Claudius Grossmann
Chief Financial Officer
Erfahrungen
März 2015 - Okt. 2015
8 Monaten Shenzhen, China
Chief Financial Officer
Turing Robotic Industries Group
- Assisting this start-up in the mobile device sector to set up a financial reporting and controlling/monitoring systems, executing daily payments as well as handling general accounting-, taxation- and compliance matters.
- Example 12 - The issue: Being requested by a US/China Mobile Communication Company located in Shenzhen with a new security technology and new type of secure mobile phone, to act as CFO to manage internal and external financial matters as well as to invite investors and electronic producers to invest into this new technology.
- Example 12 - The approach: Identifying potentially interested private, institutional and bank investors, introduce the concept, business plan and selling points as well as defining the client groups of this product and convince investors to take part in this new technological development of a mobile device including platform and own auxiliary systems and data storage.
- Example 12 - The result: After initial attempts and of raising money failed, a concerted professional approach under using existing and new connections helped to raise the first USD 2 million to kick start initial production.
Mai 2014 - Juni 2015
1 Jahr 2 Monaten Lauenburg, Deutschland
Associate Director
Connaught Finance Investments
- Consulting, arranging and structuring financial solutions for asset financing, vendor finance programs, also on equity and mezzanine basis.
Juli 2013 - Bis heute
12 Jahren Lauenburg, Deutschland
Independent Business Consultant
- Offering Advisory and Consultancy Services or Interim Management solutions for start-ups, restructuring-projects, sourcing and funding for industrial projects in Asia.
- Collaborate in the build-up of fintech-knowhow and set-up of respective websites.
- Example 11 - The issue: Being approached and having various mining, industrial or logistics projects in my portfolio requiring funding, but with neither having access to banks nor commercial banks were willing to lend money for a number of reasons reaching from risk considerations to their own equity status, allowing them to accept only prime risks.
- Example 11 - The approach: Identifying alternatively individual or institutional funders – specialized in certain fields or industries or also in certain investment strategies, willing to support specific projects in countries ranging from Europe to Asia and Africa, structuring the deals to achieve an optimal solution for the project and the funders with funding either in debt, leasing solutions, mezzanine or equity solutions.
- Example 11 - The result: Project initiators were able to realize their project using various methods of funding without banks’ assistance.
Juli 2006 - Juni 2013
7 Jahren Shanghai, China
Deputy General Manager
Deutsche Leasing (China) Co., Ltd.
- Leasing of industrial equipment of German and European manufacturers in China.
- Overall responsibilities for all back-office functions as well as the risk management of risks of vendors, lessees and equipment values.
- Deep accumulated knowledge of legal and physical collection and repossession process in China.
- Example 7 - The issue: The first 100% foreign owned leasing company in China was established in end of 2005, I joined mid-2006 to build up risk and internal functions within this operating unit. As leasing in China was relatively new and the instrument of leasing still relatively unknown, challenges were to 1) find the right staff, 2) the right infrastructure and 3) to set up internal working procedures in line with internal as well as external requirements.
- Example 7 - The approach: I searched new staff for the expansion of this company twofold: 1) for key positions to identify senior persons in the very limited leasing industry market in China or among bankers knowledgeable in asset-based financing and 2) young, often university graduates, being staff to be trained and introduced to leasing by the senior staff and us, the management. Simultaneously I introduced a suitable IT and set up step by step rules and working procedures as well as process guidelines for the leasing business in all major aspects, to process deals from front to booking office, risk guidelines, collateral handling, asset supervision, IT guidelines etc.
- Example 7 - The result: After 12 months of mostly initial manual handling the leasing unit was so far IT-integrated that major part of leasing deals could be IT-calculated, and major further follow-up procedures largely assisted/taken-over by IT. Staff was ready and prepared to do regular working processes by themselves and increasingly in their own responsibility. As the business volume increased substantially over several years the risk and internal back-office operations coped well and helped the front-office to even outperform their own annual targets over several years of operation, becoming a success story within this leasing group.
- Example 8 - The issue: A new foreign-owned leasing company was established in China, the setup of operations required among others the choice and introduction of new IT system for this newly established leasing company, I was put in charge to identify the most efficient IT-solution.
