For audiences, Cirque du Soleil is about wonder: gravity-defying performers, breathtaking costumes, immersive music, and moments that feel almost impossible. But behind every performance is something just as remarkable: a highly complex global business operation.
It reinvented circus arts and became a world leader in live entertainment, performing for more than 365 million spectators in 90 countries. Today, the organization operates 38 shows in cities around the world, supported by over 4,000 touring artists and staff from more than 80 countries.
Each touring show functions like a moving profit center. A production may operate in Mexico City, then move to London, then Paris—bringing with it new companies, employees, assets, tax requirements, local regulations, merchandising operations, and artists from dozens of nationalities.
As Philippe Lalumière, vice president of Information Technology at Cirque du Soleil, explains, “People underestimate the complexity of running a circus.”
Orchestrating an autonomous accounts payable process
