Controlling Consultant

Restructuring the controlling department of a pharmaceutical trading group

Industry: FMCG, consumer goods (food & non-food), over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. Key figures: approx. EUR 150 million annual revenue, about 160 employees, 5 subsidiaries. Shareholder: private equity (Oakley Capital). Team size: 5 employees

Initial situation:

• Temporary cover for Head of Controlling and Senior Controller (both on maternity leave)
• Young team in development; members with very short tenure (< months)
• Inefficient and poorly documented core controlling processes and team structure
• Interim Head of Controlling took over HR controlling (personnel planning, annual bonus calculation) and shareholder reporting

Approach:

• Analyzed and distributed controlling tasks (sales controlling, procurement controlling, balance sheet analysis, financial controlling, logistics controlling, supply chain controlling)
• Introduced regular jour fixes with the team, individual members & internal clients
• Introduced business partnering in investment controlling, active staff development
• Process analysis of 'month-end closing', 'year-end closing', 'rolling forecast', 'annual budget'
• Took over and revised special accounting topics (impairment testing, transfer pricing or group allocation, closing preparations according to HGB)

Results/Achievements:

• Significant acceleration of month-end closing process (from 25 to 7 days) and forecasting
• Timely and detailed completion of budgets for all subsidiaries
• Introduced a monthly rolling forecast process in Lucanet (incl. full consolidation)
• Implemented Power BI (contribution margin analysis, dashboards, self-service reporting)
• Comprehensive analysis of profit, financial and asset situation for onboarding the new CFO

Big Data: building data models and reconciling ERP systems

Industry: FMCG (non-food), consumer electronics retail. Key figures: approx. EUR 22 billion annual revenue, about 50,100 employees. Shareholder: publicly listed (CeConomy AG)

Initial situation:

• Large deviations in gross margin forecast -> program 'Financial Transparency Gen2'
• Slow project progress, little internal drive among project participants

Approach:

• Captured and structured all chapters and subprojects
• Introduced regular project jour fixes
• Provided content support to the chapter lead 'Commercial Model'

Results/Achievements:

• Timely preparation and execution of the SteerCo meetings (MSH executive board)
• Built a data model to compare SAP (financial accounting) and GICOM (condition billing with suppliers):
• Identified mapping issues between systems
• Identified different approaches by country entity
• Initiated harmonization of all condition types within the group

Realignment and turnaround of an organic snack company

Industry: FMCG (Food), production and distribution of Bioland potato chips Key figures: approx. EUR 6 million annual revenue, approx. 35 employees Shareholder: Family-owned (CORVIS GmbH) Team size: 35 employees (with disciplinary authority)

Initial situation:

• Took over operational management after the sale of the company
• Unprofitable business model, high cash burn rate, low employee motivation
• Implemented the strategic concept from the M&A factbook
• Acting head of Human Resources (payroll, personnel administration)

Approach:

• Financial modeling: analysis and evaluation of the Bioland strategy
• 3-year plan (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) and determination of financing needs
• Optimized liquidity management (especially planning and approval of payment runs)
• Determined new selling price per package on a full cost basis (brand and private label)
• Created a new sales presentation: positioning, USP, marketing, target consumer
• Strengthened contact with key suppliers (potatoes, oil, spices)
• Analyzed all suppliers and contracts (especially marketing, logistics, raw materials)

Results/Achievements:

• Launched the "Lisas" brand in supermarkets and organic retail with a price increase
• Reactivated central billing contracts (EZHG), newly listed at REWE and EDEKA
• Key account management: new private label deals for Lidl and Kaufland
• Ended unprofitable customer and supplier relationships (especially Lufthansa, advertising agency)
• Improved alignment between sales and production (S&OP, production controlling)
• Organizational development: restructured teams and reporting lines, introduced key account management for each business unit
• Retained key staff (production, sales, finance, customer service, quality management)
• Ensured liquidity, no new loans needed (from 2022)
• Averted a wrongful termination lawsuit

Success factors and business model analysis of a snack exporter

Industry: FMCG (Food), export of savory snacks Key figures: approx. EUR 15 million annual revenue, 14 employees Shareholder: Family-owned (Intersnack / Pfeiffer & Langen IHKG)

Initial situation:

• Company objective: consolidation of all export activities of the entire group
• Assignment: evaluation of the business model and alignment with the group's OGSM
• Led operational finance functions as Divisional CFO

Approach:

• Prepared business plan (balance sheet, P&L, cash flow) for 2019 and 2020
• Full-cost calculation (from production to shelf) for key account management
• Monthly reporting & consolidation to group accounting

Results:

• Completed business model evaluation as not viable; instead introduced a central control mechanism (clearing entity) for export activities
• Vertically integrated Tyrrells' exports to France (through a local management unit)
• Increased value creation depth by reducing distribution layers
• Prepared merger / liquidation: converted a GmbH & Co. KG into a GmbH (accounting & treasury), repaid loans across multiple entities and countries

Setting up controlling structures in a digital startup

Industry: digital services (SaaS) for hotels, restaurants, and catering businesses Key figures: approx. 80 employees Shareholder: publicly traded (METRO GROUP)

Initial situation:

• Slow processes, including high outstanding payables
• Some KPIs available, but no solid controlling concept
• Lack of coordination with group accounting

Approach:

• Creating a budget and forecast for all ongoing software development projects
• Designing KPI sets for long-term business planning
• Analysis of accounting processes (especially payables)

Achievements:

• Development of business cases and customer cost models for various software products based on activity-based costing
• Coordination on accounting for software development (IAS 38 standard)
• Improved coordination with Metro AG group accounting

Financial evaluation of strategy projects and programs

Industry: FMCG (food), production and distribution of refined sugar (site: Cologne) Key figures: approx. EUR 1.3 billion annual revenue, approx. 25,000 employees Shareholder: family-owned (Pfeiffer & Langen IHKG)

Initial situation:

• Development of a strategy concept as part of the sugar market deregulation by a major consulting firm (“Strategy 2020”)
• Task: verification and tracking of the financial effects of the program
• Meanwhile: introduction of a multi-project management tool for project controlling

Approach:

• Leading the configuration and implementation of the multi-project management tool (CPM), liaison with the IT service provider Lintra GmbH (digitalization)
• Recalculation and review of calculations with the specialist departments
• Conducting trainings (project management and CPM) in the German sugar plants

Achievements:

• Correction of financial effects in subprojects (redefining KPIs and OKRs)
• Improvement of the CPM tool configuration (in coordination with specialist departments)
• Implementation of the CPM tool in all plants; training of all relevant users