The Fearless CFO with Herman Hanssen

Last week I visited our team in the Netherlands to present our service portfolio to the sales team at our partner NetSuite. It was not just about slides and solutions – it was about real conversations. About market opportunities, about how to win together, and about what the market needs right now and in the near future. These kinds of trips energize me. Seeing our team in action. To go Gemba and feel the market momentum. Having face-to-face conversations that matter. As CFOs, it can be tempting to stay behind the screens. But business isn’t built in spreadsheets; it's built in the market. Financials are the outcome of decisions made where the customer is. How to drive impact as a CFO? Get out of the office, have a solid ERP, empower your team, visit the market yourself. Better not just to review numbers but to shape them. Herman Hanssen #CFOLeadership #BusinessGrowth #MarketInsights #ERPSystems #GoGemba #TheNetherlands

A strong year starts with a strong first quarter. March is a critical month to drive financial performance, implement change, and set the foundation for exceeding expectations. Why is this so important? Early change yields long-term gains. Implementing improvements now ensures benefits will come in during the year. Too often, we delay because we are focusing on fire-fighting and operational matters too much. Momentum builds confidence. A strong Q1 energizes leaders and their teams, driving focus and building trust in execution. A slow start, on the other hand, creates doubts and internal friction. Financial stability fuels growth. Strong early performance secures cash flow stability, reducing pressure and building flexibility for strategic investments. By starting proactively, we are not just reacting to the market - we are looking ahead and leading it. What strategies are you using to kickstart the year? Herman Hanssen #CFOLeadership #BusinessGrowth #FinancialStrategy #Ducati Ducati Motor Holding

For me, a balanced lifestyle means working hard while also making time to relax, grow personally, and commit to family. It’s about both receiving and giving. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of traveling the world, coaching on personal resilience, and gaining business experience that has helped companies to grow. I was fortunate to have inspiring leaders and mentors who invested in me, and I have always believed in giving back. That’s why I am dedicating time to mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders. We have started a new initiative to share insights with those looking to start or grow their business. As part of this, we’ve launched a YouTube channel where we create content for entrepreneurs searching for guidance. It’s our way of giving back. Check out our first episode here https://lnkd.in/dwEr2VXQ. Herman Hanssen #startup

After almost one year of not being in Guadalajara, but having lived here for some years, it was great to be back in Mexico and in our Bring IT office. After five days in Guadalajara with its amazing food, great vibe, and urban lifestyle, it’s time to reflect. My CFO's visit was not about being back; it was about transformation. The goal: shift the Finance and HR functions from regional to functional, streamline processes through automation, and strengthen specialization for business growth. Insight ONE: Clarity A strong team grows stronger when given the right opportunities. The key question: are our people “Fit for Role (F4R)”? Who is ready to lead us forward? Or did we hit a ceiling, and we must re-invent ourselves? I personally love this dialogue. When we embrace this dialogue, we unlock the greatest potential. Insight TWO: Bold Action Transformation demands bold thinking. To move the needle, we need to challenge our present. One commitment we have made: 100% automation of reports, processes, and decision-making. Not 80% or 90%, but full-scale automation. The goal is not just efficiency; it’s reimagining how we work. Insight THREE: Overcoming Fear Fear blocks progress. In every business transformation, I ask one key question: “Are you afraid of what is coming?” Fear is a natural response to uncertainty, but left unchecked, it moves from a survival instinct to a roadblock. The truth is, transformation thrives on adaptability and confidence - it’s an opportunity, not a threat. Herman Hanssen #BusinessTransformation #LeadershipGrowth #Guadalajara #Mexico

Sometimes you meet a person, and you get so inspired that the talk stays in your mind for many days. That happened to me last week. I met this person during a job interview, but it all went differently. Firstly, he asked more questions to me than I asked him - I love that. Secondly, his questions were different; they were real, curious, targeted, and humble. One of the topics we talked about was learning a new language. In my case, I am learning Russian; in his case, he is learning Dutch. The difference: he speaks almost fluently, while I am just starting. He told me that he has the discipline and time management skills to learn 2-3 new words every day, and this accumulated over many months. There, we found a shared passion: time management. I believe we all should add learning a new language to our agenda. Just 10 minutes a day will do. Learning a new language brings many benefits: it makes our brain work (memory, problem-solving, structures), and we grow personally (confidence, cultural awareness, unlocking opportunities). How can we add this to our busy agendas in a successful way? For this, I have a very effective way to manage time. I have coached many talents and executives on this approach over the last few years. It’s about two circles - one that represents today and one that represents tomorrow. You can find a short explanation under this link https://lnkd.in/d-fN6fwJ. Herman Hanssen

