Bernhard Colsman - Head of Controlling and Plant Controlling

Q: Where is Bernhard based?

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

Q: What languages does Bernhard speak?

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

Q: How many years of experience does Bernhard have?

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.

Q: What is Bernhard's latest experience?

Bernhard's most recent position is Head of Controlling and Plant Controlling at German midsize subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier .

Q: What companies has Bernhard worked for in recent years?

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

Q: Which industries is Bernhard most experienced in?

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

Q: Which business areas is Bernhard most experienced in?

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 .

Q: Which industries has Bernhard worked in recently?

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

Q: Which business areas has Bernhard worked in recently?

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

Recommended expert

Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany

Check rate

Experience

Feb 2025 - Oct 2025

9 months

Germany

Head of Controlling and Plant Controlling

German midsize subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier

Continued tasks after the departure of a long-term employee and training a new staff member
Preparation of the profit and loss statement as part of the weekly forecast, in cooperation with operational departments, and presentation in management meetings
Regular analyses using Qlik Sense
Preparation of monthly and quarterly closing
Support for the plant manager
Leading a team of four employees
Conducting ad-hoc analyses for management

May 2024 - Mar 2025

11 months

Germany

Head of Controlling Group

International automotive manufacturing company

Support in accounting, including preparation of monthly financial statements
Development of international management reporting, including cash flow statement
Creating cost transparency as a basis for cost reduction measures
Operational support of the head of accounting/controlling
Leading a team of three employees
Conducting ad-hoc analyses for management

Jan 2024 - Aug 2024

8 months

Germany

Support in operational controlling

Midsize FMCG company

Conceptual development of monthly reporting
Ad-hoc analyses and profitability calculations
Continuous expansion of the key figure system
Execution of 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 forecasts
Management of global budget processes
Ad-hoc evaluations and preparation of decision-making documents
Monitoring costs and identifying optimization potentials
Management of transfer prices

Oct 2022 - Dec 2022

3 months

Germany

Support in controlling

Energy provider

Support in the SAP controlling module
Analysis of the posting system with regard to assignment of functional areas
Development of solution proposals

May 2022 - Feb 2024

1 year 10 months

Germany

Project Controlling

International technology corporation

Conducting international project controlling for an investment project (volume approx. €200M)
Creating graphs showing capacity and cost trends
Consolidating and monitoring project costs and schedules
Preparing cost forecasts taking opportunities and risks into account
Evaluating change requests
Regular contact with national and international suppliers
Weekly reporting and ad hoc analyses on 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 target vs. actual comparisons including comments on variances
Performing ad hoc analyses

Sep 2021 - Dec 2021

4 months

Germany

Specialist support in Controlling

Medium-sized international company in the food industry

Analyzing the globally applicable investment guidelines and developing optimization suggestions
Reconciling the statutory profit and loss statement with site-specific management reporting and preparing a discussion paper
Assisting with the integration of a new joint venture into the group-wide management reporting
Participating in evaluation discussions with software vendors for new controlling software

Jun 2021 - Aug 2021

3 months

Germany

Support in Corporate Controlling

International service company

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
Checking the plausibility of company planning for individual production units
Developing ROCE reporting

Jun 2020 - Dec 2020

7 months

Germany

Plant controlling support

Medium-sized international food industry company

Business management consulting for management
Preparing reporting and interim forecasts for the site
Maintaining and further developing KPI systems
Profitability analyses and investment planning
Variance analysis and deriving recommendations for action
Preparing the monthly close in collaboration with financial accounting

Nov 2019 - May 2020

7 months

Germany

Developing and executing operational controlling

Medium-sized manufacturing and trading company (consumer goods)

Developing and establishing a new controlling philosophy
Capturing 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 over to the new controller
Supporting the implementation of an expanded BI system

Jun 2019 - Oct 2019

5 months

Germany

Corporate controlling support

Medium-sized international automotive supplier

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

Jan 2019 - May 2019

5 months

Wiesbaden, Germany

Central controlling support

Medium-sized international trading company

Carve-out and temporary coverage of controlling activities for a foreign subsidiary
Preparing the monthly reporting
Conducting sales and financial controlling
Contributing to monthly and annual financial statements, budget planning, and forecasts
Accounting support for foreign subsidiaries
Variance analyses and preparing recommendations for action
Monitoring measures and KPIs
Further developing reports, KPI models, and processes

Jan 2018 - Dec 2018

1 year

Frankfurt, Germany

Support for site decisions

German headquarters of a global automotive supplier

Data collection for profitability calculations and site assessments
Creating site profiles by product and production process
Developing decision criteria for location selection
Evaluating and providing rough assessments of different scenarios
Preparing decision proposals using financial, production-related, and personnel data

