Philip K.-CFO / Commercial Director
Check rate
Experience
Consulting / Interim Management
Self-employed
- Focus areas: Restructuring, operations management, commercial management, purchasing, production
- Industries: Automotive, metalworking, shipbuilding, electrical, elevators / escalators
Commercial Director
Fritzmeier Systems GmbH
Manufacturer of cabs for agricultural, logistics and construction vehicles; metalworking; plants in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Romania* | approx. 400 employees
Responsible for finance/controlling, purchasing, SCM, IT and HR
Analyzed monthly and annual financial statements and derived and implemented measures
Commercial responsibility in sales (pricing, contract negotiations)
Verified and defined processes in the commercial area
Achievements:
- Increased prices for key customers by > 20% by implementing cost transparency
- Reduced purchasing costs across plants by > TEUR 1.000
- Restructured through capacity adjustments
- Established cross-plant manufacturing cost transparency; reporting in Power-BI
- Implemented project controlling and internal cost allocation in SAP
- Developed and introduced productivity metrics
- Introduced a data warehouse and POWER-BI, and established a KPI system
Managing Director / Took over after Interim Assignment
ASTOR Schneidwerkzeuge GmbH
Manufacturer of knives for food industry machinery; metalworking; approx. 100 employees*
Responsible for operational areas (production, procurement, quality assurance, IT, etc.)
Further developed production controlling
Introduced an incentive system and a qualification matrix in production
Established maintenance controlling
Introduced an ERP system
Developed and implemented production planning and control processes
Achievements:
- Increased efficiency by > 10 % by restructuring production processes
- Reduced the scrap rate by > 30%
- Reduced lead times by approx. 8 %
Commercial Director
DIBAG Industriebau AG
Commercial Director of the Project and Asset Development department*
Managed employees in the commercial department
Monitored and coordinated departmental workflows
Prepared materials for divisional management meetings
Prepared cost approvals
Resolved commercial matters relating to refurbishment and existing properties
Provided support with legal matters
Responsible for the professional development of employees and site managers
Contributed to year-end closing work in the Project and Asset Development department
Interim Management
Self-employed
Interim management and freelance work in operations management, finance and controlling, purchasing and HR*
Interim operations manager: metalworking, production restructuring, setup of production controlling
Interim Commercial Director (construction and operation of commercial properties)
Recruited employees for the aerospace industry
Interim Commercial Director (elevators and escalators)
Commercial Director
Schindler Aufzüge und Fahrtreppen GmbH
Installation, modernization, repair and maintenance of elevators | approx. 320 employees*
Deputy Regional Manager
Budget and profit responsibility, reporting directly to the German management team
Preparation and analysis of monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements, with follow-up actions
Management of regional commercial functions, including finance and controlling, accounts receivable management, budgeting, procurement, IT, legal matters, and representation before public offices and authorities, etc.
Achievements:
- Reduced time spent at the interface between engineering and procurement by > 20 %
- Improved service efficiency (maintenance and repair) by 3 % by developing suitable controlling tools and monitoring their use
- Reduced receivables by 55 %
- Turned around the region by focusing sales on standard components
- Successfully introduced processes for acquiring medium-sized businesses
Key Account Manager
Süddeutsche Aluminium Manufaktur
Supplier to the automotive industry for roof rail systems and decorative aluminum parts, metal processing | approx. 160 employees*
Commercial and technical responsibility for key account customers AUDI AG, Porsche AG and Volkswagen AG
Preparing quotes and negotiating with customers, including tooling coordination
Achievements:
- Successfully negotiated volume increases and managed changes related to new variants of existing vehicles
- Successfully developed and negotiated projects that resulted in orders for new add-on parts, e.g. VW (Beetle, Jetta), Porsche and Audi (A3, A5, A6, A8, SQ5, SQ7), each worth between six and seven figures in EUR
Senior Consultant
Contemplor GmbH
Consulting in procurement and process optimization, 7 employees*
Developed and implemented procurement strategies and supplier management systems
Conducted various cost structure analyses, successfully identifying and realizing savings potential of up to 22 %
Procurement optimization: electrical industry (Germany, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Brazil, China), with annual cost reductions of 360 TEUR, and industrial plant engineering (Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Switzerland)
Developed and successfully negotiated supplier contracts with savings potential of up to 7 %
Optimized production logistics and assembly processes in the metalworking industry (Germany, Portugal), reducing the scrap rate in the electroplating process by 16 %
Developed and implemented price index models and methods for forecasting long-term price trends using MS Excel
Commercial Director / Project Engineer
Wilhelm Gronbach GmbH & Co. KG
- Manufacturer of components and appliances for the home appliance industry. Plants in Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovakia, metal processing, approx. 300 employees*
Commercial Director for the plants in Austria and Slovakia, each with approx. 80 employees, 2002 - 2008
- Managed finance, procurement, HR and IT
- Prepared and analyzed monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements
Project Manager and Key Account Manager, Austria, 1999 - 2002
Achievements:
- Set up the finance functions at the plant in Slovakia
- Reduced procurement costs by approx. 15 % through supplier negotiations and supplier management
- Led the implementation of an ERP system
- Led the development of doors for steam ovens for the world market leader: reduced costs by 30 % compared to the previous model
- Established and implemented commercial processes (procurement, shipping, monthly financial statements, etc.)
Industry experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Manufacturing, Construction, Real Estate, Aerospace and Defense, and Automotive.
Business area experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Procurement, Operations, Finance, Information Technology, Sales, and Accounting.
Summary
Commercial Director and Managing Director with a technical background (Dipl.-Ing.). Over 20 years of leadership experience in metalworking, automotive supply and mechanical engineering. Proven success in increasing efficiency, reducing costs and driving digitalization. Leads with empathy and a strategic outlook. Highly tech-savvy.
Skills
Change Management & Restructuring
Leadership & Team Development
Strategic & Operational Controlling
Cost & Efficiency Optimization
Purchasing & Supply Chain Management
Digitalization & Erp Implementation
Ms Office 365 (Excel, Power Bi) – Expert
Sap – Fico Expert
Languages
Education
TU-München
Dipl.-Ing. · Mechanical Engineering · Munich, Germany · 2,2
McBain High School
United States
Certifications & licenses
IHK
Restructuring and Turnaround Management
DAM
Statistics
Experience
Global experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
Philip is based in Munich, Germany.
Philip speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced).
Philip has at least 28 years of experience. During this time, Philip has worked in at least 7 different roles and for 8 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 1 month. Note that Philip may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, Philip would be well-suited for roles such as: Consulting / Interim Management, Commercial Director, Managing Director / Took over after Interim Assignment.
Philip's most recent position is Consulting / Interim Management at Self-employed.
In recent years, Philip has worked for Self-employed, Fritzmeier Systems GmbH, and ASTOR Schneidwerkzeuge GmbH.
Philip is most experienced in industries like Manufacturing, Construction, and Real Estate. Philip also has some experience in Aerospace and Defense and Automotive.
Philip is most experienced in business areas like Procurement, Operations, and Finance. Philip also has some experience in Information Technology, Sales, and Accounting.
Philip has recently worked in industries like Manufacturing, Aerospace and Defense, and Construction.
Philip has recently worked in business areas like Business Intelligence, Finance, and Procurement.
Philip holds a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from TU-München.
Philip has 2 certificates. These include: AI Manager and Restructuring and Turnaround Management.
Philip will be available from February 2027.
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Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 3 Nov 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
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