1) Client situation (anonymised):

A family-owned European automation products group operated a major manufacturing plant in the Romania.

The plant was part of a complex international group with dozens of legal entities, multiple ERP systems, and a French headquarters.

Several accounting team members resigned during a wider finance transformation involving SAP S/4HANA, electronic invoicing, and a new shared service center in Poland.

The immediate priority was leadership transition continuity before the year-end close, statutory deadlines, and system cutover.

2) The challenge:

• The head of accounting and several accountants were preparing to leave / already left.
• The remaining plant finance team had been reduced to three or four people.
• Year-end close, audit support, tax filings, and statutory reporting had to continue without disruption.
• SAP S/4HANA and electronic invoicing were approaching critical implementation stages.
• Accounting and FP&A had recently been separated, creating new responsibilities and reporting lines.
• Local finance teams were adjusting to centralized control from group finance.
• Resistance to the shared service model was affecting morale and increasing attrition risk.
• Headquarters, plant leadership, external advisors, and implementation teams required coordinated decisions.

3) Interim role delivered (speed and fit):

CE Interim supported the rapid deployment of an Interim Transformation Manager for Plant Finance Area, operating as Interim CFO.

The documented assignment was designed as a four-to-six-month transition mandate, reflecting the explicit requirement to bridge the leadership gap.

The selected profile combined local statutory accounting knowledge, IFRS reporting experience, manufacturing finance credibility, and hands-on team leadership.

Previous experience included SAP environments, Hyperion reporting, audit preparation, team rebuilding, and coordination between headquarters and local operations.

Local residency and familiarity with the Romanian business environment reduced compliance and cultural risk.

The hybrid model included at least three days per week at the plant, with increased on-site presence during close periods and cutover activity.

4) What happened during the mandate:

First 30 days

The source transcript covers selection and mobilization rather than completed delivery. The first 30 days were structured to include:

• Complete a controlled handover with the departing head of accounting.
• Confirm ownership of monthly close, quarterly balance sheet reporting, tax submissions, and statutory filings.
• Assess the capacity, responsibilities, and retention risk of the remaining accounting team.
• Establish direct working routines with the plant head, FP&A lead, regional finance, and global accounting.
• Review open SAP S/4HANA and electronic invoicing issues affecting accounting and local compliance.
• Set a daily control rhythm for year-end preparation, reconciliations, and audit requests.

First 6 months

Across the planned four-to-six-month bridge, the mandate was designed to:

• Maintain the faster monthly and quarterly close cadence already established by the group.
• Lead the local accounting workstream through SAP S/4HANA and electronic invoicing preparation.
• Coordinate external advisors, central IT, SAP consultants, and local compliance specialists.
• Rebuild the accounting team while permanent recruitment continued in parallel.
• Maintain IFRS consolidation reporting and complete local statutory obligations.
• Prepare clear process ownership between the plant, group finance, and the new shared service center.

6+ months

• Delivery beyond six months was not part of the documented mandate.
• Any extension would depend on the timing of permanent recruitment and system stabilization.
• The intended steady state was a permanent local accounting team working effectively with regional finance and the shared service center.

Handover and exit

• Transfer close calendars, reconciliation files, reporting instructions, and compliance responsibilities to permanent hires.
• Document remaining SAP, electronic invoicing, audit, and shared service actions.
• Confirm clear ownership across local accounting, FP&A, regional finance, and the shared service center.
• Exit after permanent leadership had assumed control and critical deliverables had a reliable owner.

5) Actions taken (execution focus):

• Defined a structured handover before the incumbent accounting leader’s departure.
• Clarified accountability for monthly profit and loss close and quarterly balance sheet reporting.
• Established oversight of local tax, electronic invoicing, and statutory filing requirements.
• Connected local accounting activity with IFRS consolidation reporting through the group reporting system.
• Prioritized intercompany and balance sheet reconciliations ahead of close and audit deadlines.
• Set an on-site leadership rhythm for close periods, year-end, and system cutovers.
• Coordinated plant leadership, FP&A, regional finance, headquarters, and external advisors.
• Addressed team concerns about centralization and the shared service transition directly.
• Supported permanent recruitment without forcing a rushed long-term appointment.
• Prepared accounting processes and responsibilities for eventual transfer to the shared service model.

6) Outcomes achieved (measurable proof):

The transcript documents the mobilization and selection stage, not verified post-mandate results. The confirmed outcomes at that stage were:

• A locally based interim accounting leader with relevant manufacturing and statutory experience was advanced for final local validation.
• Candidate availability matched the required handover period before the incumbent’s departure.
• The proposed interim accepted the required hybrid and plant-based working model.
• The client preserved time for a controlled permanent search rather than making an urgent long-term hire.
• Existing close performance was protected as a defined mandate priority.
• The group had already reduced monthly and quarterly close cycles by roughly half before the leadership gap emerged.
• Group-wide on-time reporting had risen from a low starting point to above four-fifths, creating a clear performance baseline to maintain.
• Permanent recruitment and external advisory support were aligned as parallel workstreams.
• Local compliance, audit readiness, and SAP cutover risk were made explicit before deployment.

7) Why CE Interim:

CE Interim moved quickly with a senior profile suited to plant finance area, SAP implementation, team rebuilding, and system transition.

The fit was based on local compliance knowledge, manufacturing experience, IFRS reporting, and cross-border stakeholder management rather than title alone.

The deployment process balanced speed with essential validation by plant leadership, HR, and local finance stakeholders.

This gave headquarters a credible route to restore control without bypassing the people responsible for execution on the ground.

8) Call to action:

If you need an Interim CFO or Interim Finance Manager to protect close, compliance, and SAP delivery during a cross-border finance leadership transition, CE Interim can deploy a precisely matched executive quickly and safely.

CE Interim delivers proven executive interim leaders within 72 hours across borders, cultures, and industries. We specialize in high-impact interim management for private equity firms, family offices, and global corporations facing moments of transition: digital transformation, market entry, operational turnaround, post-merger integration, or crisis.

What sets us apart is not just the speed or depth of our network, it’s how we lead. Every engagement is personally guided by a CE Interim managing partner: former CEOs, CFOs, or COOs who’ve been on your side of the table, steering organizations through high-stakes decisions.

With a global talent pool and operational reach spanning Europe, the USA, and the Middle East, we don’t fill roles, we build trust, lead transitions, and deliver outcomes.

As part of the Valtus Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of Executive Interim Management companies, we ensure seamless international execution through 25+ offices and 80+ senior partners in over 50 countries.

Executive Leadership Breaking Borders. Outcomes Without Compromise.