Chief Financial Officers in Germany
in minutes from over 15,000 CVs with precise AI matchingBring in CFOs for cash flow planning, funding rounds, budgeting, reporting, and finance transformation. Good fits also handle ERP work, board reporting, and controlling across German teams. Get fast, precise matching with vetted, available freelancers.
Meet FRATCH Chief Financial Officers in Germany
Ricardo Morita
Last position:
Controlling Staff Unit (CFO/Head of Controlling) at IT Security Solutions
- Process optimization, process design
- Business partnering, target vision
- Teambuilding
- Workflow design
- Budget, MEC
- SAP S4/Hana, Board
Philip Krüger
Last position:
Consulting / Interim Management at self-employed
- Focus areas: restructuring, operations management, commercial management, purchasing, production
- Industries: automotive, metal processing, shipbuilding, electrical, elevators / escalators
Markus Peters
Last position:
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at VIA optronics AG
- Investor meetings, investor relations for NYSE listing
- Enhanced reporting and compliance structures, cost controlling
- Post-merger integration
- Implementation of LucaNet
- Financing negotiations with banks
- Global responsibility for 25 employees in six countries
- Positive net cash position and decreasing NWC (-40%) with rising revenues
- Significantly reduced cash outflow
- Initiated profitability and restructuring projects, introduced capex guidelines
- Built hedging line, implemented ABS program, extended bank financing
Nick Riegger
Last position:
Managing Director / Executive Advisor – Digital Transformation at BFW Werner Völk GmbH
- Executive mandate for the digital realignment of an established mid-sized company
- Analysis of organization, processes and IT landscape along the housing value chain
- Development of a prioritized transformation path (target vision, architecture, roadmap)
- Identification of significant automation and platform potentials
Jesper Bornhöft
Last position:
CFO
As CFO, responsible for building a scalable financial and corporate structure focused on growth, investment readiness and fundraising. This includes creating all relevant fundraising materials and engaging with potential investors. The main goal is to establish solid structures that prepare the company financially, organizationally and strategically for growth.
Alexander Engel
Last position:
CFO (FiBu, Controlling, HR, Purchasing, IT) at MLD GmbH, medical laboratories Düsseldorf
Founded in 1968, MLD today employs over 350 people at various locations in and around Düsseldorf. The academic team, made up of 17 specialists, colleagues from biology, chemistry, pharmacy, drinking water hygiene, and medical training assistants, supports more than 1,500 office-based doctors and more than 30 hospitals with more than 5,000 beds in the Düsseldorf, Cologne and Lower Rhine regions as a reliable partner in laboratory medicine. It is a subsidiary of the Sonic Healthcare Group based in Sydney, Australia. Group: 37,000 employees, direct reporting line: Managing Director
Responsibilities:
- Disciplinary and technical management responsibility for 16 employees, sub-ledgers, general ledger, controlling, IT, purchasing, HR
- monthly reporting according to IFRS, consolidation of several domestic subsidiaries
- preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements of the companies according to IFRS and annual financial statements according to HGB of several companies, as well as preparation and support of the annual audits
- budgeting, forecasting
- accounting-related execution of incorporations, liquidations and transformations of the companies
- main contact person for auditors, tax advisors and tax authorities.
