Brussels Metropolitan Area
As CFO, I am closely integrated with the business, focusing primarily on management reporting and translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insights for key stakeholders, including Management, the Board of Directors, the Audit Committee, Banks, Investors, and Auditors. I have successfully led and supported multiple transformation initiatives, including organizational changes, system implementations, and corporate restructuring. With proven managerial and organizational skills, I have effectively led large, international Finance and IT teams, consistently driving change and delivering impactful results. I have also been actively involved in numerous M&A projects, covering areas such as Finance Due Diligence, Valuation, Equity Bridge, and documentation (SPA, SHA, SLA, etc.). Core Competencies: Controlling and Accounting, Mergers & Acquisitions, Treasury (hedging, funding, factoring), Project Management for Transformational Programs, Strategic Business Planning, and Visionary Leadership in Finance and IT.
Responsible for Group Controlling of the Vandemoortele Group. 2 operational Business Units, 7 countries, 30 production sites, 35 controllers In addition since 2013 combined function as BL Controller Bakery Products business. Member of the management team of BP. Main realisations : Installing a Controlling Community throughout Vandemoortele and improve average competencies (from data crunchers to analysts) Implementation of a Management Review Reporting Tool (IBIS) – Winner of the Best Finance Team 2012 – Best Practice Implementation of a Budget tool (Cognos – TM1) Working Capital improvement program Implementation of a working capital steering tool Redisgn of Production Costing model (from Full Cost to Optimal Cost) Member or contributor of/to various Stratetic Steering Committees Participant in VDD, Synergie and Valuation model of major acquisition
In February 2008 I became the Chief Financial Officer of Thomas Cook Belgium a leading company in the leisure business. Thomas Cook Belgium has a turnover of around 900 mio € and employs about 1000 people. TCB exploits 7 airplanes in Belgium. I was responsible for leading the Accounting and Controlling department of Thomas Cook Belgium including Accounting, Consolidation, Treasury (FX, Fuel, Banking relations), Procurement (including Travel insurances), Controlling, Legal and Audit and Risk Below a selection of major projects I managed : - Introduced a strategy for the Finance organisation in line and in function of the Company strategy. - Merged 2 Legal Entities. - Steered the implementation of a Planning tool (Cognos) - Started the implementation of a new Data Warehouse - Designed the optimisation of Notional Interest Deduction (saving of 13 mio € over 4 years) - improved Working Capital management and the Cash flow (increased cash position over 25 mio € ) - organised the pre-study outsourcing Finance TCB - organised and monitored a cost optimisation programs (savings of 10 mio €) - introduced an MBTI program within Finance - initiated process improvement for a scanningtool
From November 2005 till February 2008 I had the opportunity to have a double role at Henkel. At one hand I was leading the Financial Controlling team for Henkel World Wide on the other hand I was leading the finance department of Henkel Benelux. My major responsibilities and achievements were : - Member of the executive committee Henkel Benelux - Responsible for the organization and process of “Financial Controlling” for Henkel Group. - Implemented of a Global System Program for Controlling around the globe. - Identified and Introduced Best Practices for Controlling for the Henkel Group - Defined and implemented a Shared Service Centre for controlling. - Reduced Henkel Group Controlling overhead costs by 30 % over 4 years. - Responsible for Finance Henkel Benelux - Introduced best practices for all areas of Finance (e.g. scanning tool) - Reduced finance overhead cost by 25 % over 4 years - Organized and facilitated the transition to a shared service centre With a team of controlling experts we designed the way of performing financial controlling at Henkel and rolled out the templates succesfully over the world. We managed to become a strong and respected organisation within Henkel.
In October 1997 I received the responsibility of the Controlling department of Henkel Benelux (10 FTE's). The first challenge was to implement a new SAP R3 FI-CO. With the controlling team we managed in a short period of time to fully implement the necessary controlling modules (PCA, CCA, PS, COPA, OPA) and went live succesfully. This was the basis of building a strong controlling organisation in Belgium. In the second step we implemented a new planning tool (Budget Plus from Commshare). This new, decentralised tool allowed us to speed up the planningcycle at Henkel by more then 3 times. My main responisibilites were : - Leading the budgeting of Henkel Benelux - Responsible for internal reporting of Henkel Benelux towards the local Excom - Responsible for the group reporting towards headquarter - installing traffic light reporting for Business Units and production sites. - manage and steer monthly closings and year end closings.
I made a short side step within the Detergent division of Henkel for a bit more then one year. I received the task to start a new function in Belgium : Sales Planner Detergents. After succesfully established the basis of that function I also contributed to many ECR projects and took the lead in implementen one of the first Continious Replenishment Plannings in Belgium. I was appointed as implementation manager for the new SAP R3 for the Sales and Distribution module for the Detergents division
After my experience as a external auditor I had the chance to start working at Henkel Benelux a major player in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). I became the Financial Business Controller for Detergents Benelux, the main division of Henkel. The controlling work consisted out of budgetting, monthly closing, analytical reviews, support of the management team of Detergents, financial expert for all matters requested by the Board member of Detergents.
I started my professional career in 1990 at Price Waterhouse in the External Audit department in Brussels. Financial audits, process analysis as well for services (banks and insurances) as production sites were part of my responsibilities. Besides those we were asked to draw up reports about internal control, due diligences, employee councils, capital increases,... I left Price Waterhouse as a senior auditor.