Proactive mindset, maintaining continuity in the bookkeeping department and looking for connection between different processes at LBC Tank Terminals

Toon Schelfhout, Finance Director Europe at LBC Tank Terminals: “We were looking for an AP/GL bookkeeper, a position we had been filling for several years by consultants. After a migration to a new ERP system, it became even more important to recruit the right profile for this position. We particularly needed someone with sufficient maturity and who could quickly take things in hand. For this search, we wanted to trust upon a tried-and-true partner to find the right match.” Enter: the start of, once again, a successful partnership between TriFinance and LBC Tank Terminals.

“Swiftness and trust are also two essentials in that search, something we can always count on at TriFinance. On the one hand, you want a position to be filled quickly and with the right match. On the other hand, trust is important in the sense that we can support each other and give timely head-ups about changing needs or project scope,” Toon continues. By engaging an open dialogue with both the client and consultant, we get a good idea of what both parties are looking for. “If we then lay all these cards on the table, the pieces of the puzzle often quickly fall into place. For that reason, each consultant also can count on a Career Advisor within TriFinance. Someone who advises and supports them to take the next steps in their career, but also makes sure the best possible match is made with the most motivated consultant to help the client optimally with their challenges”, says Maxime De Moor, Business Consultant at TriFinance.

In a previous project, Victor-Andreas was mainly involved in preparatory bookkeeping work. After speaking with his Career Advisor, it quickly became clear what would really be important to Victor-Andreas in a subsequent project. “For my new project, I was mainly looking for an overall understanding of all bookkeeping processes and how my work impacts the other flows within the finance processes. When LBC Tank Terminals came my way, I immediately saw an opportunity to get started with that ambition and actively take responsibility”, explains Victor-Andreas. After a few conversations, both parties immediately felt a match. “Victor-Andreas has a naturally calm character, with the necessary empathy. This ensured that the match between him and the team was really there from the beginning”, says Toon.

It was a feisty start for Victor-Andreas in his role as AP/GL bookkeeper, in which he was responsible for LBC Lillo, an entire entity within LBC Tank Terminals. “At the start of my project, it immediately became clear that I had to focus primarily on ensuring continuity within AP, as the finance team was in the midst of upgrading to the new ERP system. Think of things like booking and transferring invoices, booking banks, executing payments, as well as monitoring two mailboxes”, Victor-Andreas explains. “I mainly tried to look at everything with a helicopter view, before diving into the details, and in this way acted on the company’s priorities.” As a Project Consultant, you can introduce a fresh perspective, inspiring other employees so that they too can refocus on the core business.

Once he had gotten settled in at LBC, Victor-Andreas indicated that he had some time left to pick up other challenges as well. “In consultation with the team, Victor-Andreas was able to use that time to perform additional analysis. LBC certainly appreciated that proactivity,” says Lisa Hannes, Business Manager at TriFinance. “LBC has always given me the trust and space to figure things out on my own. That has really made me blossom on a professional level,” adds Victor-Andreas.

Besides the general AP/GL tasks, the project scope also evolved to P&L analysis, payroll reconciliation, audit support, VAT returns and balance sheet reviews. As such, Victor-Andreas really got into A-Z bookkeeping. “I was able to perform 90% of the tasks independently. For the remaining 10% I could always consult my mentor at TriFinance. It was really reassuring when taking the first steps into new territory, to be able to spar with someone who is already more familiar with the remaining 10% of tasks and to come to a solution together,” Victor-Andreas explains. “Together with my mentor, I was able to work on a specific solution on payroll reconciliation. After a few mentoring sessions, I was able to independently create a template to automate payroll reconciliation. Afterwards, I also scheduled a training session with LBC’s bookkeepers and financial controller to fully explain the use of the template.”

Mentoring within TriFinance goes beyond finding a solution to a challenge together with your mentor. “TriFinance is a true networking organization; you get the opportunity to connect with people both inside and outside of that network. By sharing best practices about your career opportunities, for example, your own growth curve is also stimulated and challenged. As a result, you often dare to take a step in the next direction or you can really deliver ‘the one thing more’ to clients,” Victor-Andreas explains.

“Victor-Andreas integrated very well into the finance team in a very short period of time. We connect, we empower, we anticipate & we lead, our values were always perfectly reflected in the work he delivered and even today I still hear many great anecdotes about Victor-Andreas throughout the company,” says Toon.

“Victor-Andreas has really taken ownership of this project. The best example? During our last meeting with Toon, we too suddenly became spectators of those amusing anecdotes. After arriving at the reception, we were quickly asked “You are going to take Victor-Andreas away from us, right? We’re really going to miss him!” As someone who followed Victor-Andreas closely, these are also very nice words to hear. And that commitment to their projects, by the way, is really a trait that all our consultants have,” Lisa adds.

Financials are often a crucial foundation for automation and digitization, and this is no different at LBC Tank Terminals. “Based on the groundwork that Victor-Andreas has done, we can now deepen the function of AP/GL bookkeeper even more,” Toon continues. “For me, it was especially important that my successor had a good foundation to work on. I therefore documented everything in detail, so that the handover would go smoothly,” Victor-Andreas explains.

One last tip for Victor-Andreas? “Above all, keep being yourself and always rely on your own strength, then the rest will follow. I am convinced that he will still achieve great things!”, said Toon.

Transition & Support combines the client’s needs with the knowledge and skills of our consultants, in line with their ambitions. By bringing both together, we can offer a solution to your business challenges.

Picture: copyright LBC Tank Terminals