Our Firm
ArcLumen Partners was founded in Munich by a practitioner who spent thirty years inside global enterprises — building, running, and transforming GBS organizations before advising on them.
Our Philosophy
Most advisory firms are built by people who have advised. ArcLumen Partners is built by people who have also operated — who have set the budget, led the team, managed the audit, and reported to the board.
We call this structured gravity. The weight of operational accountability shapes a different kind of advisor: one who knows what the implementation will actually cost, who understands why the third version of the business case always reads better than the first, and who can tell the difference between a plan that will hold under pressure and one that will not.
It is not about having seen more transformation programmes than others. It is about having been inside them — with skin in the game, accountable for the outcome.
"The advisors who can design your GBS operating model are rare. The ones who have also run one — managed its budget, led its people, and defended it in a regulatory audit — are rarer still. That is who we are."
Independence
No vendor affiliations. No hidden incentives.
Accountability
We stay close to delivery, not just design.
Specificity
No templates. Every engagement is built from scratch.
Rigour
Financially grounded recommendations, always.
Leadership
Managing Partner, GBS Transformation
With 30 years of hands-on leadership across five countries, Peter provides the credibility of an operator, the rigour of a CFO, and the strategic reach of a transformation director.
Managing Partner, Global Finance Transformation
David Douzenel is a finance and GBS transformation consultant with 30 years of international experience spanning Bombardier, SI Group, and Decathlon.
Managing Partner, Digital Transformation
Mikhail Konovalov is a senior IT executive with 15+ years of operational leadership at Bayer across three continents — Russia/CIS, China/APAC, and Germany/EU.
Peter Gent
Peter Gent built his career across fifteen years inside Bayer AG — progressing from Senior Controller in Germany to Vice President heading Bayer Greater China's entire Business Services function — before moving to group-level GBS leadership at Bekaert and NETZSCH Group.
2006 – 2009
Bayer HealthCare · Leverkusen, Germany
Began at Bayer as Senior Controller before being promoted to lead global operative controlling for Bayer HealthCare Germany. Built foundational expertise in pharmaceutical sector controlling, management reporting, and financial governance.
2009 – 2013
Bayer CropScience · Beijing, China
First APAC posting. Led business planning, administration, and financial oversight for Bayer CropScience's Greater China operations — establishing the management frameworks that underpinned the division's regional growth.
2013 – 2017
Bayer · Moscow & Beijing
CFO · CAO · VPTwo successive executive roles: P&L and financial accountability as CFO for Bayer's Russia & CIS region, followed by appointment as Chief Administrative Officer and Vice President for Bayer HealthCare Greater China.
2017 – 2021
Bayer Greater China · Beijing, China
GBS · VP · Greater ChinaLed Bayer Greater China's entire Business Services function — spanning finance, HR, IT, and procurement — as a VP-level executive. Accountable for GBS operating model, service delivery, and business transformation across the region.
2021 – 2022
Bekaert · Belgium
Group-level GBS leadership for Bekaert, a global steel and advanced materials company. Designed and scaled the global shared-services model across multiple business units and geographies.
2024 – 2025
NETZSCH Group · Bavaria, Germany
Executive-level accountability for group financial reporting, controlling, and tax across NETZSCH Group. Joined following completion of the Senior Executive Programme at London Business School.
Languages
Credentials & Affiliations
David Douzenel
David Douzenel built his career across three decades running finance and shared-service operations for global industrial and retail groups — Decathlon, SI Group, and Bombardier. From a twelve-year tenure as Administrative & Financial Director in France to heading Bombardier's multi-function SSCs across Rail and Aerospace from Berlin, his career is defined by operational ownership at scale. Since 2019, David has brought that practitioner depth to clients through his independent consulting practice, DFD Consulting.
1993 – 1996
Decathlon · Lille, France
First finance leadership role within Decathlon's retail operations. Responsible for management accounts, budget cycles, and financial reporting across business units.
1996 – 2008
SI Group · Béthune, France
12 years · Full P&L ownershipFull P&L and balance sheet accountability for SI Group's French chemical operations over twelve years. Led statutory consolidation, treasury, financial controls, and oversaw multiple ERP implementations across the entity lifecycle.
2008 – 2011
Bombardier Transportation · Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Established and managed Bombardier Transportation's Finance & Accounting Shared Service Centre in Romania. Responsible for site operations, team build-out, process migration, and service delivery for the rail division.
2011 – 2019
Bombardier Group · Berlin, Germany
Rail & Aerospace · Multi-functionGroup-level accountability for Bombardier's multi-function SSCs spanning Rail and Aerospace divisions. Designed and operated shared-service delivery across finance, accounting, and back-office functions for a global industrial group.
2019 – present
DFD Consulting SAS · Antibes, France
Independent advisory practice covering business restructuring, development, and process improvement. Brings operator credibility — built from 25 years running finance and shared-service functions — to complex interim and transformation mandates.
Languages
Credentials & Affiliations
Mikhail Konovalov
Before founding Talvoren Advisory, the firm's principal spent fifteen years building and leading GBS and IT functions inside one of the world's largest life sciences corporation — from regional IT manager in Moscow to senior director of IT digital transformation in Berlin. That career is the foundation of the firm's methodology, credentials, and client value proposition.
2008 – 2011
Bayer · Moscow, Russia
Led cross-functional IT projects across Russian business units. First management responsibility; delivered ERP module roll-outs and infrastructure migrations.
2011 – 2014
Bayer · Moscow, Russia
Managed IT operations and vendor relationships across 12 CIS markets. Built regional IT governance framework and introduced first shared-service operating procedures.
2014 – 2018
Bayer · Moscow, Russia
€8M budget · 30 peopleBuilt and led a 30-person IT organization. Oversaw SAP rollout, first outsourcing program, and GDPR readiness for the regional entity.
2018 – 2021
Bayer · Shanghai, China
€30M budget · 130 peopleJoined Bayer China to lead the GBS IT workstream. Navigated two M&A IT integrations and a major ERP consolidation program across APAC operations.
2021 – 2024
Bayer · Berlin, Germany
€10M budget · 10 peopleAccountable for the full GBS digital agenda across EMEA, US: program budget, team leadership, regulatory audit readiness, and AI readiness roadmap. Zero non-compliant audit findings across the period.
Languages
Credentials & Affiliations
Work With Us
We welcome conversations with organizations considering their next transformation initiative — whether a GBS feasibility study, a digital strategy review, or a full-scale operating model redesign.