Jürgen Schneider

Interim CFO

“Numbers, that decide”

Board-ready IFRS & Governance under decision and liability pressure
Accounting stabilization and IFRS compliance within 3 months
SAP, IPO, PE | industrial, commercial, service | ≥100 FTE, ≥100m CHF

I offer Interim CFO services, IFRS expertise, and financial governance solutions for industrial, commercial, and service companies, particularly medium-sized and international groups, private-equity portfolios, and businesses facing complex financial situations.

I help companies stabilize their finance functions, ensure IFRS compliance, strengthen financial reporting, and establish reliable decision-making structures.

My key promise: Within approximately three months, I can establish reliable financial figures, strengthen accounting and reporting processes, and restore management’s ability to make informed decisions.

My services cover:

Investor and board-level reporting

Interim CFO and senior finance leadership

IFRS implementation, conversion, and compliance

Financial reporting and accounting stabilization

IPO preparation and capital-market readiness

Financial restructuring and turnaround support

Corporate governance and internal controls

M&A accounting and financial integration

Magna International (Change Manager, global JIS/JIT coordination, 3 continents, EUR 100M annual revenue secured) · MAHLE Behr (Process development, cockpit product line, two greenfield projects at EUR 8M and EUR 60M, built own logistics database since 2002) · HBPO/Plastic Omnium (Change & Ramp-up Manager, Porsche Taycan cockpit) · SMP Deutschland/Samvardhana Motherson (Project Manager, master schedule across seven project leads) · BorgWarner Drivetrain Engineering (Investment assessment, EUR 32M VW hybrid module).

Interim CFO, Member of Executive Board – International Travel Catering Group, Switzerland/Germany

Interim CFO, Member of Executive Board – Mechanical Engineering Company, Switzerland

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My professional experience covers a broad range of industries and business environments:

  • Industrial & Manufacturing: Mechanical engineering, industrial manufacturing, piping systems, and technical inspection services.
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences: Medical technology, microelectronics, and biopharmaceuticals.
  • Technology: Health-tech, fintech, and software companies.
  • Commercial & Services: Travel catering, international service groups, and commercial businesses.
  • Financial Services: International insurance and financial reporting.
  • Real Estate & Investment: Hotels, resorts, tourism, and large-scale investment projects.

I have extensive experience working with international groups, listed companies, private-equity-backed businesses, start-ups, and SMEs.

PhD in Economics and Business Administration (Dr. rer. pol.)
University of Łódź, Poland | 1998–2000

  • Dissertation: Success factors of supervisory functions of corporate governance bodies in international comparison.
  • Research focus: Corporate governance in Germany, the USA, Switzerland, and France.

Diplom-Kaufmann (MBA equivalent)
University of Siegen, Germany | 1987–1994

Thesis: Swiss corporate law – an alternative for German entrepreneurs

Focus: Accounting, auditing, tax law, commercial law, and business law.

My professional qualifications are supported by my PhD, business administration degree, extensive senior management experience, and practical expertise in IFRS, accounting, auditing, taxation, and corporate governance.

SAP and ERP-related finance environments.

Financial reporting and accounting systems.

ERP implementation and process integration.

Management reporting and KPI systems.

Financial planning and consolidation frameworks.

Reporting and control tools for international group structures.

I help companies overcome critical financial and organizational challenges, especially when reliable financial information and effective management control are essential.

Typical problems I solve include:

  • Unreliable financial statements, accounting weaknesses, and IFRS compliance risks.
  • Finance departments suffering from staff shortages, leadership changes, or organizational instability.
  • Delayed financial closing and reporting processes.
  • Lack of transparency regarding profitability, cash flow, liquidity, and financial risks.
  • Insufficient financial governance and weak internal controls.
  • Difficulties meeting investor, board, bank, and regulatory reporting requirements.
  • Complex IFRS conversions, IPO preparations, and capital-market requirements.
  • Financial integration challenges following acquisitions, restructuring, or organizational changes.
  • Lack of reliable financial information for strategic decisions and business turnarounds.

