXCEL ensures three-way governance client, firm partner, and interim manager to meet our clients’ needs as closely as possible.

You also regularly operate in the defense sector. What trends have you observed this year?

Denis Azria. We have been heavily involved in international projects for several sector clients and are currently operating in four NATO member countries. These assignments cover project management, product development, and performance and profitability improvement. Interim managers are seasoned professionals with extensive experience in steering such projects, capable of acting very quickly across all dimensions operations, engineering, and more. Returning to operational performance lies at the heart of your assignments…

F. M.-A. Our hallmark is a deep understanding of industry particularly aerospace, defense, manufacturing, and agribusiness combined with operational excellence, which lies at the core of all sectors, whether in operational or support functions. We have applied industrial methods to the retail sector as well, where we were engaged for subsidiary integrations and the overhaul of distribution and sales networks.

“Our hallmark is a deep understanding of industry aerospace, defense, manufacturing, and agribusiness.”

P. E. We carry out numerous operational performance assignments in supply chain and engineering, involving complex supply chain reconfigurations. We also rebuilt and developed the engineering function of a company operating in three European countries that needed to generate performance. The objective was to reduce product development lead times, structure production modules, and implement efficient configuration management.

F. M.-A. Today, economic cycles are increasingly rapid and demand strong adaptability. Interim management enables companies to navigate these phases, helping executive leadership reach critical milestones not merely replace employees. At each cycle shift, interim managers support executive leadership on a specific strategic lever: cost reduction, finance, development, management always in service of operational excellence.

AXCEL opened an office in China in 2024. Is your international expansion strategy continuing?

F. M.-A. The year 2025 marks a ramp-up of our activities in China, with a diversified client portfolio comprising Chinese and European groups operating in agribusiness, renewable energy, and distribution across Asia.

D. A. Yes, in January 2026, we are opening our Scandinavian office in Lund, Sweden, led by a partner specializing in life sciences and pharmaceuticals, who will oversee this practice globally for AXCEL Partners. The arrival of new partners in our Italian office is also part of this international expansion. This footprint allows us to support clients in the countries where we operate, as our local partners understand talent pools, stakeholders, and country-specific commercial and labor laws. Our network also includes managers with significant experience in countries where we do not yet have offices for example, in the Middle East. These geographic presences are a clear advantage for both us and our clients.

Interview with Denis Azria, Philippe Escudero and Frédéric Marot-Achillas, Managing Partners, AXCEL Partners.

Many thanks to Décideurs RH for this article and for highlighting these key issues.