Jens Reichert - Finance Transformation Director
Experience
Finance Transformation Director
Bauer Media Group
After several S/4 go-lives, there was a lack of structure, role and decision clarity in finance and IT; governance mechanisms, prioritization logic and responsibilities were not sufficiently defined.
Unclear interfaces, high coordination efforts and inconsistent working methods led to organizational instability and limited leadership and control capability.
The existing operating model between finance, controlling and IT was not functional, impairing transparency, collaboration and decision paths.
Designed the transformation and organizational architecture for finance, clarifying roles, decision paths and priorities.
Diagnosed and structured the finance and IT organizations (DE/UK/PL), including collaboration, responsibilities and interfaces.
Redesigned the finance–IT operating model with a focus on governance, control routines and cross-functional collaboration.
Enabled leaders and teams, especially global process owners, key users and finance leads (systemic OD / leadership).
Managed the transformation portfolio, including clarity on risks, dependencies and cross-functional decision processes.
Restored structural control capability by clearly defining and embedding roles, decision paths and priorities across the organization.
Systemically strengthened governance and cross-functional collaboration – finance, controlling and IT worked again in consistent, aligned structures; friction losses were measurably reduced.
Harmonized work and communication logic, making coordination faster, more transparent and less conflict-prone.
Enabled the organization sustainably by building a robust key user/process owner community and clear control routines.
Made the transformation structurally manageable – prioritized initiatives, clear risk and progress logic, and consistent decision formats increased execution speed.
Interim CFO
Eurodata AG
The organization lacked clear governance, roles and responsibility structures, especially in the development and product areas.
Governance, forecasting and decision mechanisms were not sufficiently defined, limiting transparency and prioritization.
Owners and management lacked consistent decision and control foundations.
Structured the organizational setup for governance, responsibilities and decision paths in the development and product areas.
Established clear governance and role models to ensure controllability and accountability across all development programs.
Designed a consistent control and prioritization model for project, product and investment decisions.
Enabled leaders and teams to strengthen collaboration, subject ownership and decision-making capability.
Supported the strategic performance framework, including business plan, forecast and planning logic.
Systemically strengthened organizational control capability by clearly defining and anchoring roles, responsibilities and governance mechanisms across divisions.
Created coherent decision foundations – development and product areas now have clear prioritization, evaluation and decision logic.
Established strategic program and portfolio management, making progress, risks and priorities transparent across the organization.
Improved collaboration between finance, development and management; decision processes became clearer, faster and less prone to escalation.
Elevated planning and control capability to the C-level with consistent and reliable forecasting, business plan and governance models.
Interim Head of Controlling
Sturm-Gruppe
There were no clear governance, role and evaluation mechanisms in project operations; decision paths, evaluation logic and responsibilities were inconsistent.
Process, master data and reporting structures were not consistently defined, making risks, deviations and project progress difficult to control.
Pre-sales, bid and controlling processes were not aligned, leaving management without reliable decision foundations.
Realigned the governance and evaluation architecture in project operations, including roles, evaluation and decision logic.
Structurally and organizationally developed the controlling and project management functions.
Introduced consistent work and leadership routines, including Kanban, Scrum formats and standardized review cycles.
Enabled leaders and teams to strengthen professional responsibility and cross-functional collaboration.
Provided sparring for executive management and the CFO to shape clear priorities and decision mechanisms.
Structurally strengthened decision and evaluation capability in project operations, enabling earlier risk detection and stabilized outcomes.
Increased transparency and control through consistent reporting, evaluation and review structures that were accepted and applied cross-functionally.
Addressed organizational bottlenecks, including process and master data quality – the root cause of operational dysfunctions was systemically resolved.
Unified leadership and work routines, significantly increasing clarity, commitment and prioritization in project operations.
Strengthened cross-functional collaboration, with teams working with clear roles and responsibilities, reducing conflicts and increasing execution speed.
Interim COO / Process Optimization Consultant
Atreus Personnel Services Provider
The operations and finance structures were heterogeneous, lacking clear responsibilities and end-to-end process logic, which limited transparency and control capability.
Capacities, volume frameworks and resource needs were not systematically recorded, significantly restricting planning, prioritization and scalability.
A structured leadership, controlling and reporting model was missing, so no reliable decision bases were available for executive management.
Structured core organizational processes focusing on responsibilities, end-to-end continuity and control capability.
Analyzed key weaknesses and developed and implemented clearly prioritized measures to stabilize the organization.
Established a consistent control and decision model (business controlling, reporting, relevant KPI/prioritization logic).
