SAP CO Expert in Germany

• Founder of CheironX: AI-supported GRC management (ISO 27001, BSI IT-Grundschutz, TISAX, DORA)
• Strategic focus on Agentic AI and GenAI for modern IT Governance, Risk & Compliance Management
• IT interim management and strategic consulting

• Acting as project controller for the STEAM sub-project within Iqony's long-term modernisation programme for an industrial water demineralisation plant at the BP refinery site in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven alongside the parallel WATER sub-project
• Managing cost control, SAP PS data integrity and project tracking in a challenging data environment

Advising various companies in the areas of controlling, finance and planning, transformation, business partnering, management reporting and AI-driven forecasting systems

• Focus on optimizing and further developing the internal customer EBICS application
• Functional and technical consulting for Aareal First Financial Solutions AG on EBICS standard products and applications in the areas of operations and further development, as well as project-related communication with external development partners and the product manufacturer to implement the corresponding technical optimizations
• As the functional coordinator, providing advice on content-related and regulatory requirements as well as technical prerequisites and requirements, and bringing these together at the functional level
• Consulting on the use of EBICS formats
• Reviewing the current EBICS standard for optimization and further development potential
• Analyzing the current state to identify development potential and deriving appropriate recommendations for action while considering regulatory requirements
• Conducting EBICS tests throughout the project
• Functional responsibility for requirements management and, in this context, recording and documenting requirements for such tests
• Designing a functional and sustainable test management system
• Conducting and evaluating tests
• Consulting on sustainable quality assurance and audits
• Project language: German and English
• Tools/Methods: MS Project, MS Office, MS Visio, TestRail, Confluence, Jira, Business Logics Bankkrecher, Business Logics Test Data Generator, Business Logics Banking Tool, Business Logics Test System, DBEAVER, Squirrel, Unix Virtual Machines, WinSCP, Kitty, Putty, various Aareal Bank products, Online Banking Portal, Aareal Sign, core banking system, SAP Blue Eagle, SAP RE-FX, Aareon Wodis Sigma, Haufe Real Estate Wowinex, GAP Group Immotion, UTS Karthago, SAP IS-U/Waste, SIV kVASy, various EBICS clients

• Supported monthly and annual closing activities
• Checked incoming invoices for formal and factual accuracy
• Posted incoming invoices
• Contact person for internal departments on accounting matters
• Created and maintained vendor master data
• Processed open items
• Took on additional accounting-related special tasks
• Managed the functional mailbox
• Performed payment runs

Training and knowledge transfer – Accounts Payable:

In addition to the tasks above, I was responsible for training and transferring knowledge to 8 employees of an external service provider in India who took over the accounts payable activities:

• Conducted structured training and practical guidance throughout the accounts payable process
• Trained employees in checking and posting incoming invoices, including formal and factual checks
• Taught vendor master data maintenance, open-item processing and payment runs
• Trained employees in using the functional mailbox and communicating effectively with internal departments
• Explained accounting procedures, controls and company-specific accounts payable requirements
• Conducted “Training on the Job” using practical posting cases and real business transactions
• Supported the team in independently carrying out accounts payable processes and resolving accounting questions
• Checked the quality and accuracy of work results and provided continuous feedback and coaching
• Supported the transfer of accounts payable processes to the external service provider and ensured structured knowledge transfer and an orderly handover
• Supported a smooth transition by documenting processes, clarifying responsibilities and ensuring consistent application of accounting requirements

Software: JDE, ELO, SAP Concur

• Functional management and further development of a team of 28 IT employees (internal & external) in the areas of HelpDesk / HelpLine, RHEL (Red Hat), MUREX (trading system & applications), SAP basic operations
• Management of external service providers (including FI-TS for SAP basic operations)
• Personnel, resource and budget planning for the IT department and projects
• Introduction and establishment of regular communication formats (regular meetings, team and cross-departmental meetings)
• Ensuring application operations in a hybrid environment (Windows / Linux with database and web/application servers)
• Support for transformation projects to modernize the application landscape (e.g. DevOps approaches)
• Building and introducing digital IT procurement for hardware & software (e.g. with DELL)
• Development and management of the „IT Operations DOS" department based on the company strategy
• Preparation of management reports & decision papers on IT projects, optimization potential and automation opportunities
• Representing the department in Rentenbank committees and ensuring regulatory compliance (BaFin §44, DSGVO, BSI, MaRisk)

• SAP S/4HANA upgrade from Release 2021 to 2025 and FI/CO transformation as part of a new TOM. Four streams and two SAP service providers; management during ongoing operations.

