Bernhard Colsman - Group 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 33 years of experience. During this time, Bernhard has worked in at least 18 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 Group Head of Controlling and Plant Controlling at Mid-sized German subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier .

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

In recent years, Bernhard has worked for Mid-sized German subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier , International automotive company , Mid-sized 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

Experience

Feb 2025 - Oct 2025

9 months

Germany

Group Head of Controlling and Plant Controlling

Mid-sized German subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier

Taking over tasks after the departure of a long-term employee and training a new colleague
Preparing the P&L as part of the weekly forecast in collaboration with operational departments and presenting it in management meetings
Regular analyses with Qlik Sense
Preparing the monthly and quarterly financial statements
Supporting the plant manager
Leading a team of four employees
Conducting ad-hoc analyses for management

May 2024 - Mar 2025

11 months

Germany

Group Head of Controlling

International automotive company

Supporting accounting, including preparing monthly financial statements
Developing 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
Leading a team of three employees
Conducting ad-hoc analyses for management

Jan 2024 - Aug 2024

8 months

Germany

Support in operational controlling

Mid-sized FMCG company

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

Jan 2023 - Dec 2023

1 year

Germany

Support in controlling

Global industrial company

Coordinating the preparation of monthly financial statements and forecasts
Managing global budgeting processes
Ad-hoc evaluations and preparing decision templates
Monitoring costs and identifying optimization potentials
Managing transfer pricing

Oct 2022 - Dec 2022

3 months

Germany

Support in controlling

Energy provider

Supporting SAP's controlling-relevant area
Analyzing the booking system regarding the assignment of functional areas
Developing solution proposals

May 2022 - Feb 2024

1 year 10 months

Germany

Project Controller

International technology group

Performed international project controlling for an investment project (volume approx. €200 million)
Created graphical presentations of capacity and cost developments
Consolidated and monitored project costs and schedules
Prepared cost forecasts considering opportunities and risks
Evaluated change requests
Maintained regular contact with national and international suppliers
Produced weekly reports and ad-hoc analyses on project progress

Jan 2022 - Mar 2022

3 months

Germany

Support in Corporate Controlling

International mid-sized company in the metalworking industry

Supported general controlling tasks
Reviewed and derived new rates for production cost centers in SAP
Developed optimizations in corporate management

Nov 2021 - Dec 2021

2 months

Germany

Controlling Support

National mid-sized service company in the insurance sector

Created target vs. actual comparisons including commentary on variances
Conducted ad-hoc analyses

Sep 2021 - Dec 2021

4 months

Germany

Professional support in controlling

International mid-sized company in the food industry

Analyzed the internationally applicable investment guidelines and developed improvement proposals
Reconciled statutory profit and loss statements with site-specific management reporting and created a discussion paper
Supported the integration of a new joint venture into the group-wide management reporting
Participated in evaluation meetings with software vendors for new controlling software

Jun 2021 - Aug 2021

3 months

Germany

Support in Corporate Controlling

International service company

Supported the preparation of the 2021 forecast and the 2022 budget planning
Developed Excel models

Jan 2021 - May 2021

5 months

Germany

Controlling Support

Midsize Chemical Company

Updating investment controlling figures
Validating corporate planning for individual production units
Developing ROCE reporting

Jun 2020 - Dec 2020

7 months

Germany

Plant Controlling Support

Midsize International Food Industry Company

Business consulting for management
Preparing reporting and interim forecasts for the site
Maintaining and further developing KPI systems
Profitability analyses and investment planning
Analyzing variances and deriving recommendations for action
Preparing month-end closing in collaboration with financial accounting

Nov 2019 - May 2020

7 months

Germany

Expanding and executing operational controlling

Midsize 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)
Implementing a KPI system
Integrating new processes and metrics into the SAP landscape
Performing operational controlling and handing over to a new controller
Supporting the implementation of an extended BI system

Jun 2019 - Oct 2019

5 months

Germany

Corporate Controlling Support

Midsize International Automotive Supplier Company

Project controlling using SAP PS
Conducting investment controlling
Documenting and redesigning investment processes as well as 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

Midsize International Trading Company

Carve-out and interim coverage of controlling activities for a foreign subsidiary
Preparing monthly reporting
Performing sales and financial controlling
Contributing to month-end and year-end closings, budget planning, and forecasts
Providing accounting support to foreign entities
Conducting variance analyses and creating recommendations for action
Monitoring measures and key figures
Further developing reports, KPI models, and processes

Jan 2018 - Dec 2018

1 year

Frankfurt, Germany

Support for Location Decisions

German Headquarters of a Global Automotive Supplier

Data collection for profitability calculations and site assessments
Creation of site profiles by product and production processes
Development of decision criteria for location decisions
Evaluation and rough assessment of different scenarios
Preparation of decision documentation based on financial, production and personnel data

Jan 2017 - Dec 2017

1 year

Darmstadt, Germany

Setup and Maintenance of Monthly Reporting

Mid-sized Mechanical Engineering Company

Gathering requirements from local management and integrating them with corporate guidelines
Creating an Excel model including graphical representations
Initial population and testing of the model
Monthly maintenance and creation of the report for distribution to local and international management

Oct 2010 - Present

15 years 6 months

Interim Manager for Controlling

Colsman Sustainability Consulting

Consulting, coaching and interim management for sustainable corporate governance and sustainability management
Interim support in controlling
Project management and project controlling for investment projects (volume €200 million, 50 employees and 10 international suppliers) and serial projects
Continuous development of the KPI system with a focus on management-relevant KPIs
Preparation of planning, rolling planning and budgeting
Regular preparation, analysis and interpretation within regular reporting
Hands-on execution of strategic and operational controlling
Ad-hoc analyses and profitability calculations
Sparring partner for management and development of recommendations for action
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 governance
Potential analyses based on the Eigenland® method
Preparation of sustainability reports (especially DNK)
Support for EcoVadis certification
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 Fixed Assets Accounting and Project Manager in Finance

Coca-Cola Refreshments AG

Hands-on leadership of the Accounts Payable and Fixed Assets Accounting department
Support in liquidity planning and management
Implementation and use of SAP R/3 FI
Support for controlling in budget planning
Execution of cross-departmental and company-wide projects

Oct 1992 - Dec 1997

5 years 3 months

Hamburg, Germany

Controller and Project Manager Equity Controlling

Otto Versand GmbH & Co. KG

Manage and advise subsidiaries and branches at home and abroad
Coordinate the medium-term group planning
Independently consolidate a subgroup
Implement 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 Knowledge Of Sap – Mainly Fi, Co, Pp, Ps, Im, Hana, Fiori, Plus Experience With 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 Recording Method

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Education

Mar 1986 - Sep 1992

Albertus Magnus University, 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

Municipal Apostel Gymnasium

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 5 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 1 (Germany)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Group Head of Controlling and Plant Controlling, Group Head of Controlling, 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

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

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 33 years of experience. During this time, Bernhard has worked in at least 18 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: Group Head of Controlling and Plant Controlling, Group Head of Controlling, Support in operational controlling.

What is Bernhard's latest experience?

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

What companies has Bernhard worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Bernhard has worked for Mid-sized German subsidiary of a global Japanese automotive supplier, International automotive company, Mid-sized 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, 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.