Franz Forster-Interim Commercial Director

assumed commercial management for three companies at the site

monthly reporting to the US parent company (US GAAP)

timely submission of all filings (VAT returns, statistics)

weekly forecasting and production progress

preparation of the 2024 and 2025 annual financial statements (HGB + IFRS)

completion of the 2024 financial statements with tax returns (PwC)

completion of the 2027 budget planning

project controlling

point of contact for tax advisors and auditors

further development of processes and tools

timely submission of various reports in a complex group structure

resolution of tax issues

stabilization of administrative processes

re-motivation of employees despite short-time work

assumed leadership of risk management

compliance officer

compliance with all regulatory requirements and reporting obligations (MaRisk, BAIT, CSRD, DORA)

communication with BaFin and the Bundesbank

preparation for the year-end audit on December 31, 2024

support of the audit with the appointed auditing firm

establishment of all controlling and reporting obligations related to ESG and sustainability reporting

further development of processes and tools

timely preparation and execution of the annual financial statements and audit for the entire group by a Big 4 auditing firm

optimization of risk controlling processes

onboarding of the successor

creation of a 10-year business plan for various scenarios

setup and design of the controlling function

development of a budgeting tool and a reporting system

analysis and elimination of weaknesses in costing and sales processes

conducting profitability analyses for departments and processes

identification and implementation of cost reduction measures

conversion of payroll processing to DATEV

introduction of fleet management with significant reduction of leasing costs

implementation of a new sales structure

implementation of controlling at the second management level

New company setup: establishing all administrative processes

Setting up IT processes in compliance with data protection regulations

Implementing interfaces

Training employees

Maintaining supplier and service provider contacts

Successful establishment of the organization

Preparation and review of the annual financial statements with the tax advisor and auditor

Implementation of a professional document management system, including vendor selection, defining processes to be digitized, specifying content, selecting involved staff, motivating employee participation, and organizing training

Selection and implementation of industry-specific software for property management

Management of financial accounting

Optimization of financial processes in accounting and payment transactions

Adjustment of interfaces between the CRM and financial accounting

Reducing interface discrepancies to restore auditability by the auditor

Training staff and reducing headcount by outsourcing to a service provider

Cost controlling across all group companies

Advising shareholders and management

Successful implementation of the document management system

Restructuring and harmonizing the chart of accounts for 10 companies

Preparation of annual financial statements for seven years for a group company with tax issues

Elimination of internal allocations without impact on results

Creation and implementation of invoice templates for energy companies, incorporating current energy law requirements

Structuring the internal loan management

Overall responsibility for accounting, controlling, reporting (HGB and US GAAP), taxes (including audits, transfer pricing, VAT), order processing, IT, SAP projects, HR, fleet management, insurance and facility management

Implementation of SOX routines according to corporate guidelines with process adjustments in the GmbH

Migration of commission tracking and billing from Excel to a central tool (Salesforce)

Responsibility for master data in Germany and ensuring the accuracy of commission billing

Transfer of financial accounting and order processing to the European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland as part of an asset deal, including significant staff reductions

Enhancement of SAP FI and MM modules in collaboration with the IT headquarters, introducing automation and testing updates

Expansion of budget planning and monthly reporting to detailed variance analysis (Excel and Hyperion)

Structuring sales planning with rolling forecasts and monthly project reports

Creation of an ICTP study and implementation of resulting rules in collaboration with KPMG (USA and Germany)

Planning and execution of inventory

Establishment of the Moscow branch: evaluation of legal framework, setup of Russian accounting, installation and alignment of ICTP with the parent company

Operational execution of the asset deal between Datalogic S.p.A. and PSC Inc. in Central Europe for the acquisition of PSC Inc.

Adaptation of all contracts and processes to Datalogic standards

Close cooperation with private equity on the acquisition from Chapter 11 proceedings in the USA and subsequent years regarding reporting

Outsourcing of the service department to Czech Republic with adjustment of customer contracts and processes

Introduction of full-service fleet leasing

Business analyses in the task force of a group of tax advisors and auditors

Conducting short ad-hoc assignments for situational analysis

Preparation of planning calculations for company sales, investments and restructurings (Excel)

Financial planning for a start-up in the automotive supplier sector

Corporate planning for a meat products retailer