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Edwin Petersen, Finance Expert in Heerlen, Netherlands
Edwin Petersen

Finance Expert in Heerlen, Netherlands

Member since October 5, 2017
Edwin has 20+ years of international finance experience across industries including over a decade of experience as a CFO. He has managed teams and used his financial and operational skills to restructure a subsidiary of Amadeus ITG, resulting in savings of €2.5 million per annum. A recognized top performer, Edwin leverages his FP&A, modeling and price analysis expertise to support the optimization and growth of client businesses as a freelancer.
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Career Highlights

Education

Select Certifications

Case studies

Industry Expertise

  • Accounting Services
  • Travel Agencies & Services
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Freight & Logistics Services
  • eCommerce
  • Financial Modeling
  • Startups
  • Information Technology

Other Expertise

Employment

  • Owner and CEO

    2016 - PRESENT
    Natural Sweet
    • Established an SEO strategy that resulted in high keyword conversion and strong organic traffic while implementing a KPI dashboard that leveraged Google Data Studio and Google Analytics to monitor advertising spend ROI.
    • Created an accurate-and-detailed business plan and ensured that execution adhered to the proposed strategy.
    • Negotiated contracts with vendors driving a reduction in costs and an increase in gross margin.
    • Built the website and a system that enabled the complete automation of shipping and invoicing functions.
    • Implemented a highly automated accounting system that provides legal and statutory reports.
    Focus areas: Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Marketing, Finance Strategy

  • Head of Finance

    2010 - 2015
    Traveltainment GmbH
    • Implemented SAP FI&CO which enabled the business to reduce headcount via improved automation and introduced increased efficiency to business processes.
    • Implemented a comprehensive KPI dashboard that improved management decision-making and enhanced operational execution.
    • Built a financial model and supporting analysis that enabled the business to maximize customer-level profitability including a 3% gross margin increase for a significant customer.
    • Created product-level income statements to ensure that resources were allocated to the products with the highest profitability, resulting in an enterprise-wide improvement in gross profit.
    • Implemented multiple transfer pricing agreements that resulted in the one-time tax saving of 3.4€ million and ongoing yearly tax savings of 1€+ million.
    Focus areas: Budgeting, Forecasting, Taxation, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), CFO

  • CFO

    2005 - 2010
    Fort Dodge Animal Health
    • Implemented an accurate FP&A process that was critical in ensuring the approval of investment plans by the executive staff.
    • Implemented multiple software systems including customer relationship management and business intelligence platforms that led to improved customer engagement and an increase in revenue.
    • Optimized distribution costs by proactively managing the geographic footprint of various warehouses, enabling the Austrian business to increase gross margin from 10% to 35%.
    • Obtained a tender from the Dutch government that enabled the generation of 3€ million of incremental revenues.
    • Implemented a comprehensive KPI dashboard that improved the quality and speed of managerial decision-making.
    Focus areas: Internal Audits, Taxation, CFO, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

  • Finance Manager, EMEA

    1999 - 2005
    Fort Dodge Animal Health
    • Collected 10€+ million of accounts previously categorized as bad debt from difficult debtors in foreign regions such as the Middle East and North Africa.
    • Implemented a vendor managed inventory strategy helping to lower the frequency and method of transportation, resulting in a 20% reduction in distribution costs.
    • Led negotiations with distributors that helped to increase the selling prices by up to 10%.
    • Managed due diligence on new and existing distributors to ensure that distributors were not engaging in business with sanctioned countries or organizations.
    • Implemented SOX-compliant internal controls that helped to mitigate the high-risk of corruption and fraud prevalent in the business.
    Focus areas: Budgeting, Business Planning, Strategic Planning & Execution, Accounting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Credit Control, Financial Management

Other Experience

  • Adapting for Success – A Guide to Change Management (Publication)
    https://www.toptal.com/finance/interim-cfos/change-management
    With today’s rapid pace of technological progress, organizational change is perhaps more necessary than it ever has been. But change is hard. Countless studies show that more often than not, corporations fail to implement change successfully, losing money, time, and employee morale in the process. Based on his 20+ years of international finance experience across a range of industries, and over a decade of experience as a CFO, Toptal Finance Expert Edwin Petersen outlines his thoughts on why change management often fails and how to get it right.

Education

  • Master's Degree in Finance, Accounting, and Investments
    1994 - 1996
    University of Groningen - Groningen, The Netherlands
  • Bachelor's Degree in Business Economics
    1990 - 1994
    Hogeschool Utrecht - Utrecht, The Netherlands

Certifications

  • IFRS Masterclass
    JUNE 2010 - PRESENT
    PricewaterhouseCoopers

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