Jan Dick
Last position:
Interim Head of Finance at Bees & Bears GmbH
Manuela Hofmann
Last position:
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) / Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Intelligent Fluids GmbH - SmartChem (SMAC)
Development and implementation of a long-term financial strategy in cooperation with the board and other executives
Responsibility for budgeting, financial forecasting, and liquidity planning
Monitoring the company's financial performance and identifying risks and opportunities
Defining core financial principles
Developing strategies to optimize business processes
Improving or implementing management information systems
Leading financial communications, maintaining relationships with shareholders and investors, and overseeing internal audit
Personnel management and general services
Designing a financial, controlling, and reporting system for the company
Ensuring the accuracy and completeness of all financial reports and documents
Compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements in finance
Leading the finance team and coordinating with external auditors and tax advisors
Managing off-balance-sheet transactions (acquisitions, mergers, divestitures)
Cash management and financing administration
Maintaining third-party relationships with bankers and auditors
Monitoring and validating company controlling (planning, budget, reporting, data analysis)
Preparing and managing annual financial statements, accounting, management reports, Federal Gazette filings, and support for auditors
Handling legal and tax matters
Preparing financial business plans for the parent company and future subsidiaries
Consolidating results
Coordinating due diligence and financial audits
Implementing effective financial controls and procedures
Optimizing financial processes and systems to increase efficiency
Assessing investment opportunities and risk management strategies
Preparing studies on industrial and financial investments
Liquidity management
Developing a comprehensive IT strategy to support company goals
Ensuring the security and integrity of all IT systems and data
Responsibility for selecting, implementing, and maintaining IT infrastructure and applications
Monitoring compliance with all IT policies, regulations, and standards
Identifying and managing IT risks and security threats
Working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that IT systems meet business requirements.
Michael Itterheim
Last position:
CFO at innopreneurs
Johannes Schaeffer
Last position:
CFO at Genesis Mining Ltd
- Built the entire accounting function from organizing bank and wallet accounts to preparing CEO statements
- Prepared group financial statements and coordinated with authorities
- Advised shareholders in Dubai
- Recommended reorganization of the group
- Managed liquidation after spin-off
- Built and managed the finance team
- Created a project plan for HK statements
- Collected bank and wallet accounts (five-figure number, millions of records)
- Structured and processed all legal transactions (technology agreements, power plant acquisitions, SPVs, spin-off, investment/disinvestment structures, profit sharing)
- Set up chart of accounts by profit centers
- Built and managed fixed assets
- Introduced accounting in the US system QuickBooks and posted all entries (millions)
- Cleared accounts
- Handled intercompany reconciliations with major subsidiaries including permanent establishments
- Reconciled all transactions (B2B, B2C, self-mining, wallets/exchanges/credit cards)
- Negotiated settlements of receivables (double-digit millions)
- Engaged auditors and tax advisors
Results:
- Established the accounting function with all associated subsystems and built the team
- Prepared group and subsidiary financial statements as well as tax returns and coordinated with authorities
- Coordinated auditors
- Advised shareholders in Dubai
- Recommended group reorganization
- Managed liquidation after spin-off
Marco Trautmann
Last position:
Chief Financial Officer & ExCo Member at Senacor Technologies AG
- Led assessment and preparation for finance and business management transformation including roll-out of SAP S/4 HANA Cloud, Public Edition.
- Enhanced financial and project reporting by streamlining tools and introducing a management dashboard.
- Introduced opportunity management reporting as part of business operations activities.
- Prepared annual financial statements (HGB).
- Directed annual budget development and aligned it with the ExCo.
Julia Petrich
Last position:
CFO & Managing Director at Tomorrow Education Group GmbH
- Inhousing and responsibility for financial accounting for 15 companies within the group (HGB)
- Selection of auditors
- Central point of contact for tax advisors, auditors and the tax office
- Execution of the first full consolidation in the group and support of auditors
- Execution and support of the planning process across all companies
- Strategic guidance and development of the group, direct CEO reporting and exchange
- Recruiting and building a completely new finance team & onboarding new employees
- Team leadership
- Design and delivery of staff workshops and training
- Establishment of controlling & reporting
- Finalization of the consolidated financial statements including drafting the management report
- Ensuring the preparation of complete & accurate monthly financial statements for all companies within the holding
- Reduction of the monthly closing process by 10 days
- Processing of payment transactions and cash management for the holding
