Johannes S. - CFO

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Altdorf bei Nürnberg, Germany

Experience

Oct 2021 - Present

4 years 3 months

Hong Kong

CFO

Genesis Mining LTD

One of the major international mining companies, crypto/blockchain
Built entire accounting from setting up bank and wallet accounts to preparing CEO statements
Group financial statements / coordination with authorities
Advised shareholders in Dubai
Proposed group reorganization
Liquidation after spin-off
Detail tasks HK statements
Built and managed finance team
Created project plan for HK statements
Collected bank and wallet accounts – five-figure, millions of records
Structured/prepared all legal transactions (technology agreement with listed company, power plant purchase, SPVs, spin-off, investment/divestment structures, profit sharing)
Established chart of accounts by profit centers
Built/managed fixed assets
Set up US accounting system “QuickBooks”
Posted all entries (millions)
Account clearing of all accounts
Intercompany reconciliations with major subsidiaries including permanent establishments
Reconciliation of all business transactions B2B, B2C, self-mining, tens of thousands of wallets/exchanges/credit cards with large volumes
Negotiated settlement of receivables (double-digit million amount)
Appointed auditors/tax advisors
Results
Set up accounting with all subsystems/team build-up
Prepared group and subsidiary financial statements + tax returns (long periods) + coordination with authorities
Coordinated auditors
Advised shareholders in Dubai
Proposed group reorganization
Liquidation after spin-off

Feb 2021 - Sep 2021

8 months

Coordination of bond refinancing in finance, global cash forecast

Douglas Group

Douglas Group (beauty omnichannel, EUR 3.5 bn revenue)
Coordinated refinancing of EUR 2.6 bn in finance: bonds (various risk tranches, term loan/RCF), coordinated advisory teams for the offering memorandum, built data book for entire bond financing with all data sources and documents, prepared weekly global short-term cash forecasts and explained them to shareholders (PE, CVC) and top management, process optimization

Dec 2019 - Jan 2021

1 year 2 months

United Kingdom

Treasury Manager/Structuring Execution

Aberdeen Standard Investments

UK asset management/investment company, EUR 750 bn assets under management for institutional clients
Member of an international team of >10 to structure and close international real estate financings (several bn EUR)
Core competencies
structuring skills, implementation strength, negotiation experience, bank communication, portfolio servicing, vendor management, insurance expertise, risk management, planning/reporting, compliance/regulatory
Responsibilities
Initiation, structuring, negotiation and execution of large international real estate financings, management of fund financings, bank management, reporting, coordination of financing partners + lawyers + notaries + debt advisers + insurance brokers + insurers + other service providers, internal coordination with fund management + investment committee + asset and transaction management + hedging departments + custodian banks + SPVs + boards + other functions like ops/accounting/taxes
Results
Closed >10 real estate financing deals, managed 5 large funds >50 banks, organized a global insurance switch in banking, contributed to standardization projects
Negotiated, coordinated, closed 10-year refinancings of major international real estate portfolios

Feb 2019 - Nov 2019

10 months

CFO (and Head of Group Finance & Accounting & Treasury)

FFG E&A

EUR 600 m revenue (mechanical engineering, owned by Jimmy Chu – Taiwanese & owner of FFG worldwide with USD 3.8 bn revenue, 98 plants, 37 brands)
Responsibility
Group finance for FFG E&A – 15 countries, cash flow, investments, results, group financial statements, AC/TR, financing, restructuring.
Finance division >150 staff
Core competencies
leadership experience, team motivation, results & cash flow management, restructuring experience, group financial statements, consolidation, IFRS/HGB, sparring partner CEO/Supervisory Board, digitization/automation of finance processes, M&A expertise, treasury/tax expertise, liquidity/working capital management, negotiation experience, risk management
Responsibilities
Plan/execute a restructuring, professionalize management & organization, motivate/build teams, secure liquidity, prepare individual and group financial statements, coordinate tax advisors/auditors, AR/AP management, working capital management, modernize finance processes, realize synergies, budget planning, monthly reporting, coordinate with shareholders/Supervisory Board
Results
Developed restructuring concept (S11 and S6 reports) and aligned with shareholders/Supervisory Board, professionalized teams, prepared multiple full and partial group financial statements 2016-2018, prepared 2019, built tax and treasury department, planned 2 plant closures, bought and sold business units, improved efficiency by digitizing finance processes (electronic invoices, bank postings, POs), cleaned up AR/AP backlog

Aug 2018 - Jan 2019

6 months

Manchester, United Kingdom

Head of Group Treasury & Finance

Escada

Global SSC in Manchester (fashion/luxury brand, owned by Mittal family)
Liquidity planning and control in preparation for sale, introduced treasury system - Bellin, automated credit card settlements + reconciliation, modernized SSC with SAP in Manchester as preparation for sale to US investor

Apr 2017 - Present

8 years 9 months

Interim Management

Bridged CFO leadership roles (finance & accounting, treasury, controlling) as well as project tasks.

