Luis Bernal

Financial transformation programs rarely fail because of systems. They fail when governance weakens under pressure, decision clarity fades, and structural control breaks down.

As a Senior SAP Finance Lead with over 23 years of experience, I specialize in establishing executive governance frameworks within complex SAP S/4HANA and Central Finance (CFIN) programs. I ensure risk visibility, budget discipline, and decision alignment from Fit-to-Standard through hypercare stabilization.

With a track record of delivering 27+ full-cycle SAP programs across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, I operate at the intersection of strategy, financial control, and disciplined execution. My strength lies in rapid structural diagnosis—translating complex multi-ledger, parallel accounting, and Record-to-Report (R2R) challenges into clear executive decision architecture.

I bridge Finance, IT, and Executive Leadership not just to implement FI/CO systems, but to protect strategic outcomes, minimize exposure, and institutionalize stability across global entities.

Selected Impact & Differentiators:

• Global Delivery: 27+ full-cycle SAP Finance programs, managing critical cutovers for projects valued up to $12M.
• Technical Governance: Deep expertise in S/4HANA (Public/Private Cloud & On-Premise), CFIN readiness, and master data harmonization.
• Ecosystem Leadership: Actively advancing the industry by developing specialized recruitment platforms (Apply to Hire) and architecting communities for the next generation of SAP consultants (SAP NextGen SFour Consultants).

If your organization is navigating a high-stakes financial transformation and requires disciplined governance and deep SAP Finance expertise from day one, let’s connect.

Seidor, USA | Nov 2023 – Present Senior SAP Finance (FI/CO) Lead | S/4HANA Public Cloud & On-Premise

• Lead end-to-end SAP S/4HANA Finance delivery using SAP Activate, driving 100% adherence to project milestones from Fit-to-Standard through build, testing, go-live, and hypercare.
• Configure core FI/CO processes with stringent controls, ensuring seamless US localization readiness and robust cross-functional integration with SD and MM to align financial postings with OTC and P2P execution.
• Steer critical finance harmonization initiatives foundational for Central Finance (CFIN) programs, establishing common accounting principles, master data standards, and reporting consistency across entities.
• Direct master data readiness and migration strategies, ensuring reconciliation integrity and multi-ledger reporting accuracy.

Alestra, Mexico | Nov 2022 – Nov 2023 SAP Finance Senior Consultant | Project Manager | Scrum Master (S/4HANA 2021 On-Premise)

• Governed delivery for an SAP S/4HANA 2021 implementation, synchronizing integrated scope and resolving dependencies across FI/CO, MM, SD, PP, PS, and Plant Maintenance.
• Facilitated rigorous Fit-to-Standard workshops to capture business requirements, laying the architectural groundwork for future Central Finance adoption.
• Directed the end-to-end testing strategy (Unit, Integration, UAT) and cutover execution, guaranteeing operational stability and high user adoption (Fiori role-based execution) post-go-live.

Orbia, Waltham, MA, USA | Aug 2021 – May 2022 Global Applications Program Manager | Project Manager | Scrum Master

• Directed global SAP and digital transformation initiatives, aligning scope, milestones, and delivery readiness across multiple international regions and executive stakeholders.
• Managed cross-functional delivery controls (budget, timeline, resources), producing executive-level reporting and mitigating escalation risks with targeted recommendations.
• Standardized enterprise delivery artifacts and execution disciplines, enabling the harmonized processes and repeatable deployment approaches required for CFIN-style transformations.

BEHER Systems, San Diego, CA, USA | Feb 2011 – Jul 2021 Senior SAP FICO Consultant / Project Manager Delivered global SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA Finance implementations across pharmaceutical, retail, manufacturing, and construction sectors. Acted as a core consultant and project lead for major enterprise clients:

• Project Management (Jan 2021 – Jul 2021): Managed high-risk SAP Finance MDM cutovers across global systems for client projects valued up to $12M, leading cross-functional Agile/Scrum teams of up to 30 members.
• DRiV Incorporated (May 2020 – Jan 2021): Customized Push Down Accounting for Asset Accounting to finalize the multi-billion dollar acquisition of Federal Mogul, ensuring seamless integration across 11 global markets.
• Colgate-Palmolive (Dec 2019 – Apr 2020): Implemented Parallel Accounting and Asset Accounting solutions across 17 LATAM countries and 3 EMEA regions, ensuring strict compliance with US GAAP, Local GAAP, and IFRS.
• Titan America (Jun 2019 – Dec 2019): Served as SAP S/4HANA Finance Roll-Out Manager (1709), steering R2R process standardization and asset accounting implementation for heavy building materials operations.
• Jabil Packaging Solutions (Sep 2018 – Mar 2019): Led the global template rollout and upgrade to SAP S/4HANA 1709, ensuring full US Localization compliance (1099-MISC) and overseeing complex legacy data migrations.

Additional SAP Implementations & Consulting | 2014 – 2018 Senior SAP FICO Consultant / Business Systems Analyst Consolidated history of leading end-to-end SAP FI/CO implementations, system upgrades, and localized tax configurations (including Mexico Electronic Accounting) for prominent clients:

• Grupo Macro (2018): Deployed S/4HANA 1709 and managed end-to-end Master Data migration from PeopleSoft.
• SOVOS Compliance (2017 – 2018): Addressed Mexico localization and tax regulation requirements across 15+ multinational clients (e.g., Kellogg's, Johnson & Johnson).
• Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) Mexico (2016 – 2017): Successfully integrated SAP FI GL, Bank Accounting, and Contract Accounting for the national finance ministry.
• Other Key Implementations (2014 – 2017): Executed full-cycle FI standard implementations, localization, and data migration for Valley Proteins, KONE, DPortenis, Getronics, and H+ Hospital.

Early Career Highlights | 1999 – 2014 Held Senior SAP Consultant roles for SAP SE (Mexico & Latin America) and various independent consulting engagements. Managed financial implementations, FI Payroll, and localizations for major enterprise clients including Siemens AG, Nissan North America, Paramount Pictures, PEMEX, and Coca-Cola.

• Master's in Finance | Unitec Institute of Technology, Mexico (Expected Graduation: 2026)
• BSc Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering | Unitec Institute of Technology, Mexico
• Project Management Training | University of California (2015, 2021)
• Elements of Artificial Intelligence Training | University of Helsinki, Finland (2019)
• Strategic Management, Strategy Formulation Implementation Certification | Copenhagen Business School (2016)
• Content Strategy for Professionals in Organizations Certification | Northwestern University