- Preparation of intercompany billing as a service company within the group
- Revision of authorization concepts
- Implementation of DATEV Kanzlei Rechnungswesen
- Introduction of HR tool Personio
- Introduction of the Moss system as an expense tool, budget control and preliminary accounting across all entities
- Introduction of LucaNet for consolidation, reporting & planning
- Project initiation and execution of an automation solution for revenue postings (development of an in-house application)
- Ongoing review of existing contracts
- Contract negotiations
- Preparation and support of a full M&A process
- Selection of advisory firms for preparing FDD & CDD
- Co-supervision of the preparation of the Financial Factbook with external consultants
- Direct exchange with external consultants, investment banks, lawyers and house banks as part of due diligence
- Management of external service providers (data protection officers, consultants, lawyers)
- Complete review of the payroll and salary payment process
- Handling various HR topics
- Design and conduct of finance meetings within the holding with all managing directors
- Management of the group's rental properties
- Procurement
- Setup of IT functionalities and admin tasks, interface to external IT service providers
Gregor Hasert
Last position:
Managing Partner – COO/CFO – Authorized Officer at Livello GmbH
- Executive responsibility for the strategic and operational management of the company with full P&L accountability
- Average 42% annual revenue growth
- Reduction of burn rate by 40%
- Significant increase in operational efficiency and transparency
- Strategic realignment and restructuring of organization, cost structure and product portfolio
- Built and led an interdisciplinary team (Sales, Customer Service, Production, Finance; 8 FTE)
- Scaled the business model by implementing structured B2B sales processes
- Operational excellence in production (error reduction > 30%)
- Established a professional customer support with a ticketing system and measurable improvement in customer satisfaction
- Implemented robust finance, reporting and governance structures (Order-to-Cash, HGB financial statements)
Thomas Weber
Last position:
Interim CFO at Swiss E-Mobility Group Interim-CFO (Schweiz) AG
- Interim CFO for Swiss E-Mobility Group AG and GO Cooperation AG
- Oversight of subsidiaries in Germany and Austria
Björn Bemelmans
Last position:
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Heimbach Group
- Overall management of Heimbach GmbH with an annual turnover of €160 million and approx. 1,300 employees alongside the CEO
- Responsible for finance, controlling, purchasing, IT and human resources including personnel development
- Managed and further developed the commercial organization and ensured integrated corporate planning and management
- Actively supported strategic and operational decision-making processes
- Increased EBITDA margin from 8% to 11% during challenging conditions through improved financial transparency, performance and cost programs, and optimization of purchasing, organizational and IT structures
- Led preparation and successful execution of due diligence and sale of the company to a strategic investor (EBITDA multiple approx. 10x)
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Chief Financial Officers statistics
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
26 years
Position duration
3.1 years
Positions per freelancer
11
Top business areas
Finance, Accounting, Strategy
Top industries
Professional Services, Manufacturing, Banking and Finance
Certification focus areas
Finance, Accounting, Human Resources
Bachelor's degree or higher
94%
Master's degree or higher
76%
Doctorate
15%
Certifications per freelancer
2
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
95%
Based on our profile pool as of 26 Aug 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role in Germany are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range.
Average rates for Chief Financial Officers in Germany
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 26 Aug 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
About the role
What they do
A Chief Financial Officer owns the finance function and the numbers behind every major decision. In a freelance setup, a CFO may step in to stabilize finance operations, prepare management reporting, improve cash visibility, support investor updates, or lead a transaction. The role is both strategic and hands-on.
- Build budgets, forecasts, and rolling plans
- Set up cash flow control and working capital management
- Prepare board and investor reporting
- Review margins, costs, and business performance
- Support funding, refinancing, or M&A work
Core strengths
Strong CFOs combine financial judgment with clear communication. They know how to read a business model, challenge assumptions, and turn complex data into decisions executives can use.
- Financial planning and analysis
- Controlling and performance management
- Treasury, liquidity, and covenant monitoring
- Accounting oversight and month-end discipline
- Leadership across finance teams and external advisors
Typical tools
Many CFOs work across ERP, BI, and reporting environments rather than in one fixed stack. In German companies, they often connect finance with operations, sales, and leadership through systems and reporting routines that keep everyone aligned.
Common areas include SAP, DATEV, Excel-based models, Power BI, and reporting packs for management or shareholders. The best interim CFOs adapt quickly to the tools already in place and improve them without slowing the business down.
