Finance Director, CFO

5/2019 – 7/2020

Division Finance Officer and Managing Director for Region Europe and Africa, 1.800 employees with 320M USD sales (Region) in 12 countries, 6 manufacturing plants. Leading finance team with 44 employees in 7 countries:
• Reorganization of the finance departments in Region and responsibilities
• Annual budgeting process and monthly +12 FC
• Monthly, quarterly and annual closing and reporting under local GAAP and US-GAAP for consolidation as well as ad-hoc requests
• Weekly KPI reporting to the Board
• Preparation of quarter reports and onsite presentation to the Board, preparation and support of 10Q and 10K filings, support 8k filings to SEC
• Preparation and filing of annual reports under local regulations, interaction with auditors and tax authorities
• Overview Regional tax packages
• Compliance: legal, tax, SOX and local requirements, SPoC for all legal matters in Region, direct cooperation with Corporate Council
• Support operational business, analyze and approve business cases
• Cash Management: overview daily 13w FC for Region, annual CF planning
• Supplier management, contract negotiation with bigger supplier
• Management and negotiation of credit lines and facilities with Regional banks, interaction with potential lenders for ABL facilities
• Streamline of systems, processes and reports in Region, cooperation with DFO Americas, increase transparency and efficiency of financial reporting
• Design and development of BI tool to consolidate Information out of 7 ERP systems in Region
• Implementation of new requirements and guidelines (external and internal)
• Management of Covid19 Impact for finance and operations - ensure liquidity of the company and coordinate shutdown of operations for up to 2 months (depending on operations and jurisdiction)
Main Achievements:
• Successful negotiation of governmental Corona funding in different European countries, as well as furlough programs. Negotiation of installments for supplier payments. Short and midterm liquidity of the Region has been secured, including the impact of full shutdown of operations.
• Management and organization of full shutdown of Regional operations
• Internal due diligence executed: short-, mid- and long-term Impact of Covid19 to Overall Business has been analyzed and respective scenarios and strategies defined and presented to the Board.
• New ABL facilities negotiated and finalized, long-term liquidity of the Region secured
• Compliance of the Region achieved, strategy of organizational restructuring defined and initiated
• Achieved turnaround in profitability (w/o Covid19 impact)

Kommerzielles Bankgeschäft, Corporate Finance, Finanzanalyse, Finanzdirektion, Finanzen (allg.), Finanzierungskonzept, Finanzierungsmodelle, Cash Management, Öffentlich geförderte Finanzierung, Treasury, Betriebliches Rechnungswesen, Budgetierung, Cash-Flow-Analyse, Controlling, Deckungsbeitrag, Ergebnisrechnung, Finanzielle Planung, Investitionsrechnungen, Analyse der Kennzahlen, Konzernrechnungswesen, Kostensenkungs-Programm, Liquidität, Planbilanz, Plankostenrechnung, Profit-Center-Rechnung, Prozesskostenrechnung, Wirtschaftsrecht, Steuerrecht, IT Service Management (ITSM), SAP CO, SAP CO-PA, SAP FI, Betriebskontinuitätsmanagement (BKM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Change Management, Compliance management, Management (allg.), Prozessmanagement, Personalcontrolling, Balanced Scorecard, Business Analysis, Business Plan, Kostenoptimierung, Strategische Unternehmensplanung, Unternehmensanalyse, Vertragsmanagement

4/2017 – 11/2018

• Leading Corporate Tax team and guidance of local tax teams in US, APAC and EMEA
• SPoC for international tax matters – support operating business in new markets and countries (analysis of tax and legal situation and recommendation of best practice)
• Domestic and international tax regulations: analysis and interpretation of double taxation agreements, define actions required
• Managing the US tax provision process (quarterly and annual) and ensure compliance of all entities
• Transfer Pricing (TP) – new transfer pricing masterfile and respective local files in USA, APAC and EMEA. New TP documents for acquired entities in Czech, Austria and India
• Update organizational structure and renegotiation with local tax authorities, update operating model and IC recharging model to reduce average tax of Pulse Electronics as well as achieving tax refunds for prior years
• Analysis and definition of action items with regards to the new US tax reform – manage chances and risks for the company
• Lead contact for M&A activities in EMEA and APAC – Managing due diligence activities (Finance, Commercial, Tax and Legal), negotiation of SPA and Reps and Warranties
• Post Merger Integration of acquired companies (mainly Finance and IT)
Main Achievements:
• Acquisition of 100M USD company (revenue with 1.800 employees) – leading due diligence, negotiation of SPA and Reps and Warranties, Anti-Trust filing in EMEA
• Post Merger Integration of acquired company: Finance and System integration in Pulse structure, streamline organizational structures to synchronize management and reporting requirements
• Significant reduction of average tax rate by updating the overall operating model
• Tax refund and tax savings in double digit M USD in Singapore, China, Taiwan, Turkey and UK

Finanzanalyse, Finanzierungskonzept, Unternehmensbewertung, Break-Even-Analyse, Budgetierung, Cash-Flow-Analyse, Controlling, Analyse der Kennzahlen, Liquidität, Profit-Center-Rechnung, Steuerrecht, SAP FI, Change Management, Management (allg.), Transformation Management, Mehrprojektmanagement, PRINCE2, Carve-Out, Fusionen und Übernahmen, Potenzial-Analyse

