Business Cases

Company  Situation  Issues  Results 

Leading European Packaging Company

French subsidiary

Result of 3 acquisitions
Revenue 750 m€ p.a.

  • M&A integration
  • Transformation
  • Change management

Integration of 3 finance organisations with each initially having a different maturity level.

Goals:
– One reporting team
– One reporting tool
– One process
– Results ‘on time’ and ‘on target’

Within 6 months implementation of common reporting tool and production of consolidated year-end accounts respecting Group standards and calendar by a new central reporting organization using the new tool.

Reported results were on target through the implementation of a uniform ‘bottom-up forecast’ process.

High-Tech Software Editor

France

32 countries

Revenue 100 m€ p.a.

  • Structuring for Value
  • Transformation
Aligning the finance organisation with its international operations and growth strategy to improve its profitability and structure its growth.

Within 3 months implementation Treasury and Reporting function. Introduction Cash F’cast, Forex policy, obtaining syndicated bankloan 30 m€ (7 banks) and improvement financial oversight of international operations. Within 6 months launch implementation new consolidation reporting tool.

Increase Net-Result from 1,0 to 6,0 m€ (2 years)

World Leading Services Company

Global Division with HQ based in France

42 countries

Revenue 1,0 bn€ p.a.

  • Structuring for Value
  • Transformation finance function
  • Restructuring
Fast growing division with a worldwide presence which had a too low profitability through a poor financial management. Increase of Division’s operating profitability from 1,8 to 5,7% (2 years) through: re-inforcement central and regional finance organisations, implementation reporting tool, re-inforcing internal controls, optimizing management reporting and monitoring of susidiaries. Turning a loss-making region into profitability (1 year).

Division of Global Leader Building Materials

German subsidiary

18 plants

Revenue 360 m€

  • Structuring for Value
  • Transformation
  • Restructuring
  • Change Management
The Finance Department was not aligned with Operations which needed relevant financial and operational data to decide about fast and far-going restructuring measures in a sudden and strongly declining building materials market. Within 3 months re-inforcing Management Reporting team, Introduction of a transversal KPI reporting (3 months), implementation of SAP based costing and profitability reporting tool (30,000 product references) 1 year, introducing finance based strategic planning, proposing cost optimisation plans, savings 4,0 m€ p.a.; financial management of restructuring measures (5 plant closures).

Division of Global Leader Building Materials

South Korea subsidiary

2 plants

Revenue 105 m€

  • M&A integration
  • Change Management
Integration of first acquisition -carve-out’s from chaebols- in Asia for the corporation (together with US private equity fund).

Within 3 months recruitment of local team; implement common ERP for both acquisitions, training of teams. Team was up and running within 6 months.

‘On time’ and ‘on target’ reporting to US Private Equity Fund.

Word Leading US Automotive Supplier

Monaco Plant

Revenue 65 m€

  • Transformation
Relocation of the Monaco plant to Poland. 18 months: implementation social plan, liquidition B/S according local and US GAAP, training local finance teams.

World Leading Gaming e-platform

Paris and Malta

Revenue 300 m€

  • Interim
  • management

Replacing Group CFO after sudden promotion.

Integration major acquisition

Managing team and integrating permanent replacement (6 months);

Finance organisation (50 pp) running according to Group requirements (9 months).

Independant Music and Entertainment Company

Brussels and London

Revenue 120 m€

  • Transformation
  • Change management
  • Structuring for value
Preparing the company for a sale while financials were in a chaotic state.

Structure, train and manage existing finance team. Preparing solid business plans and f’casts.

Company was sold against consideration which represented underlying value (3 months).

Logistic Company under LBO

Luxembourg

5 countries

Revenue 120m€

  • Structuring for value
  • M&A integration
Bring international finance functions at group standards (5 countries in Eastern Europe). Within 10 months finance functions were running independently according to Group standards.

Medical Device Company

Belgium

Recently acquired

Revenues 5 m€

  • Acquisition integration
US listed company did not have internal competencies to manage the integration. Acquired company had no processes or reporting in place. Assured the successful completion of first time financial audit. Quickly put in place monthly reporting and analysis, annual budgets, and cash flow process. Managed tight cash situation. Mentored young financial manager. Served as a communications conduit between US and Belgium.

Building Materials Company

Belgium, Poland

Revenues 75 m€

  • Transformation
Inexperienced local management. US parent did not have the resources to manage the subsidiaries effectively, and communications were poor. Brought professional problem solving and disciplined management approach to an inexperienced team. Coached managers and employees in sales, customer care, purchasing, human resources and IT to gain understanding and clarity on respective business issues and alternative problem resolution.

Telecommunications Holding Company

Multi-site US, France, Caribbean

Revenues 150 m$

  • Turnaround
Over-leveraged company with poor cash flow. Instituted strict cash flow monitoring, enforced spending discipline, accelerated collections of receivables, negotiated with creditors and obtained equipment lease financing, freeing up several million dollars and staving off bankruptcy.

Subsidiary of Global Leader Building Materials

France, Sweden, Italy, Taiwan

Revenues 300m€

  • M&A/Transformation
Major acquisition doubled the size of the business. Systems and processes were outdated.  Fully involved in due diligence, acquisition integration and oversight of multi-site, international accounting staff. Concurrently upgraded financial systems and focused on working capital, banking relations, and FX risk management.

Industrial Waste Recycling Company

Luxembourg

5 countries

Revenue 180 m€

  • Transformation
  • Structuring for Value
Preparing the company for a sale although it had almost no financial reporting. Within 4 months, defining, implementating and managing target organisation for the finance function.
Producing reporting to requirements of potential acquirers.

Packaging Company

Netherlands and Germany

2 countries

Revenue 160 m€

  • Turnaround
As interim CFO for turnaround fund, implementation of new company structure (acquisition, disposals and relocation) After 24 months the company became profitable reducing the sites from 6 to 2.

Automotive Supplier

Denmark and France

6 countries

Revenue 80 m€

  • Turnaround
Cash strapped company. To increase profitability relocation of the European production plants to India and China. After 12 months the company was profitable and generating cash.

Hospitality Industry

Eastern Europe

5 countries

Revenue 170 m€

  • Transformation
  • Change management
Interim CFO to improve finance function and quality of output and CSMO in turnaround efforts (revenue and cash). After 6 months good functioning finance function producing reporting ‘on time and on target’.