• Overall responsibility for time, quality and budget as well as cross-stream coordination of the four streams

• Coordination of process streams, business functions and SAP service providers

• Establishment and management of governance, planning, risks, dependencies, resources and escalations

• Provider management, regular management reporting, and preparation and execution of project and Steering Committee meetings

• Responsibility as Test Manager for test strategy, test planning, UAT, defect management and acceptance

• Result: Successful preparation for Go-live on 28.09.2026 during ongoing operations; quality and the planned absence of production interruptions ensured. Project governance established and positive feedback from management and stakeholders.

• Development controlling systems:
• Validate various Business Cases
• Develop organization, task description, processes and systems of the controlling system to improve activities
• Harmonize ERP software within the Group (IT-Procurement – Plan data – controlling – reports)
• Budget Master data and Planning:
• Set-up phase oriented project planning
• Monitor and validate projects: OPEX and CAPEX due to laws and concern dependency rules
• Validate regulatoric calculations
• PMO assistance activities
• presentations and reports Tools: SAP 4/HANA; SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC): SAP FI/CO; SAP MM; SAP PPM; BOARD; TABLEAU; MS Office 365;

Reporting to the Head of Group Accounting / VP Finance.

• Preparing and monitoring weekly cash flow forecasts for four entities
• Handling VAT matters with the tax authorities
• Submitting monthly VAT returns
• Leading the team during the annual audit conducted by Deloitte
• Preparing and analysing monthly financial statements (under HGB and IFRS) for four entities
• Compiling annual financial statements—including management reports and notes—for the auditors
• Conducting segment analyses and associated reporting

• Independent consulting at the intersection of HR, Finance and IT
• Focus on People Analytics, HR Controlling, Pay Transparency, Compensation & Benefits and HR Transformation
• Analysis of complex HR and business data and development of reliable decision-making foundations for management and HR
• Design of KPI, reporting and BI solutions as well as data-based management models
• Consulting from analysis and concept development through implementation of transformation and optimization projects
• Focus on SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP BW and Power BI
• ISA = Insight · Structure · Alignment

Project: Introduction of statutory-compliant electronic invoicing (outbound, Germany) in SAP for an international technology group.

• Project management: Planning, steering and reporting of the E-Invoicing outbound rollout across all affected business areas, including budget and resource coordination.
• UAT: Structured user acceptance test with key users per business area, test cases per invoice scenario, and consolidated test results for decision making.
• Defect management: Handover and tracking of defects in Jira, including validation of the generated invoices against the statutory schemas.
• Cutover, go-live and hypercare: Readiness checks and cutover planning aligned with the statutory deadlines, coordination of go-live and stabilization during hypercare.
• Stakeholder management and reporting: Alignment with Finance, Tax, business departments and IT, preparation of status reports and decision papers, and consistent follow-up of open items.
• Change management and documentation: Communicated process changes to the business departments, enabled key users, and created process and compliance documentation to ensure traceability and audit readiness.

• Consulting, training and coaching in the financial sector on strategy, organization and IT topics

• MorgenFund: Advising the operator of a fund platform on software selection for a sub-ledger "Cash Accounts" based on virtual IBANs (VIBAN)

• Structuring requirements, market screening, preparing RfIs, communicating with vendors and conducting the selection process

• UniCredit/HypoVereinsbank: Workstream Lead "Booking and Customer Reporting" in the payment transformation project "PULS"

• Business analysis, preparing business requirements and coordinating the solution items as part of the functional specification with the bank's IT service providers

• Business analysis of SEPA CT and SWIFT MX (.camt-, .pain- and .pacs- formats), change management, team leadership for a virtual team of fifteen line experts and stakeholder management

• equensWorldline Germany: Program management for three projects of the SWIFT Service Bureau (CBPR+, ESMIG and Euro1Step1 migration) as part of the SWIFT MX migration

• Managing individual project leads with regard to cross-project goals and requirements; reporting to internal and external committees and stakeholders; coordination with dependent projects and programs

• Project management/PMO: Interim project management, deputizing for project leads, resource planning, budget and cost management, general PMO activities