Erwin de Groot so far

After my military services I started to follow evening studies.
BKB, PDB, MBA and SPD were achieved this way.
I have gained my work experience at VU Medical Centre at patients administration (2 years), at Media Exposure as debtors / creditors administrator (4 years), at Media Exposure as Controller (seconded by Mediapolis, 3 years) and 12 years at Havas Media as Finance Manager.
After this I did some interim jobs.
All of them were related to improvement of processes and reporting, including guiding and coaching staff in the new way of working.

As I worked at several levels I have obtained a good helicopter view of what's happening at all levels and several departments within an organisation.
This helps me to understand the processes very quickly and allows me to find solutions for all kind of issues.

Main activities and responsibilities as Finance Manager

Reporting local and group

• After discussing the P&L with the local CEO the numbers were filled by the controller in SAP Financial Consolidation. I checked and published them.
  This must be done around the 5th working day of the next month.
• Around the 10th of each month there was a local MT meeting in which we discussed the figures and customer development.
• All balance sheet accounts were every month reconciled and checked by me.
• Each quarter closing we had to report the balance sheet.
• Each quarter intercompany statements with our sister companies at home and abroad.
• Each quarter we had a contribution margin (per customer) reporting.
• 4 times a year we had a budget (update) return. Internal meetings with Account Directors, Managing Directors and the CEO (client billings and revenues, compensation costs and other expenses).
• Budget meeting with our regional CEO and CFO / COO.
• Weekly cash forecast to be send to Havas HQ (Paris) as part of the international cash pool (successor of local cash pool).
• For all other topics I had contact with Havas Media HQ (financial) in Madrid.

Other items

• Targets for "average cash per Q" and "cash at books" at the end of each Q from Havas Media HQ.
• Related to investments we had to follow the Havas guidelines (% of income).
• For legal issues (customer contracts, corporate law and labour) I had contact with a law firm.
• Contact with local bank, (credit) insurance companies, pension fund and other main suppliers.
• Control on monthly HR changes before the salaries were sent.
• Contact with the tax authorities (Belastingdienst).
  We were qualified for Horizontal Supervision (Horizontaal Toezicht).
• Group reporting under IFRS (when Havas was listed on the NY SE also SOX and US GAAP).
• Preparation of consolidated Annual Report (Dutch Gaap) of 3 private companies that were a fiscal unit. Auditors only checked it and signed it off.
• Contact with tax auditors. Based on the Annual Report and additional information they filled the corporate tax declaration.