Last night I landed in Cairo. I felt tired from traveling the whole day. Arriving was a recurring experience. I had lived in Dubai for almost three years, getting used to the daily beauty and lively Arabic vibe. I had forgotten the details, but now they all came back - noisy cars, hazy air from desert dust, the typical background music, and the delicious smell of food. As I was tired, it felt intense. This morning, it all felt different. Friendly people in Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi where I am staying offered their help, a nice Arabic breakfast, smiling faces, the pride in their country, and cultural habits. I was offered a Koshary to finish my breakfast. Koshary is a traditional preparation of Egyptian mint tea, made with black tea, fresh mint leaves, and sugar. It has a refreshing aroma and sweet flavor. Offering mint tea to guests symbolizes hospitality, warmth, and friendship in Egyptian tradition, while also showcasing their rich cultural heritage surrounding this beloved drink. At the same time, I was preparing a change management presentation for a client’s NetSuite ERP implementation, to help their CFO lead the ERP change. My three favorite tools for this are 1) The “Why & How” behind it, 2) VSM for best practices, and 3) Stakeholder Map. A key theme in my presentation is overcoming resistance to change by listening and utilizing cultural diversity to create high-performance results. I decided to enjoy the Koshary and embrace the Arabic vibe. Herman Hanssen #Egypt #Cairo #CulturalDiversity #GlobalBusiness #ERP

December is one of those special months of the year. The year-end invites celebration and making new plans. For the last 20 years, I have been making my personal "new year" plan in December. Over these years, my planning template has been fine-tuned. I use four categories for my plan: 1. love & family 2. personal health & growth 3. business 4. travel. For each of the four categories, I define my goal for the next year, and those four goals I translate into a quarterly plan. The plan starts with a one-page photo collection of moments from the last year. It's a way to reflect visually on the most important moments of that year for me. I love to visualize my plan with photos and designs to make the document inspiring for myself. I see this plan as an agreement with myself - it's a positive plan that should give good energy to me and the people around me. I share this yearly plan with some people who are close to me. Some of the things I planned for 2024 were: intense training for mountaineering, climbing Mont Blanc with my daughters and friends, creating a business growth opportunity for Bring IT in the health industry, and starting The Fearless CFO with Herman Hanssen project. I am excited to use the next few weeks to work on my 2025 plan. Herman Hanssen #GoalSetting #PersonalGrowth #NewYearPlanning #BusinessSuccess #WorkLifeBalance #VisualPlanning #SelfImprovement #Inspiration #LeadershipDevelopment #YearlyGoals #FearlessCFO #MontBlancChallenge #EntrepreneurshipJourney #QuarterlyPlanning #Motivation

A personal dream is in the making - giving back to people who are in need of help, but in a way that is different. Together with my partner, we are preparing the launch of R?cket, a self-education program for people who have a great business idea. They want to start a business, but they have never done that before, do not have a business background, do not know what steps to take, and lack guidance and confidence. There are educational and consulting services available, but we consistently hear that most of these services are too expensive for startups or are not effective. That's why we decided to provide free education - basic steps based on real business experiences. It's an exciting journey to work on this, meet entrepreneurs, and translate our knowledge and experience into educational sessions. What is different in our approach: we launch a season of classes, combining business insights with cultural lifestyle experiences. We always pair a business hard skill with a personal soft skill, and we believe business education can be both pragmatic and entertaining. We have started this project with the goal of launching our first season in 2025. Feel invited to participate and help others succeed in business. By Herman Hanssen ??Rocket Espresso Milano #Entrepreneurship #BusinessEducation #StartupJourney #SelfEducation #BusinessGrowth #FreeEducation #EntrepreneurSupport #SmallBusinessTips #AspiringEntrepreneurs #R?cketLaunch #StartupSkills #LeadershipDevelopment #InnovativeLearning #SoftSkillsAndHardSkills #CulturalExperience

Today I was triggered by a digital ad from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; they asked me to join a training program called "New Space Economy." In this course, you learn about technologies, products, services, and business models for a future in space. It seems that the global space economy potential will reach USD 1.8 trillion by 2035. The space industry is growing beyond government-only operations to providing everyday services through the private sector. I find it very interesting to see new products popping up: reusable launch vehicles, miniaturization of satellites, earth observation apps, space tourism, and space debris management. We often talk about the mandatory skills and knowledge we believe everyone should have - perhaps this is a new area of skills to become future-proof. And this is not only interesting for engineers; it’s also very interesting for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone wanting to understand what the future is bringing. Herman Hanssen #BoardAdvisor #BusinessConsulting #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #GrowthMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessTransformation #LeadershipCoaching #SpaceEconomy #FutureSkills #Innovation #SpaceIndustry #MIT

As a CFO, a big part of my responsibility is to manage financials: growth, profitability, cash, working capital, and assets. We tend to express these things in terms of value. In our company, our employees are our most valuable asset. They are the ones who bring the magic when working with our customers or on internal matters. They bring knowledge, experience, skills, resilience, and positive energy to drive growth and success. And they do this day in and day out, always with a professional mindset. That's just amazing. Personally, I enjoy it most when I see our people growing personally and professionally. For this, I dedicate part of my time to mentoring and coaching, and it's available for anyone in our company, no matter their role, level, or ambition. It's always available when someone asks. I know this brings a big part of my joy at work. How do I know this truly? When I look back on my career path, the two things I remember the most are, firstly, the amazing bosses I worked for - those who helped me immensely - and secondly, the people I was able to help in their careers. I have worked on many breakthrough business and finance transformations, and they were successful, but what sticks most in my mind are the people I worked with. Today, at Bring IT, I am once again working with great people with a great mindset. Herman Hanssen #BoardAdvisor #BusinessConsulting #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #GrowthMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessTransformation #LeadershipCoaching #EmployeeGrowth #Mentorship #PeopleFirst #CorporateCulture