- Example 8 - The approach: Soon after establishment of this leasing company I hired a full time IT expert and together with him – talking to the different business stakeholders - identified the business needs and requirements which such IT system would need to fulfill, ranging from local to HQ needs. – The fundamental choice was here to choose from either fixed and standardized IT programs with little flexibility offered by major IT houses or chose an open and flexible IT software to be easily extendable and to be adjusted to future needs for regulatory, reporting, booking and product changes.
- Example 8 - The result: I recommended, in particular considering the quickly changing legal and economic environment in China, to choose a very flexible software from a small British software provider, who was eventually invited and chosen by management after my recommendation to execute the IT as requested and after describing and implementing the software, it has been running smoothly for now 7 years and was at any point able to incorporate changes in the legal, economical, product or reporting requirements as well as ever increasing business volumes of the leasing company.
- Example 9 - The issue: SME in China suffer a great deal from the fact that it is extremely hard or frequently impossible for them to receive mid- to long term financing unless they turn to their parent companies or their private shareholder for capital increases. This problem persists for both, true Chinese as well as foreign SMEs in China.
- Example 9 - The approach: At any given occasion – when approached – I explained and recommended the principle of leasing finance to such SME customers, both, Germany SMEs, who were seeking onshore RMB mid- to long-term financing as well as Chinese SMEs purchasing German industrial equipment requiring longer term financing as well. – As Chinese banks so far treat the SME ambiguously not many alternatives exist, and in so far, if industrial equipment financing was needed, recommendation of leasing financing was often welcomed by such SMEs.
- Example 9 - The result: With mid- to long-term financing in high demand, me and my management team were able to convince and assist many SMEs in arranging longer term lease financing, especially in absence of the mid-to long term alternatives by banks. SMEs were in many cases able to realize their investment plans with the help of onshore funds avoiding complicating capital increase procedures in the case of German SMEs, while Chinese SMEs appreciate the clear and gradual repayment schedule of the lease financing giving all SMEs a sound and projectable calculation basis. In this sense we could assist many SMEs to solve part of their financing problems in China.
- Example 10 - The issue: With increasing leasing business volumes in China and periods of adverse economic developments – in particular in the construction industry in China also doubtful and bad debt were on the rise and reached critical levels.
- Example 10 - The approach: Operating in a legal environment, which can be described as at times uncertain and at times ambiguous, I developed an effective approach with our lawyer and set up unique collection procedures and methods covering nearly all of China involving local lawyers, local police and courts to assist our company in the collection procedures to either obtain payments from overdue lessees or repossess the equipment.
- Example 10 - The result: While not 100% successful, we achieved nevertheless a major reduction in overdue and bad debts, which was the more remarkable considering the vast size of the country we were dealing with as well as very different local or regional interpretations of the existing national laws.
Jan. 2005 - Juni 2006
6 Monaten Hongkong
Senior Advisor
ChiCapital
- Setting up internal structures, processes and organization to this newly established Fund.
- Assessing and accompanying investment projects in coal mining and aviation in Asia.
- Consulting and supervising on behalf of ChiCapital a turn-around project of Adkinsons Public Securities Ltd, Bangkok, Thailand, acting as non-executive Director in 2006 to ultimately raise profitability.
Jan. 2004 - Dez. 2005
1 Jahr Hongkong
General Manager
Paladin Limited
- Together with the majority shareholder co-managing this Chinese-owned and HKSE-listed investment company, restructuring its financial position and developing new business, one major task was managing and successfully completing a medium-sized luxury residential property project at “The Peak” in Hong Kong in co-operation with architects, construction companies, banks and HK housing regulators.
- Managing the complete litigations for the group.
- Example 6 - The issue: A prime property at Hong Kong’s famous Peak location (2 ten-storied buildings with nearly 40 luxury units together) was for 8 years continuously under construction, as the ultimate individual shareholder continuously changed the lay out and style of the building and thus not able to complete the project, in this situation the major financing bank suddenly requested full repayment of loan or to complete the project in a relatively short time so units could be started to be sold out in order to service also the repayment of the loan of this bank. I was requested to act as advisor and co-coordinator for this task.
