Philipp Debastian - Freelance Project

Q: Where is Philipp based?

Philipp is based in Feusisberg, Switzerland .

Q: What languages does Philipp speak?

Philipp speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Intermediate) .

Q: How many years of experience does Philipp have?

Philipp has at least 18 years of experience. During this time, Philipp has worked in at least 10 different roles and for 9 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 10 months . Note that Philipp may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Philipp's latest experience?

Philipp's most recent position is Freelance Project at AniCura AGs (Veterinary Clinics) .

Q: What companies has Philipp worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Philipp has worked for AniCura AGs (Veterinary Clinics) and SV Hotel AG .

Q: Which industries is Philipp most experienced in?

Philipp is most experienced in industries like Food and Beverage , Tourism and Hospitality , and Professional Services . Philipp also has some experience in Healthcare , Automotive , and Aerospace and Defense .

Q: Which business areas is Philipp most experienced in?

Philipp is most experienced in business areas like Finance , Accounting , and Business Intelligence . Philipp also has some experience in Project Management , Audit , and Sales .

Q: Which industries has Philipp worked in recently?

Philipp has recently worked in industries like Tourism and Hospitality and Healthcare .

Q: Which business areas has Philipp worked in recently?

Philipp has recently worked in business areas like Accounting , Finance , and Project Management .

Recommended expert

Feusisberg, Switzerland

Experience

May 2024 - Present

1 year 10 months

Freelance Project

AniCura AGs (Veterinary Clinics)

Preparation of annual financial statements for several veterinary clinics in Switzerland (MARS Group)
Led the audit of the Swiss companies in collaboration with PWC
Support and enhancement of ongoing bookkeeping

Mar 2019 - May 2024

5 years 3 months

Dübendorf, Switzerland

Head of Finance, DACH Hotel Group

SV Hotel AG

Managed operational accounting (authorized signatory) for currently 20 hotels (mostly Marriott business hotels as franchisees) in the DACH region (8 entities in Germany, 5 in Switzerland) using SAP S4/HANA
Led audits with notes and management report in Germany and Switzerland
Commercial pre-opening management of 8 new hotel projects in Germany and Switzerland
Managed and led the accounting team of 14 colleagues
Responsible for monthly and annual financial statements of the hotel group according to OR/Swiss GAAP FER and HGB; sub-consolidated financial statements in Germany from 2023
Cash management, treasury, forecasting, and weekly payment runs
Primary contact for banks, auditors, and tax consultants
Taxes (VAT, corporate tax, trade tax in Germany; VAT, profit and capital tax in Switzerland)
Led tax audits in Germany (2015-2018 & 2019-2021)
Process improvements (digitization), especially in SAP and optimization of existing workflows

Achievements:

Cash savings (FX management EUR / USD / CHF) over CHF 900k
Cost savings on fees and charges at banks in the hotel division
Pre-opening setup and systematic implementation of 10 hotel projects in Germany and Switzerland since 2019
Successful rollout of a cross-country expense tool
Strategic registration of SV Hotel AG with German tax authorities – cash savings > EUR 250k
Successful build-up of an accounting department in Germany
Reduction and collection of outstanding receivables of the hotel companies
Successful liquidity management during the coronavirus pandemic
Reorganization of the hotel accounting team – change management

May 2018 - Jul 2018

3 months

Baar, Switzerland

Operational Commercial Manager

Parfümerie Douglas AG

Accounting team lead with 3 team members
Monthly and annual closing according to IFRS standards
VAT returns and fixed asset accounting
Management of accounts receivable and accounts payable
Collaboration with KPMG on tax matters and audits

Jul 2012 - Dec 2017

5 years 6 months

Kilchberg, Switzerland

Business Controller Sales

Lindt und Sprüngli Schweiz AG

Led monthly, quarterly, and annual closing according to IFRS standards
Led and coordinated the rolling forecast
Examined and evaluated existing business processes
Designed and implemented demand-oriented SAP solutions
Monitored and optimized existing SAP applications
Budgeted revenue and costs
Analyzed and reported revenue deductions for key accounts
Provided business management consulting to the management board
SAP key user for FI, CO, and COPA modules

Main Project:

Further development and optimization of SAP modules FI, CO, and COPA
Process harmonization of FI, CO, and SD modules within COPA
Successful implementation of automated rolling forecast and budgeting
Led the setup of management and financial reporting
Implementation and testing of new SAP tools
Technical leadership of 4 employees

Oct 2011 - May 2012

8 months

Friedrichshafen, Germany

Sales Controlling Specialist

MTU GmbH

Analysis of data foundation for introducing a KPI cockpit
Creation of process KPIs in sales
Collaboration on optimizing sales processes

Mar 2010 - Sep 2011

1 year 7 months

Wangen-Brüttisellen, Switzerland

Financial Analyst

Coca Cola HBC Schweiz AG

Monthly, quarterly and annual closing of key accounts according to IFRS
Financial planning of the budget and the monthly rolling estimate
Supporting key account managers with all financial matters
Scenario calculations for new contract negotiations with customers

Oct 2009 - Mar 2010

6 months

Stuttgart, Germany

Accounting Associate

Allianz Deutschland AG

Assisting with the preparation of the annual financial statements according to IFRS
Quarterly reports / reporting to the Deutsche Bundesbank

Oct 2008 - Mar 2009

6 months

Sindelfingen, Germany

Part-time Controller (50%)

Daimler AG

Mar 2008 - Aug 2008

6 months

Sindelfingen, Germany

Controlling Intern

Daimler AG

Feb 2006 - Feb 2008

2 years 1 month

Lindau, Germany

Tax Clerk

Steuerkanzlei Altenried & Partner

Annual financial statements according to HGB, tax returns
Accounting for medium-sized companies

Industries Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time. Longer bars indicate deeper hands-on experience, while shorter ones reflect targeted or project-based work.

