Ioannis Antonakis
Lachen
Summary
Dynamic Senior Manager with over a decade of expertise in finance applications and digital innovation within the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. Proven success in leading cross-functional teams to drive ERP implementations, including SAP FI/CO, VIM, Concur, and Enablon, while executing large-scale IT and business transformation initiatives globally. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified, offering a robust skill set in stakeholder management, compliance frameworks, and operational excellence to enhance organizational performance. Committed to leveraging technology and strategic insights to foster innovation and achieve sustainable growth.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Group Senior Manager, Finance Applications
Octapharma AG
03.2025 - Current
- Leading global SAP FI/CO, VIM, and Concur initiatives across multiple entities, with responsibility for managing a team of three direct reports and coordinating with IT, Finance, and external partners to ensure successful delivery.
- Driving the implementation of SAP Concur in Sweden and Canada, overseeing governance for LCM (Legal Contract management) access management, and providing critical support to business for month-end closing processes.
- Key Achievements: Delivered 30 business demands in less than six months, significantly accelerating value creation for Finance Applications.
- Organized and facilitated three workshops focused on continuous improvement, including one conducted in the United States, strengthening global collaboration and process optimization.
Associate Director, ERC Process Innovation
Novartis
01.2024 - 01.2025
- Served as Business System Owner for the Enablon Metrics platform, leading global upgrades (v8.14 → v9 “Revolution”) and driving KPI redesign, FTE calculation updates, and asset utilization improvements across EMEA.
- Designed and implemented digital adoption programs, compliance reporting, and sustainability dashboards, while engaging cross-functional stakeholders across Finance, Legal, Compliance, and Audit.
- Delivered global process excellence initiatives (Lean Six Sigma, digital innovation), and supported global teams through targeted training, workshops, and structured demand-intake frameworks.
- Key Achievements: Successfully led the implementation of more than 50 features in Metrics, Compliance, and Audit applications; delivered the full digitalization of the financial forecasting process for environmental projects; and spearheaded the implementation of the Greenhouse Gases module, enabling global collection and calculation of emissions data in alignment with established international protocols.
Innovation Process Manager / Process Excellence Expert
Novartis
01.2022 - 01.2024
- Provided frontline end-user support for process-specific production issues, ensuring continuous improvements in quality, efficiency, and compliance with SOPs and regulatory guidelines.
- Drove innovation adoption through communication, training, best practices, and digital tools while identifying opportunities for process, operational, and quality enhancements.
- Maintained inspection readiness, supported audits, delivered monthly KPIs with trend analyses, and reviewed asset utilization with stakeholders to recommend targeted actions.
- Acted as Business System Owner responsible for system compliance, data integrity/privacy, security, and supplier performance management.
- Partnered with DDIT and process owners to ensure security, compliance, and effective governance, while leading business projects, releases, and demand prioritization.
- Key Achievements: Successfully stabilized audit reporting and implemented an efficient reporting process that reduced business reporting time from 36 hours to just 1 hour, significantly improving operational responsiveness and compliance readiness.
Process Excellence Expert
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
11.2021 - 12.2022
- Ensure the operational conversion of the Finance strategic goals within a dedicated area
of the business & supervise the performance and development of a small team of FRA
specialists. - Ensures the integrity, viability, and interoperability of financial reporting processes
(Actuals, Budgets and Latest Estimates) and systems, including tax, inventory, corporate controls, and payment and purchasing data. - Manage and operate the basic reporting processes for actuals and forecasts to agreed quality and fast close timeline.
- Provide financial accounting services and data in a timely and accurate manner, including fixed assets, cash activities and divestment activities; ensures appropriate information is provided to relevant individuals and external bodies.
- Manage audit reporting processes and support compliance for various tax related reports (i.e.: VAT, corporate tax, employee tax); provide necessary data to internal and external authorities.
- Manage and automate the provision of routine information to local users from SAP and BW,
and perform ‘super user’ responsibilities for Finance and Controlling modules in SAP. - Supervise the development and maintenance of current reporting systems (SAP, BW, Excel) integrate other requirements and the changing needs of the organization so that processes to report actuals, budgets, latest estimates and mid-range plans are met cost effectively
and responsively. - Prepares ad-hoc and routine ‘accounting / management’ information and quality financial analysis in order to support global and organization’s requirements.
Education
Master’s Degree - Law & Economics
University of Piraeus
Bachelor’s Degree - Finance
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Skills
- Proficient in SAP FI/CO modules
- Proficient in Enablon
- Experience with Concur platform
- Experience with Qlik Sense
- Proton applications
- Conversational AI expertise
- Experienced in Visio diagramming
- Cross-functional team coordination
Certification
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- SAP Technology Consultant Specialization from SAP
- Principles of Management from Johns Hopkins University
- AI For Everyone from DeepLearning.AI
- Google AI Essentials from Google
Languages
Greek
English
French
German
Personal Information
- Date of Birth: 09/25/90
- Nationality: Greek
- Marital Status: Married
Timeline
Group Senior Manager, Finance Applications
Octapharma AG
03.2025 - Current
Associate Director, ERC Process Innovation
Novartis
01.2024 - 01.2025
Innovation Process Manager / Process Excellence Expert
Novartis
01.2022 - 01.2024
Process Excellence Expert
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
11.2021 - 12.2022
Bachelor’s Degree - Finance
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Master’s Degree - Law & Economics
University of Piraeus
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