Julian Cornelissen
Lawyer & Tax Advisor | Co-Founder & Managing Partner
CFO-Services
Companies in transition situations (from individual issues to a full-blown (pre-insolvency) crisis situation) need more than classic consulting – they need leaders who take action. Our CFO Services combine operational capability with strategic foresight: Whether as interim managing director, commercial manager, or Chief Restructuring Officer – we take responsibility where it is needed most urgently.
As part of horizon-re, our interim managers and CFO experts work hand in hand with the legal and business teams of the firm. This creates what forms the core of horizon-re: interdisciplinary consulting from a single source – proven in practice, solution-oriented, and always in the interest of the company.
We do not just present concepts, we also implement them. Our CFO Services mean: immediate operational capability, measurable results, and a team that speaks the language of all stakeholders – from management to banks to works councils and courts. All of this from the perspective of and together with the entrepreneur/shareholder.
Frequently Asked Questions about our CFO Services
From when does a CFO mandate with horizon-re GmbH make sense?
A mandate always makes sense when commercial leadership competence is needed but cannot or should not be permanently maintained within the company, whether to bridge a vacancy, during a restructuring phase, or to prepare a strategic transaction. Our experience shows: the earlier we are involved, the greater the scope for action. Those who wait until liquidity becomes critical lose valuable options.
What distinguishes horizon-re GmbH from a classic interim management agency?
Classic agencies mediate individuals. We bring an interdisciplinary team: The operational CFO works closely with our lawyers and tax advisors from day one without interface losses, without parallel fee structures. Especially in complex situations, restructuring, distressed M&A, compliance issues, this integration is the decisive difference.
How quickly can horizon-re become operationally capable?
Within a few days. Our approach is designed for rapid onboarding: We immediately analyze the commercial situation, secure day-to-day business, and simultaneously implement initial structural measures. In acute crisis situations, such as impending insolvency, we begin with immediate liquidity securing measures even before a complete restructuring plan is in place.
For which company sizes and industries does horizon-re GmbH work?
Our mandates typically operate within the German mid-sized sector — from high-growth startups to established companies with several hundred employees. Industry focuses include mechanical engineering, the food industry, automotive, FMCG, and medical technology — but the core of our work, commercial management in times of change, is applicable across industries.
How is the collaboration with the existing management structured?
We see ourselves as an extension of the entrepreneur and management — not as an external control body. Our CFO mandates are explicitly designed from the shareholder's perspective: We speak the language of all stakeholders, from employees to banks to works councils and courts, and ensure that management retains full decision-making authority at every stage.
How does horizon-re GmbH support private equity investors and their portfolio companies?
PE investors regularly face the same challenge in portfolio companies: The operational value creation plan is in place, but the commercial management structure within the company does not support it. horizon-re closes exactly this gap.
We take on CFO or CRO mandates in portfolio companies and deliver what PE firms need from day one: reliable reporting, clean liquidity management, and a financial structure that supports investor and bank discussions. At the same time, we bring the legal and tax expertise required immediately in distressed situations, add-on transactions, or exit preparations — without the investor having to coordinate multiple mandates simultaneously.
Our service offering for PE portfolio companies includes in particular:
- Distressed situations in the portfolio — when creditor, bank, and possibly StaRUG processes need to be managed alongside operational stabilization
- Buy-and-build strategies — post-merger integration, harmonization of controlling and ERP structures across multiple units
- Exit preparation — establishing clean financial reporting, cleaning up tax legacy issues, preparing vendor due diligence
We think like an investor, act like an entrepreneur — and deliver the substance that supports a process.