Fairtrade International

As interim CFO, Ruben Faust led finance, controlling, IT, HR and legal at Fairtrade International – a global NGO based in Bonn (€15m revenue, 80 employees) – over 36 months. The reporting line was to the CEO and finance committee.

Situation

The international membership organisation needed a modern, globally viable finance and IT landscape as well as a new business line – amid complex governance across many countries.

Challenge & Brief

The brief: lead finance, controlling, IT, HR and legal, roll out a global cloud-based ERP, realign the IT landscape and build the new business line – the Fairtrade Sourcing Programme (FSP).

Approach & Result

Ruben Faust led the commercial functions, implemented a global cloud ERP (Oracle NetSuite), realigned IT, established compliance governance and built the new FSP business line.

Achievements & Business-Partnering Results

• Management of finance, controlling, IT, HR, legal and general services
• Development of a new business line: Fairtrade Sourcing Programme (FSP)
• Implementation of a global cloud-based ERP system
• Restructuring and realignment of the IT landscape
• Strategic planning and compliance governance for the global organisation

• FAQ: Can an interim CFO lead an ERP implementation?
• FAQ: Which industries benefit most?
• FAQ: How long does a typical mandate last?
• Guide: new implementation, migration or optimisation

»Thanks to his excellent strategic, conceptual and technical abilities, very complex tasks were handled reliably, successfully and swiftly.«— Martin Hill, CEO, Fairtrade International