Jan Dekempe is a results-driven Senior Finance Executive with extensive international experience leading global and regional finance teams for top multinational corporations in the chemicals, manufacturing, and logistics industries. He has a long experience in change management and has led several major restructurings and fast-growth projects. He has recently left his role as CFO / VP of Logistics & Services at A.P. Moller Maersk in Denmark, where he ensured that the right teams, settings and KPIs were in place to enable a rapid growth. Within three years, they had grown the business by 250% with an exceptional EBIT margin.
You have an impressive background as a Senior Finance Executive, with extensive experience in leading global and regional finance teams for multinational corporations across various industries. Can you tell us more about your journey and the projects you’ve been involved in?
“Throughout my career,I’ve headed numerous change management initiatives, led major restructurings, and directed fast growth projects. One notable example was when I led a restructuring initiative for a company in the USA that was on the brink of bankruptcy, with a loss of 37 million dollars. Despite facing significant challenges, including inefficiencies across four business areas and poorly established processes, we were able to turn the business around within a year, thanks to strategic interventions and a focus on operational excellence. The role started as an interim assignment by recommendation by the management consulting firm Roland Berger, and already after a year, the business showed black figures and a positive cash flow. I was then asked to stay as their regional CFO for the Americas.”
Could you elaborate on some of the challenges you encountered during that restructuring process?
“One of the main challenges was addressing the inefficiencies within the company, particularly in its logistics operations. In a low-margin industry like logistics, it’s crucial for processes to run efficiently to ensure profitability. Continuous improvements are required, and it’s necessary to thoroughly investigate the causes of problems and why you lose or not make enough money. I conducted an analysis of the three most important business areas to set a strategy for the entire operation. The company was based in the USA for all the operations. The administration in the shared service centre in Costa Rica, but processes were not properly established, and nothing was working smoothly. I flew there once a month to train the staff and implement new processes and structures and connect these with the branches in the USA. Our bank had agreed to provide short-term financing, but due to the poor processes, the money injections stopped. Short term, to improve liquidity, we had to fix process first and sell some of the properties we owned to continue operations.”
In your next step, you led the restructuring of FedEx in the USA, can you tell us more about that?
“At FedEx, we focused on identifying the root causes of financial losses and implementing cost optimization measures. One significant step was relocating our expensive shared service centre from Buffalo, NY to Budapest, which significantly reduced operational costs, costing us a quarter of what it did before. By aligning our efforts with areas generating the most profitable sales, we were able to steer the company in the right direction and achieve positive results.”
Moving forward, what are your plans and aspirations?
“Looking ahead, I’m excited about the prospect of taking on new interim assignments in restructuring, turnaround, and fast growth projects within medium and large companies. My multiple language skills (English, German, Dutch and French) and global experience could be of help when for international companies.
Finally, you’ve lived in various countries throughout your career. Which one stands out to you the most?
“Warsaw was wonderful, and at that time, there was an emerging market with constantly new things going on and a strong growth in our businesses which we grew from 45 million dollars to 240 million dollars in three years. I met my wife in Warsaw, so it is a special place to me. I also enjoyed living in New York very much, it is a fascinating city that never sleeps. The vibe of the city is amazing, the weather is nice, and the service is outstanding. I lived in Brooklyn, Parkslope right by the Prospect Park which is a smaller version of Central Park with a lake and a zoo, and which was designed by the same architect. It was a great place to raise our children.”