CEO Today Business Women of the Year Awards

SWEDEN 49 www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today Business Women of the Year Awards 2019 JOANNE BENNETT Group CFO of Hilding Anders Bedding & Mattress Group FIRM PROFILE The Hilding Anders Bedding and Mattress Group is a leading global bedding and mattress group with a strong heritage and 160 years of industry experience. From premium to private label and international to local brands – the Hilding Anders Bedding & Mattress Group brings together some of the world’s most prestigious brands, operating across the European, Russian and Asian markets, covering all needs and tastes in over 60 countries. Combining global reach with local presence, Hilding Anders Bedding and Mattress Group lets the world wakeupwithasmilebygivingitagood night’s sleep. ABOUT JOANNE BENNETT Joanne Bennett is the Group CFO of the Hilding Anders Bedding & Mattress Group, a leading mattress and bedding manufacturer with 25 production facilities in 19 countries, ~1,160 directly operated and franchised branded retail stores and over 9,000 employees producing a full range of bedding products to consumers in over 60 countries. A seasoned finance expert with more than 20 years of experience, Joanne started her career at EY, within the Corporate Restructuring team. During her time at EY, Joannewas seconded to theEuropeanBankDebt Portfolio Group of Goldman Sachs where she managed a portfolio of leveraged loans. In 2003, Joanne joined Alvarez & Marsal, where she would advise companies in various industries on performance improvement and financial restructuring. A common denominator throughout Joanne’s career has been her proven ability to deal rapidly and positively with complex issues in challenging situations. In one assignment, she managed a severe liquidity crisis by reducing costs and generating cash by improving working capital performance while simultaneously raising additional finance and devised a three-year business plan that would ultimately lead to a successful sale of the business. For nine years, Joanne served as a Vice President and member of TPGCapital’s Operations group, focusing on portfolio company operational transformations and financial/operational due diligence. Joanne acted in several instances as a “trouble-shooting” interim CFO in portfolio companies. Following TPG Capital, Joanne served as CFO for British and Canadian retailer Jacques Vert Group, operating eight brands with 1,600 concessions, an own store portfolio and ecommerce business. Joanne then joined KKR Capstone as a Director in March 2015, partnering with the Special Situations team. Mrs. Bennett has served as the Group CFO of Hilding Anders Bedding & Mattress Group as of March 2017. Since assuming the position, she has together with the CEO and the team, successfully refinanced the company, providing a stable financial footing for the group that will enable Hilding Anders Bedding & Mattress Group to capitalize on growth opportunities across its operating markets. A UK national, Mrs. Bennett is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and completed the Harvard Business School Programme for Leadership Development. www.hildinganders.com