Oct 2009 - Mar 2017

7 years 6 months

Stuttgart, Germany

Group Director Treasury ppa., reporting to Group Executive Board CEO/CFO

Apcoa Parking Holdings GmbH

Profile
Led and built a high-performance group finance & treasury organization with cash and credit card transactions (C&PM).
Developed growth strategy.
Cost reduction.
Successful covenant resets & restructuring.
Debt to equity swap approx. EUR 560 m.
Built an efficient corporate finance organization with TMS, in-house bank, payment factory
Tasks / Achievements
Performance Management
Strong improvement in working capital (extended supplier payment terms, tighter receivables management), cash flow and capital structure
Significant reduction in interest, hedging and credit card costs.
Reduced financing needs > EUR 20 m through centralization of cash
Strategy & Organization Development and Digitization
Developed economic concepts for digitization & automation of parking garages - “Mobility Concept” and to modernize cash and electronic card transactions with strategic partnerships – growth strategy with roadmap
Built an efficient group treasury & finance organization (structure, policies, processes, IT systems) with treasury management system and reporting to financial partners, shareholders & banks
Motivated & developed group finance teams.
Advised senior management, subsidiaries and departments on finance issues.
Supported tenders (Europe & Middle East)
Standardized & automated finance processes for machine posting of credit card & cash transactions, payment runs, cash status, liquidity planning and cash flow
Restructuring
Made significant contribution to restructuring (change of shareholder, halving old debt by EUR 450 m while adding new credit lines of EUR 100 m).
IDW S6
Budgeting, Group Financial Statements, Financing
Built integrated corporate planning group-wide with KPI reporting in Tagetik/Navision.
Prepared two strategic 5-year plans.
Forward-looking performance management.
Reviews.
Derived measures.
Internal Controls
Clarified all IFRS accounting issues in the area of group financial statements (risk management, cash flow statement, leasing IFRS 16, hedging, intercompany, transfer pricing) with auditors, tax advisors, tax inspectors
Successfully negotiated group loan agreements and covenant terms (syndicated loan, EUR 800 m, 50 banks, covenant reset with IBR)
Ensured compliance (loan agreements, contract law, regulation).
Built efficient in-house bank for all subsidiaries.
Standardized Europe-wide payments via payment factory.
Introduced automated cash pools

Jan 2003 - Sep 2009

6 years 9 months

Gothenburg, Sweden

Group Director Finance & Treasury & Manager Financial Accounting, ppa.

Plastal Group AB (Dynamit Nobel Kunststoff GmbH acquired by Plastal & Nordic Capital in 2005)

Profile
Led & modernized finance & accounting, tax, treasury & insurance to maintain and strengthen competitive position.
Prepared group financial statements.
Converted US GAAP to IFRS.
Significant tax optimization.
Digitized finance functions.
Carve-out of the sub-group and sale through auction.
Post-merger integration.
Member of Plastal supervisory board.
Built TMS & cash management.
Negotiated large financings
Tasks / Achievements
Performance management via budget planning (balance sheet, P&L, cash flow and KPIs), reporting, reviews, measures to secure results
Prepared group financial statements & consolidation.
Accounting of the merger (PPA), deferred taxes.
Impairments.
Coordinated auditors, tax advisors and inspectors.
Converted US GAAP to IFRS.
Optimized complex tax structures with high savings
Automated workflows (OEM credits, incoming invoices).
Built shared service center.
Introduced central insurance programs with large savings
Carved out automotive division.
Separated all group relationships and built independent structures
Sold automotive division in M&A auction to Nordic Capital (due diligence, valuations, vendor due diligence).
Negotiated with investors.
Post-merger integration.
Negotiated large financing agreements (ABS, factoring, leasing, real estate, plants)

Jul 1997 - Dec 2002

5 years 6 months

Augsburg, Germany

Commercial Director ppa., Managing Director of holdings

Albani Gruppe

Profile
Global responsibility for development & integration of all commercial functions: treasury, finance, accounting, controlling, tax, HR, IT, procurement, production planning, logistics.
Introduced group SAP R/3 & KPI systems.
Acquisition and integration of companies (M&A, PMI).
Managing director of holdings
Tasks / Achievements
Managed corporate results.
Multi-year budgets, investment controlling, monthly reporting, result analysis and action management
Implemented management information system with KPIs for result-oriented group management.
Investment controlling
Built integrated group from formerly independent companies.
Process improvements & realized synergies.
Works council negotiations
Cost optimization through building a European central warehouse, international insurance programs, consolidation of sites
Prepared annual financial statements and consolidation.
Built shared service center.
Introduced ERP system (SAP R/3) in group

Feb 1995 - Jun 1997

2 years 5 months

Langenzenn, Germany

CFO/Commercial Director ppa.

