Volker A.
Founder
Experience
Founder
aim / arth-interim-management
Advisory board member
DMS Technology GmbH
Managing Director & COO
OMS Inventuren GmbH
Responsible for operational management including operations, logistics, finance and IT
Led business scaling initiative "Business Scaling 2030"
Reporting line: CEO
Managed 36 direct and over 800 indirect employees
Conducted over 80 customer projects annually (>6,000 inventories)
Developed forecast and budget processes
Optimized inventory software to support team leaders and project leaders
Created the strategy plan for Business Scaling 2030
COO / Chief Operating Officer
OMS Inventuren GmbH
Responsible for the areas operation, logistics, finance and IT
Set up and filled department heads
Realigned processes and structures
Reporting line: CEO
Managed 36 direct and over 800 indirect employees
Built a business unit in Budapest, Hungary
Realigned the logistics department
Supported and coached business units, achieving an efficiency increase of 18%
Established and staffed a Center of Excellence for continuous improvement
Managing Director
Epredia
Oversaw the spin-off from Thermo Fisher Scientific and established independence
Held budget and P&L responsibility of 25 million EUR for the Braunschweig site
Executed further product portfolio adjustments
Planned and managed the site closure and production relocation to Shanghai
Led negotiations for the social plan and reconciliation of interests to enable a smooth production start in Shanghai
Reporting line: Vice President Global Operations
Managed 89 direct and 11 indirect employees
Successfully established Epredia's independence
Completed reconciliation of interests and social plan negotiations within 10 weeks
Relocated production to Shanghai under remote conditions during the global COVID-19 pandemic
Managing Director
Thermo Fisher Scientific / Gerhard Menzel GmbH
Led operational management and built a new executive team by hiring department heads
Introduced lean concepts in production and the entire supply chain, achieving double-digit output increases
Relocated a production line from Braunschweig to China and another from the USA to Braunschweig
Negotiated collective wage agreements with IGBCE and works council
Reorganized middle management and introduced a new leadership approach based on employee surveys
Reporting line: Vice President Global Operations
Managed 100 employees
Implemented the JD Edwards/Oracle ERP system in 2013
Transformed production into lean processes (2014–2016), resulting in over 15% production increase
Improved delivery accuracy by 35% to 96%
Increased customer satisfaction rating by 60% to 95%
Maintained trustful cooperation with employee representatives
Negotiated collective wage agreements with IGBCE
Successfully relocated production (2017–2018) despite significant challenges
Modernized the production plant to state of the art
Developed the site into the world's largest producer of this product group
Financial Controller
Thermo Fisher Scientific / Gerhard Menzel GmbH
Responsible for financial reporting under US-GAAP and HGB and contact for auditors and tax auditors
Built the controlling department and developed an effective controlling methodology
Created key performance indicators for the site
Led and developed a team of four
Introduced monthly employee information events and communication Gemba
Improved account structure for targeted contribution margin accounting by product
Reduced month-end closing time by over 50%, from 7 to 3 days
Financial Controller
Columbian Carbon Deutschland GmbH
Managed accounting and controlling
Prepared financial statements under US-GAAP and HGB and liaised with auditors and tax auditors
Ensured liquidity and negotiated with banks
Led and developed a team of three
Created key performance indicators for the site
Ensured SOX compliance and conducted internal audits
Participated in Six Sigma trainings and applied methods onsite
Supported European headquarters in strategy planning
Reporting line: Managing Director
Introduced communication routines to enhance employee motivation through unified internal information and communication
Senior Financial Analyst
Columbian Chemicals Europe
Developed and implemented a forecast process (SIOP, balance sheet and P&L) in an MS Access database and rolled out to seven sites (Europe, USA, South Korea)
Coordinated month-end closing with site controllers and ensured US-GAAP compliance
Created KPIs and performed variance analysis for all sites
Managed SOX compliance and internal audits
Conducted cash forecasting for all operational units
Reporting line: Director Finance Europe & Asia
Achieved significant improvements in forecast processes
Reduced month-end closing time by 40% with improved informativeness
Head of Controlling / Accounting
Concert Europe
Built the controlling department and developed an effective controlling methodology
Managed controlling and reporting of key figures and management information systems
Created a dashboard as a control instrument for the board of directors
Prepared financial statements under IFRS and HGB
Introduced cost unit accounting (actual cost basis) for all production units and conducted optimization and margin analyses
Held project budget responsibility for constructing the world’s largest airlaid plant (25 million EUR)
Reduced the product portfolio to increase profitability and production volumes
Established finance and production processes during the IFS ERP implementation
Managed cash flow and treasury
Reporting line: Managing Director
Rolled out the controlling methodology to other sites in Ottawa, Canada
Delivered the 25 million EUR project on time and within budget
Performed ERP-supported analysis of work orders
Rationalized products based on margin analysis
Controller
Mannesmann D2 / Vodafone
Performed sales controlling and branch accounting
Managed technical controlling: budgeting and forecasting regional mobile masts (approx. 15 million EUR) and supported the Munich site
Reporting line: Technical site manager
Optimized forecast planning and actual comparison in SAP
Developed new KPIs and reports for team meetings
Summary
- Executive-level manager with a cross-cultural background and many years of experience in production operations across different industries
- Ability to work independently and strong self-motivation
- Strong integration skills, reliability, and loyalty
- Entrepreneurial strategist and team-oriented leader who tackles challenges analytically, proactively, and with a clear focus on goals
Languages
Education
University of Applied Sciences Kassel
Degree (University of Applied Sciences) · Diploma in Economics · Kassel, Germany
Vocational training as a retail salesperson
Certifications & licenses
Black Belt Program / Practical Process Improvement
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Certified Lean Manager
Mmm Management Circle
Certificate Of International Accounting IFRS,US-GHAAP,DRS
Academy for International Accounting
US-GAAP Compact Course
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