Experience

• 

  ABB

  • Switzerland
  • Automation Machinery Manufacturing
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Group Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Real Estate

    • Oct 2006 - Dec 2023

    Transformed the activities from a traditional and local operation into an effective and world class global Real Estate function. Close to 300 people and a real estate portfolio under management at its peak of $10 billion. Significant efficiency improvements of 50-60 basis points of ABBs margin translating to some $150 million in annual cost savings. Monetizing through divestments of real estate assets which generated capital gain of more than $0.5 billion.

  • Chief Financial Officer for the US and North America

    • Jan 2002 - Oct 2006

    Direct responsibility for Finance, Treasury, Controlling, Accounting, Tax, Risk Management, Real Estate, M&A and Shared Service at ABB in North America. Total revenue for ABB in North America amounts to $4 billion with 12,000 employees. In addition, as a CFO for the region, one act as a strategic business partner to the CEO. I was a member of the North America Executive Committee and the North American Governance Committee. Served as Board member of ABB Holdings Inc., ABB Inc. (USA) and ABB Inc. (Canada). Accomplishments include:• Financial turnaround with an EBIT improvement of some $250 million.• Cost saving program with net savings in the US of $175 million.• Successful sale of the Vetco Group. • Integrated Corporate Functions along the North America structure.

  • Group Vice president and Corporate Controller, Head of Group Function Controlling

    • Jan 2000 - Dec 2001

    Responsible for ABB’s worldwide Corporate Control function. Revenues for the ABB Group in 2001 were about $24 billion and some 157,000 employees.• The Group Function Controlling is responsible of the accounting, reporting, consolidation, and control of ABB’s more than 1000 subsidiaries. • Shifting over the accounting from International Accounting Standard to US GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) in 2000.• Listing of ABB shares on the New York Stock exchange (NYSE) on April 6, 2001.• Close cooperation with our Investor Relation department in dealings with investors and analysts.• Member of Task Force Mergers and Acquisition who reviews all acquisitions, joint ventures, and divestments.

  • Vice President and CFO, Division Petroleum, Chemical and Consumer Industries

    • Jan 1999 - Jan 2000

    Responsible for Business Control and Finance in the Division Petroleum, Chemical and Consumer Industries. The role was very operational including incorporation of the newly acquired Elsag Bailey Process Automation Group. Total revenue for the Division in 1999 reached $750 million with about 3,500 employees. In addition to the CFO function, I was responsible for the Y2K project.

  • Various CFO and Business Controller positions

    • Jun 1985 - Dec 1998

    Chief Financial Officer, ABB Mexico• Responsibility for Finance, Control, Tax, Real Estate, and Administration at ABB Mexico with some 1,300 employeesBusiness Controller, the Americas Region• Responsibility for Business Control activities in the American region with a combined revenue of about $6.5 billion and some 25,000 employeesVice President and Chief Financial Officer, ABB Southeast Asia• CFO for the operations in the region which included Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines• Revenues of ca $400 million and 4,000 employeesAssistant Vice President, Head of Financial reporting and Consolidation, ABB Group• Incorporations into financial system of some 60 acquisitions• Cycle time of financial closing shortened by one third• Development of the Accounting and Corporate Reporting system (ABACUS)• Development of ABB group Accounting principlesCorporate Control ASEA AB• Premerger preparation of ASEA and BBC• Corporate Financial Trainee in Västerås, Sweden and Sao Paulo, Brazil