Christian Schwaiger

Digital satellite receiver technology, family business.
Turnaround management

May 1993 - Dec 1994

1 year 8 months

Hirschau, Germany

Head of Controlling ppa., Managing Director of subsidiary

Conrad-Gruppe

Europe's largest electronics mail-order company.
Built MIS with KPIs

Jan 1992 - Apr 1993

1 year 4 months

Ennetbürgen, Switzerland

Manager Business Development

Phonomatic Group AG

Music industry.
Change management

Oct 1990 - Dec 1991

1 year 3 months

Sindelfingen, Germany

Management Consultant

Baumgartner & Partner

Management consulting.
Introduced controlling tools

Nov 1988 - Sep 1990

1 year 11 months

Hamelin, Germany

Owner's Assistant

Vogeley Gruppe

Food / diversified group, family business.
Acquired / integrated three companies

Jan 1984 - Dec 1987

4 years

Stuttgart, Germany

Working Student R&D Controlling

SEL AG

European market leader in communications technology equipment.
R&D controlling

Managed group finance functions

Various service groups

Led & built group functions AC, Tax, TR, CO.
Optimized results, costs, working capital.
Restructurings.
Digitized finance processes.
Budgeting & reporting.
Prepared group financial statements.
Close cooperation with CEO & senior management, shareholders/supervisory boards and external stakeholders in international groups
Performance Management
Reduced working capital (extended payment terms, receivables management, inventory optimization, settlements of receivables with double-digit million amounts).
Reduced financing needs through cash pools > EUR 12 m
Cost reduction 30-50% through headcount reduction (service providers, overhead, production), insourcing & centralization of functions, automation of finance functions, shared service center professionalization, standardization of assortments and production processes
Plant closures, consolidation of subsidiaries to maintain competitiveness
Strategy & Organization Development and Digitization
Built & professionalized effective holding structures (tax, accounting, treasury) to significantly increase flexibility and adaptability of companies in disruptive markets.
Trusted collaboration with supervisory boards & shareholders
Digitized & automated finance processes (external invoice, intercompany and bank postings, credit cards, supply-chain order processing, blind postings) to boost competitive position
Prepared & sold companies, subsidiaries & real estate (M&A)
Restructuring
Developed restructuring concepts and started implementation: top-line focus on service & conversions + opening new customer segments.
Reduced complexity by modularizing assortments into assemblies.
Digitized processes.
Insourced functions
Prepared IDW S11 reports.
Designed IDW S6.
Communicated restructuring concepts to major customers, suppliers, trade credit insurers and banks.
Coordinated with shareholders/supervisory boards.
Debt to equity swap (> EUR 560 m)
Cost savings through standardization of finance processes, documentation.
Coordinated interfaces/service providers, outsourced finance functions
Financing & Group Financial Statements
Prepared many IFRS group, sub and single financial statements 2015 to 2024.
Implemented IFRS 15 & IFRS 16.
Shifted reporting to key KPIs
Successful, tight cash flow/free cash flow management to maintain liquidity and financeability
Structured/selected/negotiated/implemented best-practice long-term financings in the Covid-19 environment for real estate funds – residential, offices, retail – tenders, term sheets, board approvals and custodians, coordination of legal implementation, disbursement.
Portfolio risk monitoring
Bank reporting and covenants, maintained financing tool IT2, managed 5 European funds/dashboard reporting.
Executed insurance switch for >400 insured properties/SPVs worldwide, insurance cover notes with banks/first payee loss clauses, closed 20 Reuters BaFin courses
Bond refinancings, data book, process optimization, coordination of external advisory teams
Other Tasks
Introduced robust treasury management systems (Bellin, Litreca, IT2/ION).
Revolving liquidity planning, payment factory, payments, risk management, FX hedging, cash pools, loan closings.
Successful negotiation of major covenant resets

Summary

Value increases through commercial management in international mid-sized groups, corporates and PE holdings (incl. automotive suppliers, consumer goods, asset management, services, mechanical engineering, crypto industry)
Experienced in goal-oriented results & cash flow management, development and implementation of restructurings and preparation of group financial statements – IFRS/HGB. Sparring partner to CEO
Successful efficiency improvements through digitization (automation of finance processes), design & implementation of corporate strategies and management of transactions – M&A & PMI
Skilled in building effective treasury organizations, managing liquidity, negotiating various corporate financings and risk management
I solve tasks strategically and conceptually, and implement them pragmatically and target-oriented. With my appreciative working style I win stakeholders and motivate teams