Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Technology / Automotive provider of integrated display solutions, especially for automotive applications Revenue €220M, 800 employees

• Accounting, controlling & reporting, strategic procurement, tax, risk & legal, compliance, investor relations, preparation and execution of supervisory board meetings
• Investor discussions, investor relations for NYSE listing
• Expansion of reporting and compliance structures, cost controlling
• Post-merger integration
• Implementation of LucaNet
• Financing negotiations with banks
• Global responsibility for 25 staff across six countries
• Positive net cash position and decreasing NWC (-40%) with increasing sales
• Significantly reduced cash outflow
• Initiated profitability and restructuring projects, introduced capex guidelines
• Set up hedging line, implemented ABS program, extended bank financing

Mechanical engineering / High-tech technology leader for laser machinery serving the solar industry, electronics products, automotive Revenue €140M, 700 employees

• Cooperative leadership of the supervisory board, close communication with the management board, chaired the general meeting, prepared and led supervisory board meetings
• Streamlined management structures, including reappointment of the management board
• Focus on return on capital and growth
• Capital market communication, talks with banks and restructuring advisors
• Filled vacancies on the supervisory board
• Increased market capitalization by €400M
• Redesigned the compensation system focusing on value-oriented management, high approval at the general meeting
• Successful restructuring and refinancing
• Capital increase through new shares

Mechanical engineering world market leader for machine tools Revenue €2.3B, 7,100 employees

• Accounting, controlling & reporting, cash and NWC management, FX management, compliance, building structures and processes, risk management for holding and subsidiaries
• Oversaw subsidiaries in China, Poland, DACH and Russia (greenfield)
• Expanded control and management systems
• Compliance officer, implemented compliance program
• Implemented currency hedging
• Cash and NWC management with a focus on value-oriented control
• Secured results through accurate product costing
• Led cost and efficiency programs, unified ERP systems
• Direct and indirect responsibility for 45 staff across five countries
• Successful greenfield plant setup in Russia with KfW financing and 10% under-budget capex through FX hedging and strict investment controlling
• Significant earnings contributions via cash management with fixed-term deposits in a high-yield environment
• Set up a tax-optimized holding in Switzerland
• Achieved a 10% reduction in fixed costs at a Chinese production site through benchmarking and reviewing all procurement contracts
• Restructured financing in China
• Closed a plant in China after merger with MORI CO., LTD (Japan)

Manufacturer of high-performance alloys Revenue €1.4B, 2,000 employees

• Risk controlling, export control, compliance, transfer price management, data room organization
• Led compliance audits and training
• Risk inventory, export control
• Organized data room for equity carve-out
• Responsible for transfer price management
• Successful compliance audit by external auditor
• On-time completion of carve-out data room

Manufacturer of high-performance alloys Revenue €1.4B, 2,000 employees

• Operational and strategic controlling
• Led corporate planning and investment evaluations, product costing
• Restructuring and cost reduction projects
• Risk and portfolio controlling, M&A projects
• Managed five staff
• Introduced SAP-based sales controlling, value management
• Kept US investment projects within budget
• Successfully applied for energy-intensive industry subsidies

Materials distributor and service provider Revenue €9.0B, 11,000 employees

• Group-wide corporate planning, strategic controlling
• Conducted and analyzed group-wide corporate planning
• Risk controlling
• Liaison to the parent company (thyssenkrupp AG)
• Special tasks for the management board
• Managed five staff
• Introduced value-oriented management
• Expanded working capital controlling and portfolio controlling with gap analysis

Energy supplier Revenue €13.1B, 62,000 employees

• Led M&A projects, managed interdisciplinary teams
• Identified and analyzed acquisition targets, prepared offer documents
• Internal coordination, prepared decision papers for the executive board
• Negotiated with partners and contractors
• Managed international engagements
• Selected and developed junior talent
• Successful market entry in the Czech Republic with two companies
• Led multiple full-cycle M&A processes
• Expanded cooperation and investment options in Bulgaria

Supervisory board mandates in municipal companies

Institute of Business Administration, Chair of Finance, Prof. Dr. Reinhart Schmidt

three months

three months