Dr. Eric Bernhard

Experienced board member (executive board and supervisory board) in stock-listed corporations and family businesses, with an international curriculum as CEO (Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board), broad industry experience, and strong operational and financial skills.

Proven track record in the management and development of manufacturing and engineering companies, including turnarounds, implementation of growth strategies, earnings and cash flow improvements, business transformation and M&A. Expertise in strategy development, digitalisation and automation, financing strategies and their implementation with financial instruments, corporate governance and compliance, as well as sustainability.

Example of corporate transformation:

CEO mandate as Chief Executive Officer of GESCO AG (fixed-term contract 2016-2018)

Development and implementation of a new Group strategy that lead the Group after years of sales stagnation and declining results through a literal relaunch, putting the company back on the track of profitable growth - through business portfolio streamlining, restructuring, operational improvement measures, focus on target markets, sales and pricing initiatives, automation, digitalisation and M&A.

The published Group figures reflect the extent and success of the strategic and operational transformation:
- Net profit more than tripled in 2018 vs. 2016, with 2018 marking the best annual result in the Group's history to date
- 2018 vs. 2016 revenue growth of +19%, de facto organic with only approx. 3% market growth
- New confidence in the share: All analysts raised their share target prices and upgraded their ratings from "hold" to "buy", and the share price outperformed the market and established a new historic all-time high in December 2017
- Cultural change towards a performance culture with results orientation and focus on profitable growth and cost efficiency

GESCO AG published on its website in 2017:

Capital Market Reference
(Excerpt from an analyst report published by Gesco 10/2017, with comments in retrospect on the years 2016-2018)

It excites me to master corporate challenges.

The requirements of the company determine the focus of my contribution: ranging from strategy development, via organic growth or M&A including due diligence and post-merger integration, via innovation, efficiency boosting and improvement programmes, to a consistent turnaround and new profitable growth. Implementation included.

Whether as Executive Officer or Managing Director in the company's management, whether on an interim basis or with a full contractual mandate, whether on the Supervisory Board or Advisory Board, whether as a Board Member or as the Chairman of the Board - or in a purely consulting role as Executive Advisor. The situation of your company is decisive for the role in which I can contribute in the most effective way.

The task must fit for a collaboration to be considered. In case of your interest, we can examine this together. Confidentiality guaranteed.

Contact request by e-mail

Publications

Corporate Recovery -
Tough times call for tough action

If the collapse of a company is imminent, rigorous action is required under extreme time pressure. Conventional decision-making processes must be overruled. They are substituted by centralised decision-making and enforcement with a very high degree of operational involvement by top management. The article is an experience report on supporting companies in crisis situations and provides insights into corporate management in volatile times and disruptive environments, from the active design of successful turnarounds to the sustainable generation of new profitable growth. Read as PDF..

Crisis management -
Effective turnaround approaches

As a compendium of renowned authors from science, business and politics, this book illustrates the process of crisis management from business, economic and legal perspectives: identifying corporate crises, strategies and measures for crisis prevention and for coping with corporate crises. Practical examples illustrate how corporations have successfully achieved a turnaround through consistent strategic crisis management. More details at Amazon..

Art as an Investment - Art Market Funds as Link between Art and Capital Markets

This financial investment book analyses cycles, structural breaks, return and risk on the art market and proves that, despite medium and long-term cycles, the art market has been in a steep upward trend unbroken for decades. Art is thus highly attractive for the modern investor who seeks to optimise his portfolio. The presented art market fund concept provides detailed guidelines for its professional launch in practice. More details at Amazon..

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