Provided sparring to leaders and executive management on profitability, cost structures and operational prioritization.
Supported organizational initiatives to strengthen value creation.
Created structural clarity by systemically defining and aligning responsibilities, process logic and decision paths.
Significantly increased planning and control capability with reliable volume frameworks, capacity models and consistent decision mechanisms.
Established unified leadership and work routines that greatly improved collaboration, commitment and transparency in daily operations.
Strengthened ownership and competence in finance and operations, enabling teams to act more independently, confidently and in a structured way.
Improved end-to-end process visibility, reduced conflicts and sustainably increased organizational efficiency and prioritization.
Agile Coach Finance / SAP S/4 HANA
Schaeffler AG
Finance and controlling requirements in the global S/4 program were not sufficiently structured, leading to unclear responsibilities, scope ambiguities and missing decision paths.
Cross-functional collaboration was hindered by silo structures and high coordination effort, limiting integration capability and execution speed.
A consistent end-to-end process understanding and established work and decision routines were missing, making it difficult to control complex dependencies.
Structured and prioritized finance and controlling requirements, deriving clear responsibility and decision logic.
Integrated controlling requirements consistently into the S/4 program through aligned control and communication mechanisms.
Enabled leaders and teams in agile practices (Agile/Scrum) to improve collaboration, transparency and delivery capability.
Facilitated cross-functional coordination to reduce silo effects and embed an end-to-end process understanding.
Supported the program leadership with structured decision bases, risk transparency and prioritized control.
Clarified responsibility and decision logic, structurally stabilizing the finance/controlling stream of the S/4 program.
Systemically strengthened end-to-end process understanding, significantly improving integration capability, data quality and cross-functional coherence.
Embedded agile leadership and work practices, enabling teams to work more self-organized and respond faster to dependencies.
Improved cross-functional collaboration, especially between finance, controlling, IT and project management; conflict potential was reduced.
Established structural decision bases that sustainably increased prioritization, risk management and transparency in the program.
Interim CFO
In Mind Cloud Global GmbH
The Finance function had poorly defined roles, processes and governance structures, limiting transparency, control and decision paths.
For the planned financing and exit process, there were no solid decision bases, no consistent business plan and no clear accountability or control mechanisms.
Collaboration between Finance, Operations, the investor/advisory board and the CEO was not systematically structured, making strategic decisions difficult.
Overall responsibility for the financial control architecture, including close coordination with the investor/advisory board and the CEO on finance, strategy and governance topics.
Structured and stabilized the organizational foundations of Finance & Operations (roles, responsibilities, decision logic).
Shaped exit and financing readiness through business plan structure, data consolidation and clear governance requirements.
Provided organizational and leadership consulting to strengthen accountability, decision paths and team structures.
Designed key control instruments to create binding reporting, liquidity and performance mechanisms across multiple locations (DE/SG/USA).
Strengthened the company’s strategic control ability with clear decision models, roles and governance structures.
Systemically increased transparency & accountability, e.g. through consistent reporting, forecasting and decision logic.
Structurally improved leadership & collaboration between Finance, Operations, the investor & CEO, enabling faster and clearer strategic decisions.
Prepared the organization for growth & exit with scalable control models (DE/SG/USA) and reliable governance mechanisms.
Established a coherent international control logic that integrated company strategy, performance management and decision-making.
Projektleiter Enterprise Performance
Pfleiderer Gruppe
After a failed SAP rollout, the Controlling area lacked clear roles, accountability and decision-making structures; control and evaluation mechanisms were not functional.
Process views, collaboration and prioritization logic were fragmented, limiting execution speed and organizational stability.
The Finance function had no consistent end-to-end process understanding and no cross-functional control logic.
Stabilized and structured the controlling workstream, including roles, accountability and decision-making architecture.
Reviewed and redefined project goals and developed a realistic target and action framework.
Analyzed structural causes of process and system gaps and prioritized critical action areas.
Led a cross-functional project team and designed clear alignment and collaboration mechanisms.
Provided organizational consulting focused on roles, collaboration and decision paths within the controlling area.
Structurally stabilized the controlling organization by clearly defining and anchoring roles, responsibilities and decision paths.
Introduced modern control and working logic, significantly improving problem understanding, prioritization and decision quality.
Systemically broke down silos through end-to-end analyses and clear cross-functional collaboration mechanisms.
Empowered teams, significantly increasing accountability, methodological skills and decision-making ability.
Created a structural foundation for a robust, controllable Finance function through consistent communication, role and process architectures.