Jan 2017 - Dec 2017

1 year

Darmstadt, Germany

Set up and maintenance of monthly reporting

Mid-sized mechanical engineering company

Gathering requirements from local management and aligning with corporate guidelines
Developing an Excel model including graphical representation
Initial data entry and testing of the model
Monthly updating and creation of the report for distribution to local and international management

Oct 2010 - Present

15 years 8 months

Interim Manager for Controlling

Colsman Sustainability Consulting

Consulting/coaching and interim manager for sustainable corporate governance and sustainability management
Interim support in controlling
Project management and project controlling of investment projects (volume €200 million, 50 employees and 10 international suppliers) and series projects
Continuous development of the key performance indicator system focusing on management-relevant KPIs
Preparation of planning, rolling forecast and budget
Regular compilation, analysis, and interpretation as part of standard reporting
Hands-on execution of strategic and operational controlling
Ad-hoc analyses and profitability calculations
Sparring partner for management and development of action recommendations
Cost and performance accounting
Development and implementation of reporting processes
Implementation of various processes
Support in the development and implementation of sustainable corporate strategies and management
Potential analyses based on the Eigenland® method
Preparation of sustainability reports (especially DNK)
Support for certification according to EcoVadis
Conducting audits and reviews, including within supply chains

Apr 2001 - Oct 2010

9 years 7 months

Frankfurt, Germany

Project Manager for Controlling, Planning, and Reporting

BearingPoint GmbH

Leading and executing implementation-oriented national and international projects in the finance, energy, food, retail, and FMCG sectors
Further development of controlling
SAP implementation and customization projects
Optimization of planning processes and methods
Interim support in strategic and operational controlling including know-how transfer

Jan 1998 - Mar 2001

3 years 3 months

Berlin, Germany

Department Head of Accounts Payable and Asset Accounting and Project Manager in Finance

Coca-Cola Refreshments AG

Hands-on management of the accounts payable and asset accounting department
Support in liquidity planning and management
Implementation and use of SAP R/3 FI
Supporting controlling in budget planning
Carrying out cross-departmental 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

Steering and advising subsidiaries and branches at home and abroad
Coordination of medium-term corporate 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 Retail, Professional Services, Food and Beverage, Energy, Banking and Finance, and Automotive.

Retail

Professional Services

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

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Education

Mar 1986 - Sep 1992

Albertus Magnus University of Cologne

Diploma in Business Administration · Business Administration, Corporate Accounting/Controlling, Finance, Business Informatics · Cologne, Germany

Jul 1983 - Mar 1986

Klöckner Humboldt Deutz AG

Industrial Clerk · Cologne, Germany

Aug 1974 - Sep 1983

Städtisches Apostelgymnasium

High school diploma (Abitur) · Cologne, Germany

Certifications & licenses

CSR Manager (Corporate Social Responsibility)

Fundraising Academy, Frankfurt

CINA (Certificate of International Accounting)

Academy for International Accounting, Düsseldorf

Certified DNK Partner

Certified Eigenland® Moderator

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 21

Experience in Retail 15.5 y

Avg length 2 y

Longest experience 15 y 7 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 1 (Germany)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Head of Controlling and Plant Controlling, Head of Controlling Group, Support in operational controlling

Main industries Retail, Professional Services, Food and Beverage

Main business areas Project Management, Finance, Accounting

Qualifications

Highest degree Master

Certifications earned 4

Profile

Created

October 2025

Last Update

May 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Have questions? Find more information here.

Where is Bernhard based?

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

What languages does Bernhard speak?

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

How many years of experience does Bernhard have?

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.

What roles would Bernhard be best suited for?

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

What is Bernhard's latest experience?

Bernhard's most recent position is Head of Controlling and Plant Controlling at German midsize subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier.

What companies has Bernhard worked for in recent years?

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

Which industries is Bernhard most experienced in?

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

Which business areas is Bernhard most experienced in?

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.

Which industries has Bernhard worked in recently?

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

Which business areas has Bernhard worked in recently?

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

What is Bernhard's education?

Bernhard holds a Master in Business Administration, Corporate Accounting/Controlling, Finance, Business Informatics from Albertus Magnus University of Cologne.

Does Bernhard have any certificates?

Bernhard has 4 certificates. Among them, these include: CSR Manager (Corporate Social Responsibility), CINA (Certificate of International Accounting), and Certified DNK Partner.

What is the availability of Bernhard?

Bernhard is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Bernhard?

Bernhard's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.