Finance Transformation Is Not an IT Project. It Is a Leadership Decision.

Bilingual (English/German) practitioner article on building an international finance function from the ground up. Drawing on more than fifteen years in international finance, from Big Four audit and advisory to finance leadership in construction, logistics, aviation and energy, the author argues that finance transformation is a leadership decision rather than an IT project. The article covers establishing one financial language across entities and borders (consistent cost classifications, named data owners, harmonised cut-offs), disciplined daily cash and liquidity management, ERP implementation as a process and governance exercise, and the responsible use of AI in finance, with the aim of moving Finance from documenting what happened to helping the business decide what should happen next.