Finance transformation
that holds under pressure.

We work with CFOs and transformation leaders who need to make complex programs land – across vendors, systems, and teams that don't always speak the same language.

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Elite crews. Complex systems. Speed under pressure.

What we actually do.

71 Consulting helps large organizations run finance and technology transformations that hold under pressure.

Transform Finance Operations

Make large finance transformations executable across systems, vendors, and cultures. SAP S/4HANA migrations, GBS buildouts, and platform consolidations that survive contact with reality.

Align Multi-Vendor Programs

Coordinate multiple vendors around one rhythm when everyone protects their own margin. Turn vendor friction into delivery traction through clear governance and aligned incentives.

Rebuild Operating Models

Design finance and GBS operating models that actually work in practice, not just in slides. Shared services, outsourcing, and hybrid models built for European complexity.

Navigate Technology Shifts

Help CFOs read the signal in AI, data, and platform shifts – without the hype or the theatre. Cut through vendor noise to find real leverage and sustainable advantage.

What clients are asking.

The questions CFOs and transformation leaders bring to us

SAP S/4HANA Deadline

"We're 18 months from the 2027 cutoff and haven't started. How do we navigate brownfield vs. greenfield when our ECC system is a patchwork?"

Multi-Vendor Chaos

"Three SIs, two BPOs, and internal IT all have different delivery rhythms. How do we create one program cadence when everyone's incentives are misaligned?"

AI Governance Reality

"The board wants an 'AI strategy' but we're still struggling with data quality. What's actually implementable in finance without creating more risk?"

GBS Transformation Stall

"Our shared services center costs more than the decentralized model did. How do we fix the operating model without admitting failure to the board?"

Outsourcing Re-evaluation

"Our BPO contract is up for renewal and performance is mediocre. Do we re-compete, bring it in-house, or fix the current relationship?"

Platform Economics

"We're on Oracle, SAP, and Workday. The TCO is spiraling. What's the real cost of platform consolidation vs. living with complexity?"

Stories from the field.

Signals, cases, and insights from 27 years of transformation work

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Book Chapter Nov 2024

Van SMAC naar AI

Why Dutch Corporate Transformation (1990-2025) reveals the fundamental strategic choice between creating platforms and following them.

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Video Dec 2024

AI in Finance: Reality Check

A 12-minute breakdown of what's actually implementable vs. what's vendor theatre.

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Article Nov 2024

Leading the Platform Transition

From functional management to strategic architecture: How CFOs, CIOs, and CHROs must transform to succeed in the platform era.

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Case Study Oct 2024

Multi-Vendor Alignment

How a €4bn manufacturer coordinated three SIs and two BPOs around one delivery rhythm.

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Signal Sep 2024

Platform Economics Shift

Why the "best-of-breed vs. suite" debate misses the point: it's about switching costs.

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Video Aug 2024

GBS Operating Model Design

A walkthrough of how to structure finance shared services that actually reduce cost.

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Ralph Geertsema

Pattern recognition from 27 years across every seat at the table

Why it works.

Ralph has lived every side of the table: corporate leader, program director, Big 4 partner, BPO partner, system integrator. He understands how each side thinks, protects margin, and moves under pressure – and how to turn that mix into traction instead of friction.

After 27 years, you develop an instinct for what drives failure or traction inside big systems and the people who run them. That pattern recognition is what clients pay for – not process templates.

"I don't do transformation theatre. I help serious people make complex things work."

Background

Partner at Tata Consultancy Services (Finance Transformation & GBS)
Executive Director at EY
Program Director at LeasePlan (SAP S/4HANA)
Head of Finance Transformation at BT Group

What he brings

Pattern recognition across 27 years
Multi-sided experience (corporate, Big 4, BPO, SI)
European finance transformation expertise
Calm authority and hard-earned realism

Finance transformationthat holds under pressure.