11/2015 – 3/2017

• Head of Finance and Controlling in Region Europe (13 entities in 9 countries), leading teams in different countries
• Month/Quarter/Annual closing in local- and US-GAAP, analysis and reporting
• Quarterly and annual 10K reporting
• Cash Management
• Planning and Forecasting
• Manager of Global Organizational Restructuring Program
• SPoC for Finance and Business topics in Region Europe
• Domestic and international tax regulations: analysis and interpretation of double taxation agreements, define actions required
• Manage preparation and support of all external and internal audits
Main Achievements:
• Centralization of Finance activities, setup of new team and adjustment of processes
• Simplifying finance and reporting processes, ERP settings update
• Global Restructuring, consolidation of company structure, liquidation of 12 entities and minimization of tax burden
• Blueprint for VIM tool and process

Budgetierung, Cash-Flow-Analyse, Controlling, Finanzielle Planung, Analyse der Kennzahlen, Konzernrechnungswesen, Rechnungswesen (allg.), Wirtschaftsrecht, Steuerrecht, Beteiligungen, Business Plan, Fusionen und Übernahmen

10/2010 – 9/2013

• Senior Manager Finance (Planning, Controlling and Reporting)
• Head of Controlling Group (Controlling, Contract Management, Procurement, Change Request Coordination)
• Management of internal improvement processes (SPoC and Manager for all improvement activities in Finance and Administration in Region Europe)
• Management of Month/Quarter/Year end close. Review of all closing activities including general ledger maintenance and internal cost allocation
• Effective Cash Flow Management
• Manage preparation and support of all external and internal audits
• Determining financial objectives. Designing & implementing systems, policies & procedures to facilitate internal financial control and to provide critical financial and operational information to the stakeholder and make actionable recommendations on both strategy and operations
• Developing reports for top management summarizing the business financial position in areas of income, expenses, capital usage and cash flows, and coordinate the preparation of strategic plans, budgets and financial forecast
• Ensure legal and regulatory compliance regarding all financial and administrative functions, including SOX and ISM
• Domestic and international tax regulations: analysis and interpretation of double taxation agreements, define actions required
• Executing training courses for internal resources in the area of Planning, Finance, Controlling, Compliance and Anti-Bribery Act
Main Achievements:
• Development of new Department (Controlling Group) and new team
• Design and Implementation of integrated system for Region Europe based on SAP (Role: Project Manager) – full automated Finance Operations
• Design of new Global Finance and Reporting Guidelines for Panasonic IT Division

Budgetierung, Controlling, Analyse der Kennzahlen, Kostenrechnung, Kostensenkungs-Programm, Profit-Center-Rechnung, Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT), SAP CO, SAP CO-PA, SAP cProjects, SAP FI, SAP PPM, Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Change Management, Compliance management, Management (allg.), Enterprise project management (EPM), PRINCE2, Projektdurchführung, Projektleitung / Teamleitung, Projektmanagement

1/2007 – 9/2009

• Solution Manager for Cash Management and Treasury (Strategy, Planning and Execution for Systems and Processes – Development and Operations)
• Business Continuity Management (Analysis and Design for all Finance Operations – Systems and Processes)
• Managerof Watchlist Process (Monitoring of new developments and trends in IT and Finance Processes and reporting to Senior Management)
Main Achievements:
• Design and Implementation of Global Bank Communication Tool
• Design and Development of Global Intercompany Clearing Platform
• Implementation and Review of Corporate Security Guidelines

Kommerzielles Bankgeschäft, International Banking Package (IBP), Cash Management, SEPA, SWIFT, Treasury, Projektmanagement (IT), Software Design, Betriebskontinuitätsmanagement (BKM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Change Management, Prozessmanagement, Enterprise project management (EPM), PRINCE2, Projektkalkulation, Projektsteuerung (Projektcontrolling), Business Plan, Swot-Analyse

9/2001 – 12/2006

• Financial Controlling – Closing activities, analysis and reporting (US-GAAP and German-GAAP), responsible for consolidation in SAP EC-CS (EMEA)
• Country Controller for several entities in ASPAC, Middle East and Eastern Europe (Statutory accounting, Controlling, Tax, Legal)
• Process- and system-analysis, design and implementation of solutions for new standards and requirements (especially SOX and US-GAAP)
• International tax and legal requirements (analysis and evaluation for operations and global projects)
• Ensure legal and regulatory compliance regarding all financial and administrative functions, including SOX and ISM
• Manage preparation and support of all external and internal audits
Main Achievements:
• Rollout of internal SAP in EMEA Region, including release update, leading analysis and implementation of local requirements
• Setup of several subsidiaries and branches in ASPAC, Middle East and Eastern Europe and leading them in daily business as country controller
• Improvement of internal closing and reporting processes, implementation of new tools

Corporate Finance, Finanzen (allg.), Budgetierung, Cash-Flow-Analyse, Controlling, Analyse der Kennzahlen, Konzernrechnungswesen, Profit-Center-Rechnung, Rechnungswesen (allg.), Wirtschaftsrecht, SAP CO, SAP CO-PA, SAP FI, Sap Mm, SAP Rollout, It-Beratung, IT-Controlling, Konzeption (IT), Betriebskontinuitätsmanagement (BKM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Management (allg.), Prozessmanagement, Transformation Management, PMO, PRINCE2, Projektmanagement, Balanced Scorecard, Business Analysis, Fusionen und Übernahmen, Prozessberatung, Swot-Analyse