CFO

• 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

• 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

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

• 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)

• Digital satellite receiver technology, family business.
• Turnaround management

• Music industry.
• Change management

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

• 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