When companies bring one in
Companies usually hire a freelance CFO when finance needs senior support without a long permanent search. This is common in growth phases, restructuring, post-merger integration, or when the finance team lacks a steady hand during a transition.
- Fast-growing businesses that need tighter planning
- SMEs in Germany that want senior finance leadership on demand
- Businesses preparing for audits, deals, or financing
- Teams that need an interim CFO during vacancy or leave
What strong CFOs look like
A strong Chief Financial Officer is calm under pressure and precise with numbers. They can explain risk clearly, set priorities, and keep finance useful for the business instead of turning it into a reporting exercise.
Look for someone who has led similar company stages, understands the industry, and can work with founders, CEOs, banks, and auditors. For German engagements, it also helps if the CFO is comfortable with local reporting expectations and can collaborate in English and German when needed.
How to scope the work
Start with the business problem, not just the title. A CFO assignment can focus on cash protection, forecast quality, fundraising, carve-outs, ERP change, or preparing a finance team for the next phase.
Make the deliverables concrete: reporting cadence, decision support, team setup, stakeholder meetings, and ownership of key finance processes. That gives both companies and CFOs a clear basis for a productive freelance engagement.
Frequently asked questions
Everything clients usually want to know about Chief Financial Officers, in one place.
A Chief Financial Officer typically covers the full finance agenda: planning, reporting, cash management, and support for major decisions. In a freelance setup, the focus is often on a specific business need such as restructuring, funding, an acquisition, or building a stronger reporting system. The scope should be defined around outcomes, not just day-to-day finance tasks.
An interim CFO makes sense when the company needs senior finance leadership now, but the long-term setup is still open. That is common during a vacancy, a transition, rapid growth, or a transaction. A freelance solution also works well when the business needs specialist support for a defined period and does not need a full-time executive afterward.
For a CFO in Germany, companies usually look for strong controlling, cash flow discipline, and confident communication with owners, banks, auditors, and management. Familiarity with German reporting expectations and the ability to work with local teams is important, especially in SMEs and mid-sized companies. In many cases, the best fit also brings hands-on experience with SAP, DATEV, or similar finance systems.
A controller focuses more on reporting, analysis, and financial accuracy. A finance director often manages a broader finance function but may still stay closer to operations. A Chief Financial Officer is usually the executive owner of finance strategy, capital structure, risk, and senior stakeholder communication.
Typical deliverables include budgets, forecasts, cash plans, board packs, and clear recommendations on financial priorities. Many engagements also include process improvements, leadership of the finance team, or support for funding and M&A work. The right scope depends on whether the company needs a hands-on operator, a strategic advisor, or both.
Yes, many parts of Chief Financial Officer work can be done remotely, especially reporting, planning, and executive calls. On-site time is more useful when the role includes team leadership, stakeholder alignment, or deep work with local operations. For Germany-based companies, a mix of remote and on-site collaboration is often the most practical setup.
Look for clear evidence of impact in similar situations, not just broad finance experience. A strong candidate can explain how they improved cash visibility, sharpened forecasts, supported a deal, or helped a business through change. Also check whether their working style fits your leadership team and whether they can turn complex finance topics into simple decisions.
A Chief Financial Officer can ramp up faster when the company shares the current finance structure, key pain points, reporting lines, and the decision the business needs to make. It also helps to define whether the role is advisory, hands-on, or team-leading. Clear access to data, stakeholders, and deadlines makes the engagement much more effective.
The average hourly rate for Chief Financial Officers in Germany is 149 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 1,188 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers working as Chief Financial Officers in Germany, 94% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 76% hold at least a Master's degree, and 15% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers working as Chief Financial Officers in Germany have 26 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 3.1 years.
The most common languages among freelancers working as Chief Financial Officers in Germany are German (100%), English (95%), and French (50%).
The most common industries among freelancers working as Chief Financial Officers in Germany are Professional Services (75%), Manufacturing (68%), and Banking and Finance (50%).
The most common business areas among freelancers working as Chief Financial Officers in Germany are Finance (100%), Accounting (93%), and Strategy (75%).
FRATCH Chief Financial Officers main locations
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
