Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Managing Director and CFO in PE-backed portfolio companies, focused on operational transformation, earnings improvement, and investor reporting. 20+ years of financial and operational leadership in industrial mid-market companies in special situations — turnaround, restructuring, post-acquisition stabilization. Currently sole Managing Director (Alleinvertretungsberechtigt) at IHSE GmbH (Brockhaus Technologies AG, publicly listed), responsible for Finance, IT, HR, Production, Quality, Procurement, and until April 2026 also R&D — de facto full operational leadership. Previously CFO at Hasenkamp (art logistics, ~EUR 180M revenue), VP Finance at Camfil APC (filtration technology, global BU), and Divisional CFO at Jenoptik AG. Track record: EBIT turnarounds (from EUR -3.6M to profitability), cost reduction programs (EUR 2.6M p.a.), production relocations, ERP implementations, and greenfield business unit build-up as Managing Director. Industry focus: Industrial goods, technology, specialty logistics Ownership context: Private equity, publicly listed (SDAX/MDAX) Geography: Germany / International
Managing Director across all IHSE group entities including the parent holding company (IHSE AcquiCo GmbH). PE portfolio company of Brockhaus Technologies AG (publicly listed), operating in KVM technology (keyboard-video-mouse switching for broadcast, defense, and industrial applications). Sole signatory authority (Alleinvertretungsberechtigt) with full operational responsibility for Finance, Controlling, IT, HR, Production, Quality Management, Procurement, and until April 2026 also R&D (~80-85% of headcount). De facto full operational leadership of the company excluding Sales. Direct reporting line to the board of the listed parent company. Key achievements: - Restructuring & stabilization: Assumed operational control following departure of long-standing CEO. Workforce restructuring (~30 FTE, ~EUR 1.8M p.a.), reduction of other operating expenses (~EUR 0.2-0.5M p.a.) - Strategic growth initiative: Development and presentation of a full business case (three-statement model, NPV analysis) for a new strategic business segment for investor decision-making - Investor reporting: Monthly reporting to Brockhaus Technologies including forecast, variance analysis, and strategic updates - Liquidity & financial stabilization: Restoration of financial viability, expansion of credit facilities (+EUR 1M working capital line, +EUR 3M guarantee facility), ensuring all debt service payments. Realization of R&D tax credits (EUR 300-400K) - Working capital: Inventory reduction ~EUR 4M (~-30%) through systematic demand planning and clean-up - Portfolio optimization: Orderly wind-down of a loss-making foreign subsidiary with EBITDA impact ~EUR +0.8-1.0M p.a. - Governance & reporting: Clean-up of the financial reporting base (revenue recognition, provisions, inventory valuation), build-up of structured investor reporting
CFO of Europe's market leader in art logistics and specialty relocations (~EUR 180M revenue, ~1,200 employees, international operations). Responsible for Finance (Accounting, Controlling, Treasury), IMS, HR, Marketing, Customs, and Insurance. - Cost reduction: ~EUR 0.5M p.a. through headcount optimization (HR, Marketing) and elimination of non-essential external services - FP&A transformation: Introduction of integrated P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow planning (previously non-existent). Transition of management steering from net income to EBIT, including realignment of bonus structures - Margin management: Implementation of systematic contribution margin analysis and pricing adjustments to improve project margins contributing to EUR 1.1M earnings improvement through inventory and margin controlling - HR turnaround: Complete rebuild of the HR department — managed 4 departures out of 6, outsourced payroll, recruited specialists, implemented Personio as HCM system, rebuilt team to 5 FTE - Financing: Structuring of EUR 37M construction financing - Corporate restructuring: Dissolution of 2 legal entities, consolidation of international activities into an intermediate holding — simplification of group structure - Compliance & governance: Transfer pricing documentation, intercompany contract standardization, ESG/CSRD reporting framework
Assumed expanded commercial leadership (Finance, Controlling, HR, IT) following dissolution of the global business unit structure as part of a group-wide reorganization. Direct management of the German entity as a standalone unit. - Turnaround 2021: Strategic realignment of the business, achieving a full earnings turnaround in fiscal year 2021 - Margin improvement: Implementation of regular P&L reviews, pricing adjustments, and cost optimization resulting in +3 percentage points gross margin in the project business
Finance leadership for a global business unit in industrial filtration technology (~EUR 140M revenue, ~700 employees, 25 direct reports). Management of commercial functions across Germany, Czech Republic, and key Asian markets (China, India, Southeast Asia). - Cost reduction programs: EUR 9.6M in structured cost reduction initiatives across the business unit - Working capital: group wide DSO improvement of 10 days through systematic receivables management - Production relocation: Led the relocation of manufacturing from Germany to the Czech Republic including business case, ramp-up management, and P&L impact - ERP implementation: Deployment of MS Dynamics 365 as integrated cloud-based ERP to unify global reporting and management control - Pandemic management: Safeguarding financial stability of the business unit during COVID-19 through liquidity protection, short-time work (Kurzarbeit) management, and scenario planning - International oversight: Finance operations across multiple countries with direct leadership of local finance teams in Europe and Asia
Divisional CFO of a publicly listed technology group (SDAX). Responsible for Finance, Controlling, HR, and IT for the Automotive Division (~EUR 160M revenue, ~800). Reporting to the Division Head with dotted line to Group CFO. - Cost reduction program: Design and execution of a structural cost reduction program delivering EUR 2.6M in annual savings - Strategy & planning: Development of divisional strategy and 5-year mid-term plan - M&A: Led financial due diligence and valuation for 6 buy-side acquisition targets - SAP & controlling: Rollout of SAP including build-up of contribution margin accounting (CO-PA), correction of revenue recognition criteria - Extended scope: R&D controlling, target costing, and risk reporting — expanding the finance function beyond traditional boundaries - Legal restructuring: Restructuring of group entities in Germany and Switzerland - International oversight: Leadership of finance functions in China and India including build-up of local reporting structures