- Example 6 - The approach: While convincing continuously the owner of the necessary completion, I simultaneously coordinated with architect, construction companies, with old and new incoming banks, real estate agents, assessors, HK building authorities and buyers of the single units to formally complete the project to the level that approval of pre-sales was given by respective HK building authorities and sale of units to individual investors could start so that part of the incoming moneys could be used for repayment of loans, while the project could finally go successfully to the market in an environment of rising price levels.
- Example 6 - The result: After 1 year the project was completed, a substantial number of units sold already at the start of sales period and the project also ready for single investors to prepare their purchased units for own use or investment purposes, while all common ground and areas were as well completed and ready for use within this one year of completion period.
Jan. 2002 - Dez. 2004
3 Jahren Hongkong
Chief Operating Officer, Hong Kong Branch
Dresdner Bank AG/Dresdner Kleinwort (DrK)
- Carrying the overall responsibility for the Branch and supervising its day-to-day operations, while simultaneously co-ordinating commercial and investment banking activities with European SME as well as local corporate clients in Hong Kong and Southern China resulting in improving Branch’s performance.
- Besides also responsible for regulatory issues and points of contact to HK regulators.
- Due to a global shift of group-strategy under parent Allianz AG in 2004 down-sizing and closure of Branch implemented.
- Example 5 - The issue: Global shift of bank’s international policy required closure of a bank unit in Hong Kong; I was requested to execute such closure of the bank unit.
- Example 5 - The approach: The closure procedures had to be initiated within a fixed time schedule, while simultaneously planning was required of which steps and which staff to let go first and at which point further release of staff was possible. I set up a plan, which dealt with such major points as: HR-issues, agreeing with each single staff on an exit strategy, describing time of exit, compensation for loss of job and payment of additional salaries till staff was planned to exit the bank in order to keep relevant know-how as long as necessary in the bank. In addition, closure of all accounts, deposit and loan accounts and identifying possible interested parties and agreeing with them to take over mid and long-term banking transactions for bank’s customers, while co-coordinating closure of branch closely also with bank regulators. In addition, long term rental contracts with landlord had to be either early terminated or respective follow-up tenants to be found, avoiding high losses from penalty payments under respective lease-contracts.
- Example 5 - The result: The closure of the branch was smoothly executed within a time frame of 9 months and all relevant parties informed and sufficiently supported by the bank till final day of closure, while simultaneously finding follow-up tenants willing to take over existing rental agreements thus avoiding penalty losses for the bank.
Jan. 1997 - Dez. 2003
6 Jahren Japan
Head of Credit Risk Management and COO, Tokyo Branch
Dresdner Bank AG/Dresdner Kleinwort (DrK)
- Keeping existing loan portfolio at satisfactory risk-levels in an environment, which was characterized throughout these years by continuous large-scale failures of banks, securities brokers, insurance companies and big industrial corporates in Japan.
- In this context implementing change of portfolio policies combined with swift exit-execution helped to avoid any major loss for the Branch during that time.
- Risk analysis and back-office support also to the investment bank arm, Dresdner Kleinwort (Japan) Ltd., in its strategy to promote and sell investment bank products to clients in Japan.
- Example 3 - The issue: The shift of a bank in its international business from commercial to investment banking made it necessary to substantially restructure the branch of the bank to enable it to work more closely together with the bank’s securities company in Tokyo.
- Example 3 - The approach: In line with the policies set out by the bank and in my capacity as Head of Credit as well as later additionally COO I looked into the following areas to initiate necessary changes: Human resources (shifting and/or replacing staff, wherever necessary and appropriate), reviewing and adjusting processes and guidelines, observation of regulatory issues and incorporation of such local requirements into the overall banks policy, accounting policies, adjustment of product mix and testing and approval procedures for newly created investment bank products, necessary technology and IT changes on the side of the branch.
- Example 3 - The result: In a time frame of 6 months the branch turned into a unit being able to work and co-operate closely with the securities company of the bank, enabling the securities company to book investment bank deals, which needed to be booked in the branch for internal and regulatory reasons and thus helping the bank’s security company as well to successfully extend its field of operations and business volume while still keeping the previously existing commercial bank business of the branch as far as it proved profitable contributing to the overall result of the units activities.
