Bernhard Colsman - Interim Controlling Manager for SAP

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Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany

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Experience

Feb 2025 - Oct 2025

9 months

Germany

Group Manager Controlling and Plant Controlling

Medium-sized German subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier

Continuation of responsibilities following the departure of a long-serving employee and onboarding of a new employee
Preparation of the income statement as part of the weekly forecast in cooperation with operational departments and presentation at management meetings
Regular analyses using Qlik Sense
Preparation of monthly and quarterly closings
Support for the Plant Manager
Management of a team of four employees
Conducting ad hoc analyses for management

May 2024 - Mar 2025

11 months

Germany

Group Manager Controlling

International automotive manufacturing company

Support in accounting, including preparation of monthly closings
Establishment of international management reporting, including cash flow statements
Creating cost transparency as a basis for cost reduction measures
Operational support for the Head of Accounting/Controlling
Management of a team of three employees
Conducting ad hoc analyses for management

Jan 2024 - Aug 2024

8 months

Germany

Support in operational controlling

Medium-sized FMCG company

Conceptual development of monthly reporting
Ad hoc analyses and profitability calculations
Continuous expansion of the KPI system
Conducting operational planning and monthly reporting

Jan 2023 - Dec 2023

1 year

Germany

Support in controlling

Global industrial company

Coordination of the preparation of monthly closings and the forecast
Management of global budgeting processes
Ad hoc analyses and preparation of decision-making documents
Monitoring costs and identifying optimization potential
Management of transfer prices

Oct 2022 - Dec 2022

3 months

Germany

Support in controlling

Energy supplier

Support in the SAP areas relevant to controlling
Analysis of the booking system with regard to the assignment of functional areas
Development of proposed solutions

May 2022 - Feb 2024

1 year 10 months

Germany

Project Controlling

International technology group

Conducting international project controlling for an investment project (volume approx. 200 Mio. €)
Preparing graphical presentations of capacity and cost development
Consolidating and monitoring project costs and schedules
Preparing cost forecasts taking opportunities and risks into account
Assessing change requests
Regular contact with national and international suppliers
Weekly reporting and ad hoc analyses of project development

Jan 2022 - Mar 2022

3 months

Germany

Support in Corporate Controlling

International medium-sized company in the metalworking industry

Supporting general controlling tasks
Reviewing and deriving new rates for production cost centers in SAP
Developing optimizations in corporate management

Nov 2021 - Dec 2021

2 months

Germany

Support in Controlling

National medium-sized service company in the insurance sector

Preparing budget-to-actual comparisons, including commenting on variances
Conducting ad hoc analyses

Sep 2021 - Dec 2021

4 months

Germany

Specialist Support in Controlling

Medium-sized international company in the food industry

Analyzing the internationally applicable investment policy and developing optimization proposals
Reconciling the statutory income statement with site-based management reporting and preparing a discussion paper
Supporting the integration of a new joint venture into the group-wide management reporting system
Participating in evaluation discussions with software providers for new controlling software

Jun 2021 - Aug 2021

3 months

Germany

Support in Corporate Controlling

International company in the services sector

Supporting the preparation of the 2021 forecast and 2022 budget planning
Developing Excel models

Jan 2021 - May 2021

5 months

Germany

Controlling Support

Medium-sized chemical company

Updating investment controlling figures
Plausibility checks of the corporate planning of individual production units
Developing ROCE reporting

Jun 2020 - Dec 2020

7 months

Germany

Plant Controlling Support

Medium-sized international food industry company

Providing business management advice to management
Preparing reporting and in-year forecasts for the site
Maintaining and further developing KPI systems
Profitability analyses and investment planning
Analyzing variances and deriving recommendations for action
Preparing the monthly closing in cooperation with financial accounting

Nov 2019 - May 2020

7 months

Germany

Expansion and Execution of Operational Controlling

Medium-sized manufacturing and trading company (consumer goods)

Developing and establishing a new controlling philosophy
Recording and documenting existing processes
Developing target processes and content (management reporting, KPIs)
Introducing a KPI system
Integrating new processes and KPIs into the SAP system landscape
Executing operational controlling and handing it over to a new controller
Supporting the implementation of an enhanced BI system

Jun 2019 - Oct 2019

5 months

Germany

Corporate Controlling Support

Medium-sized international automotive supplier

Project controlling using SAP PS
Performing investment controlling
Documenting and redesigning investment processes and training employees
Setting up and optimizing internal transfer prices for intercompany deliveries
Operational controlling of local companies
Preparing and distributing the report to local and international management each month

Jan 2019 - May 2019

5 months

Wiesbaden, Germany

Central Controlling Support

Medium-sized international trading company

Carve-out and interim coverage of the controlling activities of a foreign subsidiary
Preparing monthly reporting
Performing sales and financial controlling
Supporting monthly and annual closings, budget planning and forecasts
Accounting support for foreign companies
Variance analyses and preparation of recommendations for action
Monitoring measures and KPIs
Further developing reports, KPI models and processes

Jan 2018 - Dec 2018

1 year

Frankfurt, Germany

Support with site decisions

German headquarters of a global automotive supplier

Collecting data for profitability calculations and plant assessments
Creating site profiles based on products and production processes
Developing decision criteria for site decisions
Evaluating and roughly assessing various scenarios
Creating a decision paper based on financial, production-related and personnel-related data

Jan 2017 - Dec 2017

1 year

Darmstadt, Germany

Setting up and maintaining monthly reporting

Medium-sized mechanical engineering company

Gathering the requirements of local management and combining them with group guidelines
Creating an Excel model including graphical presentation
Initially populating and testing the model
Monthly maintenance and preparation of the report for distribution to local and international management