Interim Geschäftsführer
Vestner Aufzüge GmbH
Operational structures and leadership mechanisms were not consistently defined, limiting performance, collaboration and control.
During the generational transition, clear accountability and decision structures were missing, affecting orientation and organizational stability.
A tense liquidity and supplier situation threatened the company's ongoing business continuity.
Served as interim Managing Director with overall responsibility for operational control, finance and stabilizing key business processes.
Structured and optimized organizational and leadership logic, including service, operations, sales and administration.
Reviewed and adjusted company strategy with involvement of shareholders and management.
Shaped financial control capability through active working capital and liquidity management.
Led, communicated and fostered employee engagement to support the generational change and stabilize the organization.
Restored organizational capability with clear leadership, decision and accountability structures in the context of the generational transition.
Systemically strengthened collaboration & communication, greatly improving orientation, stability and execution ability.
Stabilized critical business relationships through structured dialogue formats, clear priorities and consistent control mechanisms.
Renewed the leadership system, significantly increasing commitment and transparency within the organization.
Achieved sustainable organizational stability, making operations, service & sales reliable again.
Interim CFO
ISOG Technology GmbH
The finance and sales organization had limited control, role and process stability, especially in liquidity, sales and service.
In sales, clear accountability, structure and performance mechanisms were missing, affecting revenue and profit development.
For the planned company sale, governance, reporting and commercial structures needed professionalization to meet due diligence requirements.
Ensured financial control capability by structuring liquidity and cash flow mechanisms.
Conducted organizational and leadership work in sales & service, including role, accountability and process logic.
Stabilized the sales team and strengthened internal collaboration with clear leadership and organizational mechanisms.
Relieved the managing director commercially by taking on operational and strategic finance responsibilities.
Prepared the organization for due diligence requirements, including commercial data preparation, structure modeling and change governance.
Strengthened organizational leadership & control capability with clear roles, responsibilities and decision structures in finance, sales & service.
Professionalized governance & evaluation logic, increasing transparency, accountability and decision-making across the organization.
Created cultural & structural stability, enabling teams to work more coherently, aligned and with higher process reliability.
Improved cross-functional collaboration, reduced conflicts and clearly synchronized priorities.
Ensured due diligence readiness by systematically enhancing commercial structures, reporting and control mechanisms.
Strategic Finance Leadership · Governance · Operating Models · Organizational Design
Freelance Organizational Consultant & Interim Executive
Advise CFOs, CEOs and private equity investors on building controllable organizations by defining roles, governance models and decision structures to ensure clear and effective accountability.
Develop and implement robust operating models that integrate finance, business and IT, ensuring reliable organizational performance and scalable leadership and control processes.
Strengthen leadership, collaboration and decision-making in complex transformations, making organizations structurally more stable, operationally capable and clearly aligned.
Elevate strategic control capability at the C-level by aligning spans of control, planning logic and prioritization mechanisms, increasing transparency, decision quality and execution speed.
Support complex transformation and culture initiatives, ensuring organizations develop structured, consistent and sustainable execution capabilities.
Design clear role, accountability and decision architectures and develop and implement effective governance, control and prioritization mechanisms.
Strengthen and align leadership teams in challenging transformation phases and develop consistent leadership, communication and collaboration structures.
Conduct organizational analyses, system effectiveness diagnostics and develop change architectures, providing systemic support for complex transformation processes.
Structure and manage complex transformation programs, including risk, dependency and priority management.
Develop strategic control and decision-making models to enhance organizational performance.
Interim executive roles (interim Managing Director, interim CFO, CIO) focused on leadership and control architectures.
Design operating models, governance, role and accountability structures.
Transformation & change governance (systemic organizational development, leadership enablement).
Agile leadership & modern work methods (SCRUM, Kanban, Lean Leadership).
Develop strategic control models (decision frameworks, performance & prioritization mechanisms, business model design).
CFO, Global IT Operations
Amadeus IT Group
- Budget responsibility: €350M OPEX, 1,500 FTE, €100M CAPEX.
- Developed governance, KPI and control structures for global IT operations.
- Transformed leadership and organizational culture to improve management control & performance.
- Project manager for SAP S/4 HANA (finance digitization); Enterprise Architect for finance transformation.
- Linked financial planning to strategic priorities; delivered significant budget & efficiency gains.
- Optimized cost structures, reduced organizational complexity; scaled lean leadership in finance.
Senior Manager Financial Controlling, Global IT Operations
Amadeus IT Group
- Team management: 10 controllers at 5 locations worldwide.
- Budget responsibility: €200M OPEX, 700 FTE, €70M CAPEX.