- Example 4 - The issue: Managing the branch throughout 2 months of thorough audit by Japanese bank regulators (Japanese SAFE), such external audit meant extremely difficult management and resources issues – in particular for foreign bank units – due to limited HR and technical resources.
- Example 4 - The approach: After inquiring about the exact process and requirements of the SAFE officers, I initiated for the bank the staff to be organization-wise to be split into a group solely concentrating on SAFE requirements while the other group worked on in order to keep the normal business requirements and the day to day business running, in addition organizing management as well as staff time-schedules as all staff was forced and required to work on exceptional overtime basis, as SAFE officers handed down multiple tasks and questionnaires to management each evening to be answered till morning of the next day, requiring additional resources from staff and management for this time of 2 months.
- Example 4 - The result: Due to resourceful and well planned management of resources, I was able to keep up the regular business avoiding any major business interruption, while answering and proving to the SAFE officer that the branch was properly run and followed all regulatory requirements of the Japanese bank-supervision, the result of the audit by Safe for the branch was satisfactory and therefore to be considered as passed.
Jan. 1992 - Dez. 1998
5 Jahren Shanghai, China
Head of Credit Risk Management, Shanghai Branch
Dresdner Bank AG/Dresdner Kleinwort (DrK)
- Physical set-up of the newly-established Branch, defining the internal PRC credit policy for the Branch and the Bank in general and subsequently continuous building up and supervising a well-balanced loan-book in China coupled with diligent training of newly hired local staff.
- Assisting German multinationals as well as SME in regulatory, financial issues, organizational issues in setting up subsidiaries or JV schemes in China.
- Preparing and participating in large scale syndicated project-, energy- and aircraft-loans.
- Example 1 - The issue: A bank branch was established newly in Shanghai, China. One of the requirements was to build up a local credit team and introduce the bank’s risk philosophy as well as external risk related regulations and laws to such newly built up team in order to operate efficiently. This has had to be done in an environment, which at that time had very little understanding of the meaning of risk, bad loan portfolio, provisioning- and risk policies.
- Example 1 - The approach: As at that time no pool of existing credit-risk analysts existed I employed young university graduates and started a thorough and intensive internal credit training on the job, covering any topic starting from assessing fundamental information of clients, via analysis of financials, cash flows, ability of future projections, to writing respective loan applications and follow-up procedures after approvals including booking and collateral management, encouraging the young analysts at any point to gradually take over more and more own responsibilities and to encourage them to take own initiative.
- Example 1 - The result: After 2 years’ time, a credit team of minimum 5 analysts was available in the bank to work and processing credit applications as well as follow-up procedures for most aspects under their own responsibility and supervision, enabling myself to concentrate more and more to general risk matters as well as portfolio-management issues.
- Example 2 may relate here - The issue: A power generating project in India ran into substantial repayment problems due to insufficient cash-flow due to artificially low fixed prices for end-users of such electrical power forced upon by local government as well as to substantial black consumption of electricity, which was a major problem in India for all energy providers at that time.
- Example 2 - The approach: The bank I represented was in a leading position of a syndicate consortium of banks together with the Japan Exim Bank providing financing to this project. In long and tedious restructuring negotiations, in which I represented my bank, presented feasible restructuring models, consequences and follow-ups were discussed, and some suggestions have been flowing into the final outcome of the restructuring.
- Example 2 - The result: While the restructuring proposal was the result of the banking team as a whole some of the major input was initiated by me such as 1) giving the borrower additional limited time to catch up with overdue payments, using the connections of the Japan Exim Bank to put additional pressure on responsible Indian authorities and local government as well to assist the project to set market prices (or subsidies for certain periods the payments to the project) and exert their influence to gradually minimize the harmful black use of electrical energy by end-users. – All these measures led in a time frame of 1-2 years to a better repayment ability of the project, which eventually could later resume original regular repayments again.