Experienced in Food and Beverage (7 years), Tourism (5 years), Healthcare (2 years), Professional Services (2 years), Automotive (1 year), and Aerospace and Defense (0.5 years).

Food and Beverage

Tourism

Healthcare

Professional Services

Automotive

Aerospace and Defense

Business Areas Experience

The graph below provides a cumulative view of the freelancer's experience across multiple business areas, calculated from completed and active engagements. It highlights the areas where the freelancer has most frequently contributed to planning, execution, and delivery of business outcomes.

Experienced in Finance (13.5 years), Accounting (12 years), Business Intelligence (6 years), Project Management (5 years), Audit (2 years), and Sales (0.5 years).

Finance

Accounting

Business Intelligence

Project Management

Audit

Sales

Summary

As an entrepreneurial doer, I strive for optimization. My strong execution skills, cross-disciplinary experience, leadership philosophy, and excellent SAP knowledge help me achieve this. By looking holistically at organizational structure and workflows, my analytical thinking allows me to initiate and implement efficient and effective business processes. As a committed professional specializing in controlling and accounting, I leverage these skills to drive value in management and financial reporting.

Skills

Sap Modules Fi, Co, Sd And Copa
Sap Business Objects
Psinova
Fibu Datev
Agenda
Oracle
Ms-office Excel
Ms-office Word
Ms-office Powerpoint
Ms-office Outlook
Hotel Pms Opera
Hotel Pms Apaleo

Professional Skills

20 Years Of Experience In Finance And Accounting
Year-end Closing Expertise And Reliable Balance Sheets (Hgb, Or, Swiss Gaap Fer)
10 Years Of Experience In Controlling (Sales, Marketing Including Retail Controlling)
Cross-disciplinary Experience (Organizational Structure And Process Design)
Continuous Development And Optimization Of Systems And Processes
Sap Expert In Fi, Co, Sd, Copa Modules As Well As Sap Bw And Sap Business Objects

Methodological Skills

Systems Thinking
Analytical Thinking
Drive For Efficiency And Effectiveness
Conceptual Skills With Strong Execution
Communication Experience At All Hierarchy Levels

Social Skills

Team Player By Conviction
Objectivity, Goal- And Solution-orientation
Willingness To Cooperate
Empathy

Leadership Skills

Identifying, Addressing, And Solving Problems
Cooperative Leadership Under Normal Conditions; Situational Leadership During Pandemics
Leading Through Motivation And Positive Attitude
Recognizing Potential And Developing Employees

Individual Competencies

Understanding Complex Contexts
Entrepreneur Within The Company
Creativity
Initiative And Proactivity
Ability To Accept Consequences
Quick Comprehension

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

French

Intermediate

Education

Mar 2006 - Nov 2009

Bachelor of Science in Controlling and Accounting · Business Administration · Sigmaringen, Germany

Sep 2002 - Jul 2005

Steuerkanzlei Dreher

Vocational training as a tax clerk · Tax Clerk · Ravensburg, Germany

Sep 1992 - Jun 2001

Gymnasium Aulendorf

High School Diploma (Matura/Abitur) · Aulendorf, Germany

Profile

Created

November 2024

Last Update

November 2025

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Philipp based?

Philipp is based in Feusisberg, Switzerland.

What languages does Philipp speak?

Philipp speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Intermediate).

How many years of experience does Philipp have?

Philipp has at least 18 years of experience. During this time, Philipp has worked in at least 10 different roles and for 9 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 10 months. Note that Philipp may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Philipp be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Philipp would be well-suited for roles such as: Freelance Project, Head of Finance, DACH Hotel Group, Operational Commercial Manager.

What is Philipp's latest experience?

Philipp's most recent position is Freelance Project at AniCura AGs (Veterinary Clinics).

What companies has Philipp worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Philipp has worked for AniCura AGs (Veterinary Clinics) and SV Hotel AG.

Which industries is Philipp most experienced in?

Philipp is most experienced in industries like Food and Beverage, Tourism and Hospitality, and Professional Services. Philipp also has some experience in Healthcare, Automotive, and Aerospace and Defense.

Which business areas is Philipp most experienced in?

Philipp is most experienced in business areas like Finance, Accounting, and Business Intelligence. Philipp also has some experience in Project Management, Audit, and Sales.

Which industries has Philipp worked in recently?

Philipp has recently worked in industries like Tourism and Hospitality and Healthcare.

Which business areas has Philipp worked in recently?

Philipp has recently worked in business areas like Accounting, Finance, and Project Management.

What is Philipp's education?

Philipp holds a Doctorate in Tax Clerk from Steuerkanzlei Dreher and a Bachelor in Business Administration.

What is the availability of Philipp?

Philipp is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Philipp?

Philipp's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.