Oct 2010 - Present

16 years 2 months

Interim Manager for Controlling

Colsman Sustainability Consulting

Consulting/coaching and interim management for sustainable corporate management and sustainability management
Interim support in controlling
Project management and project controlling for investment projects (volume €200 Mio., 50 MA and 10 international suppliers) and series projects
Continuously expanding the KPI system with a focus on KPIs relevant for management
Preparing plans, rolling plans and budgets
Regular preparation, analysis and interpretation as part of regular reporting
Hands-on execution of strategic and operational controlling
Ad hoc analyses and profitability calculations
Sparring partner for management and preparation of recommendations for action
Cost and performance accounting
Developing and implementing reporting processes
Implementing processes of various kinds
Supporting the development and implementation of sustainable corporate strategies and management
Potential analyses based on the Eigenland® method
Preparing sustainability reports (especially DNK)
Supporting certification according to EcoVadis
Conducting audits and reviews, including as part of supply chains

Apr 2001 - Oct 2010

9 years 7 months

Frankfurt, Germany

Project Manager for Controlling, Planning and Reporting

BearingPoint GmbH

Managing and carrying out implementation-focused national and international projects in the finance, energy, food, retail and FMCG sectors
Further developing controlling
SAP implementation and customization projects
Optimizing planning processes and methods
Interim support in strategic and operational controlling, including knowledge transfer

Jan 1998 - Mar 2001

3 years 3 months

Berlin, Germany

Head of Accounts Payable and Fixed Assets Accounting and Project Manager in Finance

Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke AG

Hands-on management of the Accounts Payable and Fixed Assets Accounting department
Supporting liquidity planning and management
Implementing and using SAP R/3 FI
Supporting controlling with budget planning
Carrying out cross-functional and cross-company projects

Oct 1992 - Dec 1997

5 years 3 months

Hamburg, Germany

Controller and Project Manager, Investment Controlling

Otto Versand GmbH & Co. KG

Management and advisory support for subsidiaries and branches in Germany and abroad
Coordination of the medium-term group planning
Independent consolidation of a sub-group
Implementation of NAVISION
Various international optimization projects

Industry experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Professional Services, Retail, Food and Beverage, Energy, Banking and Finance, and Automotive.

Professional Services

Retail

Food and Beverage

Energy

Banking and Finance

Automotive

Business area experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Project Management, Finance, Accounting, Sustainability Management, Business Intelligence, and Operations.

Project Management

Finance

Accounting

Sustainability Management

Business Intelligence

Operations

Skills

User Knowledge Of Sap – Mainly Fi, Co, Pp, Ps, Im, Hana, Fiori, As Well As Knowledge Of Mm, Sd And Others
User Knowledge Of Qlik Sense® Enterprise
User Knowledge Of Various Other Erp Systems
Ms Office – Mainly Excel, Powerpoint, Word
Refa Time Study Method

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Education

Mar 1986 - Sep 1992

Albertus-Magnus-Universität zu Köln

Diplom-Kaufmann · Business Administration, Corporate Accounting/Controlling, Finance, Business Information Systems · Cologne, Germany

Jul 1983 - Mar 1986

Klöckner Humboldt Deutz AG

Industrial Management Assistant · Cologne, Germany

Aug 1974 - Sep 1983

Städtisches Apostelgymnasium

Abitur · Cologne, Germany

Certifications & licenses

Csr-Manager (Corporate Social Responsibility)

Fundraising Akademie, Frankfurt

CINA (Certificate Of International Accounting)

Akademie für internationale Rechnungslegung, Düsseldorf

Zertifizierter Dnk-Partner

Zertifizierter Eigenland® Moderator

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 21

Experience in Professional Services 16 y

Avg length 2 y 1 m

Longest experience 16 y 1 m

Global experience

Countries worked in 1 (Germany)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Group Manager Controlling and Plant Controlling, Group Manager Controlling, Support in operational controlling

Main industries Professional Services, Retail, Food and Beverage

Main business areas Project Management, Finance, Accounting

Qualifications

Highest degree Master

Certifications earned 4

Member since

October 2025

Last update

October 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Have questions? Find more information here.

Bernhard is based in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

Bernhard speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced).

Bernhard has at least 34 years of experience. During this time, Bernhard has worked in at least 19 different roles and for 21 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 7 months. Note that Bernhard may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Based on recent experience, Bernhard would be well-suited for roles such as: Group Manager Controlling and Plant Controlling, Group Manager Controlling, Support in operational controlling.

Bernhard's most recent position is Group Manager Controlling and Plant Controlling at Medium-sized German subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier.

In recent years, Bernhard has worked for Medium-sized German subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier, International automotive manufacturing company, Medium-sized FMCG company, Global industrial company, and Energy supplier.

Bernhard is most experienced in industries like Professional Services, Retail, and Food and Beverage. Bernhard also has some experience in Energy, Banking and Finance, and Automotive.

Bernhard is most experienced in business areas like Project Management, Finance, and Accounting. Bernhard also has some experience in Sustainability Management, Business Intelligence, and Operations.

Bernhard has recently worked in industries like Professional Services, Information Technology, and Automotive.

Bernhard has recently worked in business areas like Accounting, Project Management, and Sustainability Management.

Bernhard holds a Master in Business Administration, Corporate Accounting/Controlling, Finance, Business Information Systems from Albertus-Magnus-Universität zu Köln.

Bernhard has 4 certificates. Among them, these include: Csr-Manager (Corporate Social Responsibility), CINA (Certificate Of International Accounting), and Zertifizierter Dnk-Partner.

Bernhard will be available full-time from January 2027.

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Daily rate avg. 955 €

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Median rate 940 €

The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.

Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 11 Nov 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.