- Established global controlling processes & governance standards.
- Standardized planning and reporting processes to speed up control and decision making.
- Automated IT controlling; supported the IT organization's global expansion capability.
Head of Controlling & Finance, Germany
Fromageries Bel / Bel Deutschland GmbH
- Post-merger integration: harmonized systems, structures and cultures.
- Reorganized finance department & financial processes.
- Implemented IFRS, SAP R/3 and HYPERION.
- Stabilized the finance function as a basis for competitiveness & control capability.
Head of Corporate Controlling
Savencia / Bongrain Group
- Built and evolved corporate controlling and SAP-based control structures.
- Ensured margin and performance transparency.
IT Project Manager (Sales Digitization)
Savencia / Bongrain Group
- Developed and rolled out a digital sales control system.
- Integrated with SAP & BI to improve pricing, forecasting and market control.
Head of Inside Sales / Sales Controlling
Savencia / Bongrain Group
- Management of pricing, terms, and sales models.
- Financial control of marketing and sales initiatives.
Sales Operations / Logistics Management
Staatliche Molkerei Weihenstephan AG
- Pricing & raw material optimization.
- Logistics management & procurement of transport services.
- Contributed to the project team for high-bay warehouse implementation.
Business Development – Trade Show Division
LEP International GmbH
- Cost calculation, quote management, and customer development.
- Management of operational trade show projects.
- Increased sales and built the most profitable division.
Industry Experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Information Technology, Food and Beverage, Professional Services, Tourism, Manufacturing, and Automotive.
Business Area Experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Finance, Project Management, Business Intelligence, Information Technology, Strategy, and Human Resources.
Summary
- Advises CFOs, executive management and private equity investors on designing organizations with strong governance, defining roles, governance models and decision structures so responsibilities are clear and effectively fulfilled.
- Develops and implements robust operating models that systematically integrate finance, business and IT, ensuring reliable organizational performance and scalable leadership and control processes.
- Strengthens leadership, collaboration and decision-making capacity in complex transformations, making organizations structurally more stable, agile and clearly aligned.
- Raises strategic control capability at the C-level by aligning spans of control, planning logic and prioritization mechanisms, increasing transparency, decision quality and execution speed.
- Supports demanding transformation and culture initiatives (post-merger, digitization and organizational programs), ensuring organizations develop structured, consistent and sustainable execution capability.
Skills
Industries
- It / Saas
- Fmcg
- Mechanical Engineering
- Supply Chain
- E-commerce / Platforms
- Manufacturing Industry
- Automotive
- Private Equity
Methods & Working Style
- Systemic Organizational Development & Effectiveness Diagnostics
- Leadership, Team & Communication Development
- Governance, Decision & Priority Architectures
- Operating Model & Organizational Design
- Agile Leadership, Scrum, Kanban
- Lean Leadership & Six Sigma (Structure And Quality Focused)
- Transformation Steering & Change Governance
- Executive Facilitation & Organizational Learning
Key Achievements
Governance & Operating Model Design
- Designed Clear Role, Responsibility And Decision Architectures.
- Developed And Implemented Effective Governance, Control And Prioritization Mechanisms.
Leadership & Team Alignment
- Strengthened And Aligned Leadership Teams In Challenging Transformation Phases.
- Developed Consistent Leadership, Communication And Collaboration Structures.
Organization Transformation & Systemic Od
- Conducted Organizational Analyses, Effectiveness Diagnostics And Developed Change Architectures.
- Provided Systemic Support For Complex Transformation Processes (Artop Methodology).
Transformation Steering & Change Governance
- Structured And Managed Complex Transformation Programs, Including Risk, Dependency And Prioritization Management.
- Ensured Cross-functional Coherence Through Clear Coordination, Control And Escalation Mechanisms Between Management, Business, Finance And It.
Strategic Performance & Decision Enablement
- Developed Strategic Control And Decision-making Models To Increase Organizational Performance.
- Translated Complex Business And Organizational Issues Into Clear, Robust Decision-making Foundations For The C-level.
Languages
Education
Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Lörrach
Diploma in Business Administration (BA) · Business Administration, Transport & Logistics · Lörrach, Germany
Certifications & licenses
Systemic Business Coach (Certificate)
ATV Munich
Systemic Organizational Consultant (Certificate)
artop – Institute at the Humboldt University of Berlin
Executive Education Program
IESE Business School, University of Navarra (Madrid)
Leadership & Personal Management – Executive Program
St. Galler Business School (St. Gallen)
Statistics
Experience
Global Experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
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