I am particularly valuable when management, boards, investors, or banks need reliable numbers under time pressure and cannot afford financial uncertainty

I bring a combination of strategic financial leadership, deep technical IFRS expertise, auditing experience, and hands-on operational execution.

My added value includes:

  • Fast stabilization: Restoring financial operations and reporting reliability, often within two to three months.
  • Decision confidence: Providing CEOs, boards, investors, and banks with transparent, accurate, and decision-ready financial information.
  • Risk reduction: Strengthening compliance, internal controls, governance, and audit readiness.
  • Operational efficiency: Improving financial closing processes, reporting structures, and team performance.
  • Investor confidence: Preparing reliable financial information for private-equity investors, capital increases, IPOs, and other financing activities.
  • Sustainable results: Building finance organizations and processes that continue to operate effectively after my assignment ends.

Examples of measurable results include reducing financial closing time from 12 days to 3 days, achieving approximately 30% sustainable cost reductions, and establishing reliable reporting processes within three months.

My approach combines three perspectives that are rarely found together in one professional profile:

  1. CFO perspective: Understanding what management, boards, owners, and investors need to make sound business decisions.
  2. Auditor perspective: Identifying accounting weaknesses, compliance risks, and governance issues before they become serious problems.
  3. Hands-on implementation: Working directly with existing finance teams to solve problems, improve processes, and deliver measurable results.

I do not simply produce more financial reports. I ensure that the numbers are reliable, understandable, and genuinely useful for decision-making.

My assignments are focused on achieving tangible improvements within a short timeframe while establishing sustainable structures for the future.

I follow a structured, pragmatic, and results-oriented approach consisting of three main phases:

1. Diagnosis

  • Analyze the existing finance organization, accounting processes, and reporting structures.
  • Identify financial, operational, compliance, and governance risks.
  • Assess data quality, internal controls, and reporting reliability.
  • Define priorities and immediate corrective actions.

2. Stabilization

  • Strengthen accounting and financial reporting processes.
  • Clarify roles, responsibilities, and accountability.
  • Improve financial closing, consolidation, and KPI reporting.
  • Establish transparency regarding cash flow, liquidity, profitability, and risks.
  • Ensure IFRS compliance and audit readiness.

3. Governance Setup & Handover

  • Establish sustainable financial processes and internal controls.
  • Implement clear reporting standards and management routines.
  • Strengthen investor, board, and management reporting.
  • Document responsibilities, processes, and procedures.
  • Transfer knowledge and ensure the finance team can operate independently.

My approach is practical and hands-on, working with the existing team rather than imposing solutions from above.

Over the next 1.5–3 years, I aim to further strengthen my position as a trusted Interim CFO and IFRS expert for international companies, private-equity-backed businesses, and organizations facing complex financial or governance challenges.

  • Governance stabilized after CFO drop‑out; resolved decision
    vacuum
  • PE portfolio: built the finance backbone for a bio‑pharma start‑up
    in < 9 months.
  • Annual financial statements rescued, audit alarm defused:
    Restructuring under audit and liability pressure in < 6 months
  • Close‑time sprint under decision and liability pressure: accelerated
    financial close from 12 to 3 days in an industrial group.
  • IPO and IFRS conversion: positioned a MedTech company for the
    capital markets in < 1 year

Strategic and analytical thinking.

Strong leadership and team-building capabilities.

Clear communication with executives, boards, investors, and auditors.

Excellent problem-solving skills, especially in complex and high-pressure situations.

Strong sense of responsibility, accountability, and professional integrity.

Ability to quickly understand complex business environments.

Structured, pragmatic, and results-oriented working style.

Intercultural communication and international collaboration.

Knowledge transfer, coaching, and teaching capabilities.

Ability to combine technical financial expertise with business-oriented decision-making.

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Position: Interim CFO
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