Yoni, a pioneer in the market for sustainable and organic menstrual products, was at an important crossroads. After years of operating successfully as a startup, it was time to move to a scale-up. This brought challenges: professionalizing and structuring financial and logistical processes, while keeping a grip on their sustainable growth ambitions. That is why they called in ConQuaestor.
Challenge: Prepared to enter the transition from startup to scale-up
Solution: Professionalize and structure strategic decision-making
The situation
Yoni is growing rapidly and expanding to other countries. With this growth come new needs. To meet these in a sustainable way, it was time to better structure and professionalize various financial and logistical documentation.
In doing so, the CEO and CFO were looking for a flexible sparring partner. Someone who could not only support with ad hoc issues, but could also lay the foundation for structured decision-making.
The approach
Associate Consultant Mathilde van Dongen started at this client in September. "My first impression was that it was an enthusiastic, dynamic team with short lines of communication and an open culture. This gave me the opportunity to make an immediate impact," she says. Working closely with the CEO and CFO, Mathilde brought structure to complex documentation flows. For example, she developed templates for financial reports: "I made a working model for Profit&Loss (P&L), the balance sheet and cash flow, including scenario analyses," she explains. "This saves Yoni a lot of time in investment discussions."
She also went to work on professionalizing logistics reporting. "We mapped costs and revenues per country and customer. This gave insight into profitability and helped with strategic decisions," Mathilde says.
She also supported with immediate strategic and operational issues: "I received good guidance and I could always spar with my seniors, this allowed me to interact well with all parties." Thanks to the short lines of communication, Mathilde was able to seek immediate solutions to last-minute questions from the CEO.
A broad perspective and fresh approach
Mathilde's background in strategic innovation management proved a perfect fit for Yoni's innovative culture. "I brought an outsider's perspective. That helped make connections between finance and other departments, such as marketing," she says. "As a result, the solutions I worked on are broadly applicable." Working closely with the company also ensured that her changes integrated seamlessly into Yoni's way of working: "I adhered to their corporate identity and processes. That was challenging at times, but ensures that they actually start and continue to use my templates."
The result
Thanks to its partnership with ConQuaestor, Yoni now has efficient tools for financial and logistics planning. Processes have also been streamlined, saving time and effort. Together, this provides a solid foundation for future growth. "The transition to a scale-up is going a lot smoother thanks to our efforts," says Mathilde. "I think it's a beautiful company, which is why it feels extra good to have contributed to this."
A word from Yoni's CEO, Deniz Er Wiedhaup:
"The collaboration with ConQuaestor felt immediately familiar. Mathilde quickly became an integral part of the Yoni team. She brought valuable outside-in perspectives and expertise, which allowed us to greatly improve our financial planning. This collaboration has made it easier to draw up different growth scenarios."
Conclusion
For Mathilde, this assignment was more than a success. "It was great to work directly in such a dynamic environment and make a difference. I was almost sad to say goodbye, but I am proud of what we have achieved together," she says.
Curious about how our Associate Consultants can support your organization? Feel free to contact Brenda van Baasbank without obligation.
brenda.vanbaasbank@conquaestor.nl | +31 (0)6 199 60 848