Success story · March 2026
International financial leadership and consolidation of IFRS reporting at a leading company in the ICT sector
How the immediate appointment of an Interim Head of Accounting helped to stabilise and bring financial operations in-house in Portugal, France and India in just six months.
Client and Sector: Our client, a leading global company in the ICT and digital communications sector, with a strong growth strategy based on acquisitions and a presence in six key markets, needed to strengthen its financial structure immediately. With its operational headquarters in Lisbon (Portugal), the organisation manages operations in key regions such as France, Portugal and India.
The Situation / Need (The Pain Point): Against a backdrop of high operational demands and following a phase of integrating international assets, the organisation faced a critical challenge: the urgent need for a Head of Accounting with senior-level vision. The objective was to lead a team of ten people (after six months, the team consisted of just three in-house staff, with the rest being external accountants; the team was later expanded) and to ensure the continuity of day-to-day operations in a multinational environment, whilst ensuring compliance with international (IFRS) and local regulations, all whilst the company made progress in integrating the outsourced accounts into its own ERP system.
The EPUNTO Approach and Solution (The Methodology):
Thanks to its global partnership with Valtus, EPUNTO was able to deploy a high-level interim manager specialising in complex financial environments in record time. For six months, the manager took on full responsibility for the accounts department on a full-time basis.
Under the supervision and mentorship of Juan Manuel Gil de Escobar Delgado, a Partner at EPUNTO, the project focused on:
- Leadership and team management: Supervising and developing the accounting team in Lisbon to ensure excellence in accounts payable, the general ledger and fixed assets.
- Reporting excellence: Standardising monthly closings and consolidation in accordance with IFRS, ensuring transparency for global management.
- Ensuring compliance: Coordinating annual external audits and preparing accurate tax information for local advisers.
- Digital transformation: Active involvement and technical support in the migration and integration of external accounting systems into the company’s ERP system.
Frequently asked questions
What was the main challenge in this project?
The challenge was to take immediate charge of the accounting operations for three different geographical regions (Portugal, France and India) from the Lisbon hub. An executive with multicultural management skills and in-depth technical expertise in IFRS was required to ensure the group’s growth momentum was not halted.
Why was an interim manager chosen rather than a traditional consultancy firm?
Speed was the decisive factor. In a sector as dynamic as ICT, a vacancy in the accounting department during the months it takes for a traditional recruitment process to run its course would have caused critical bottlenecks. The client needed a ‘ready-to-operate’ candidate who could deliver results from the very first week.
What was the most significant impact during the first 90 days?
In the first quarter, our Interim Manager succeeded in stabilising the financial reporting process, ensuring the reconciliation of international intercompany transactions and leading the critical phase of the new ERP implementation, thereby preventing any delays to the IT project schedule.
How did EPUNTO ensure the transfer of knowledge at the end of the mission?
In line with our methodology, the Interim Manager rigorously documented the new accounting processes and spearheaded the training of the in-house team on the new ERP functionalities. This ensured that, at the end of the five-month assignment, the financial structure was more robust, efficient and self-sufficient.
What unique feature did EPUNTO bring to this solution?
The ability to provide a global response with local delivery. Thanks to our membership of the Valtus Alliance, we were able to offer a senior candidate who is fluent in English, has experience in multinational environments and possesses specific knowledge of the Portuguese market, all under the strategic supervision of our partner at EPUNTO.