Jan. 1992 - Dez. 1993
2 Jahren Frankfurt, Deutschland
Assistant Manager, Credit Risk Management for Financial Institution
Dresdner Bank AG/Dresdner Kleinwort (DrK)
- Analysis and Co-coordination for loan- and trading-limits to foreign financial institutions, particularly in the Asian-Pacific region and the Americas.
Jan. 1988 - Dez. 1992
4 Jahren Frankfurt, Deutschland
Analyst, Central Credit Risk Management Division
Dresdner Bank AG/Dresdner Kleinwort (DrK)
- Assessing and evaluating worldwide risk-exposures and preparation of Board-reports as decision basis.
Jan. 1988 - Dez. 1989
1 Jahr Hanau, Deutschland
Analyst, Credit and Loan Department
Dresdner Bank AG/Dresdner Kleinwort (DrK)
- Processing domestic loan business (private and corporate).
Jan. 1987 - Dez. 1988
2 Jahren Japan
Trainee, Credit and Loan Department
Dresdner Bank AG/Dresdner Kleinwort (DrK)
- Processing loan applications and assisting Management in general matters incl. client relationships.
Jan. 1983 - Dez. 1987
4 Jahren Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
Trainee
Dresdner Bank AG/Dresdner Kleinwort (DrK)
- Int’l Trade Finance Department, Loan Department and Correspondent Banking Division.
Jan. 1981 - Dez. 1985
4 Jahren Düsseldorf, Deutschland
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WestLB-Girozentrale
- International Division, Relationship Banking, Syndications, Audit Department, Credit Department.
Jan. 1979 - Dez. 1981
3 Jahren Wiesbaden, Deutschland
Training Program
Commerzbank AG
- Domestic bank business.
Zusammenfassung
Managing foreign business units for various industries, acting in functions ranging from COO, CFO to risk-manager handling sales- as well as back-office operations. - Managing people on multinational level. Establishing, building-up, running and restructuring of business units. Securing financial health of such business units, identifying funders for respective necessary funding needs, negotiations with funders and bankers. – Budgetary controlling functions Project management for restructuring projects, real estate development and start-up companies. Specialized knowledge in legal and physical collection and Repossession of overdue monies and leased assets in China. Many years of experience in risk management for lending and leasing business as well as internal and operational risks.
I have spent most of my professional career in Asia, namely Japan, China and Hong Kong working in commercial as well as investment banks, international credit risk management, internal audit, project financing, but also in property development and many years in industrial leasing in China supporting German vendors as well as German SMEs while gaining specialised knowledge of lawful and physical repossession techniques and collections of any assets in China. – In the preceding years of my career in Asia I participated in the built up of business units such as Dresdner Bank AG Shanghai Branch back in 1993 and Deutsche Leasing (China) Co., Ltd. in 2006, as well as restructuring of business units in Japan and Hong Kong. – Besides many years of credit risk management, my role soon expanded into managing complete office operations in later stages of my career. – In recent years, I have advised and actively supported foreign companies in Asia acting as advisor and intermediary for their respective financing needs. Beyond my vast professional know-how, I have a good understanding of diverse cultures in Asia, political, cultural as well as economical and risk-relevant insights into Asia – without losing my contacts back to Germany - and have demonstrated effective management style leading dynamic multicultural working environments.
I like to work worldwide for local or foreign companies, finance industry or consulting firms in an adequate function including also project-driven function for start-ups or regular business units of any industrial sector requiring administration, HR-, risk-, compliance- and general management know-how.
Sprachen
Deutsch
Muttersprache
Englisch
Muttersprache
Japanisch
Fortgeschritten
Chinesisch
Grundkenntnisse
Französisch
Grundkenntnisse
Ausbildung
Okt. 1990 - Juni 1992
Bank Academy
Bankfachwirt · Frankfurt, Deutschland
Okt. 1979 - Juni 1981
Bank Apprenticeship
Bankkaufmann · Wiesbaden, Deutschland
Okt. 1978 - Juni 1979
German School Tokyo/Yokohama
German Baccalaureate (Abitur) · Japan
Zertifikate & Bescheinigungen
Bankfachwirt
IHK Frankfurt
Bankkaufmann
IHK Wiesbaden
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