In this article, Tibor HAUER (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA), Exchange semester 2025) shares his professional experience as a Finance Intern at Gerresheimer.
About the company
Gerresheimer is a globally operating partner for the pharmaceutical, biotech and cosmetics industries and plays an important role in the international healthcare value chain. As a specialist in primary packaging and drug delivery solutions, the company develops and manufactures products such as vials, syringes, ampoules, inhalers and innovative digital health applications that support safe and reliable treatment for patients worldwide. These products must meet strict regulatory requirements, and Gerresheimer combines decades of manufacturing expertise with continuous technological development to meet these standards. In the 2024 financial year, the company generated a consolidated revenue of around € 2.04 billion, underscoring its strong position in the global healthcare market.
With more than 40 production sites and development centers across Europe, the Americas and Asia, the company serves a broad and diverse customer base ranging from global pharmaceutical corporations to emerging biotech firms. This international footprint allows Gerresheimer to operate close to its customers, ensure stable supply chains and respond efficiently to market needs. In addition to its manufacturing capabilities, the company places strong emphasis on quality management, process reliability and long-term partnerships, which form the foundation of its reputation as a trusted industry partner.
Logo of Gerresheimer.
Source: the company.
Within the group, I worked in the Treasury, Tax & Insurance function at Gerresheimer’s Regensburg site. The department is responsible for managing liquidity, financial risks and insurance topics across the company. It also supports tax related processes. Its core activities include cash and liquidity management, monitoring foreign exchange risks, handling payment processes and supporting selected tax and insurance matters. In addition, I worked in the Plant Controlling team at the production site in Pfreimd. This team supports the financial management of manufacturing operations. Its work focuses on cost controlling, performance monitoring and reporting at plant level.
My internship
I joined Gerresheimer from March to July 2025 as a Finance Intern. During my internship, I worked in different finance-related teams and gained practical experience in both central finance functions and a production oriented controlling environment. From the beginning, I was integrated into the daily work of the teams and supported ongoing processes as well as ad hoc tasks. I worked independently on defined responsibilities while closely collaborating with experienced colleagues. This allowed me to quickly understand internal processes and apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. The internship combined recurring operational tasks with analytical work. I was involved in daily and weekly finance activities, but also supported analyses and reports that were used for internal decision making.
My missions
My responsibilities covered a broad range of tasks across Treasury, Controlling and Tax. In Treasury, I supported liquidity related activities by preparing cash overviews and maintaining rolling liquidity forecasts. I also analyzed foreign exchange exposures using SAP data. SAP is an enterprise resource planning system that is widely used by large organizations to manage and integrate financial and operational data. In addition, I supported the preparation and follow up of hedging activities. Through my involvement in payment processes and selected credit related topics such as guarantees and fees, I gained insight into how financial risks are managed in an international environment.
In addition, I worked closely with the Controlling function, where I contributed to weekly revenue planning and prepared blocked stock reports to improve transparency regarding inventory risks. I supported forecasting and planning activities. Moreover I assisted in analyzing the management profit and loss statement by cost categories. This work helped me understand how financial planning and performance monitoring support managerial decision making.
Beyond recurring tasks, I prepared financial models and scenario analyses for internal investment related questions and supported ad hoc analyses requested by management. I also assisted in the preparation of monthly and quarterly reports and supported management meetings by drafting clear and structured summaries. In the area of Tax, i supported VAT related topics, electricity and energy tax refunds, as well as transfer pricing documentation and tax audits.
Required skills and knowledge
This position required a combination of technical and analytical skills. A strong command of Excel was essential for working with financial data, preparing forecasts, building models and performing analyses. Regular use of SAP and planning systems supported the handling of large datasets and reporting processes. A solid understanding of finance and controlling concepts was necessary to interpret financial figures, analyze performance and support planning and decision-making processes.
On the soft skills side, accuracy and a structured way of working were particularly important, especially when dealing with liquidity data, forecasts and reports. Strong communication skills were required, as I regularly coordinated with colleagues from different finance related functions and prepared summaries for management. In addition, a proactive and reliable working style helped me adapt quickly to new tasks, manage parallel responsibilities and contribute effectively in a dynamic finance environment.
What I learned
Through this internship, I gained a comprehensive understanding of how finance functions support the operations and decision-making processes of an international industrial company. I learned how liquidity is managed in practice and how financial data is used to monitor risks and ensure financial stability across different entities. In addition, I developed a solid understanding of planning, forecasting and controlling processes and their role in operational and strategic steering.
On a personal level, I became more confident in working independently with complex financial data and presenting results in a clear and structured way. I learned how to prioritize tasks, manage parallel responsibilities and communicate effectively with colleagues from different finance related functions. Overall, this internship confirmed my strong interest in finance and motivated me to pursue further roles in this field.
Financial concepts related to my internship
I present below three key financial concepts related to my internship: liquidity management and forecasting, rolling planning and forecasting, and foreign exchange risk management.
Liquidity management and forecasting
Liquidity management is a core responsibility of the Treasury function and is essential to ensure that a company can always meet its financial obligations. It involves monitoring cash positions, forecasting future cash flows and managing short- and medium-term liquidity needs. During my internship, I supported liquidity management by preparing cash overviews and maintaining rolling liquidity forecasts. This helped me understand how liquidity planning supports financial stability and enables companies to react to changing cash flow situations in a timely manner.
Rolling planning and forecasting
Rolling planning and forecasting is an important concept in controlling and financial steering. Unlike a static annual budget, rolling forecasts are updated regularly to reflect the latest business developments. During my internship, I supported the rolling revenue planning process, including forecasts, budgeting and strategic planning in the GRIPS planning system (an internal corporate planning tool used to consolidate, analyze and manage financial plans across different business units). This approach allows management to respond more flexibly to changes in market conditions and provides a more reliable basis for operational and strategic decision making.
Foreign exchange risk management
Companies operating internationally are exposed to foreign exchange risks, as revenues, costs and cash flows often occur in different currencies. Foreign exchange risk management aims to identify these exposures and reduce their impact on financial results. During my internship, I analyzed foreign exchange exposures using SAP data and supported the preparation and follow up of hedging activities. This experience gave me practical insight into how currency risks are monitored and managed in order to stabilize cash flows and protect margins.
Why should I be interested in this post?
If you are a business or finance student interested in roles in finance, treasury or controlling, this experience provides valuable insight into how financial processes support an international industrial company. The internship offers exposure to both central finance functions and a production focused controlling environment, combining analytical work with operational relevance.
You gain practical experience in areas such as liquidity management, forecasting, risk management and reporting, while working closely with different finance related teams. This combination helps develop strong analytical skills, a structured way of working and a solid understanding of how finance contributes to informed decision making in practice.
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Useful resources
Business
Gerresheimer Job postings
Gerresheimer Annual Reports and Investor Presentations
European Association of Corporate Treasurers
Academic articles and books
Bragg, S. M. (2017) Treasury Management: The Practitioner’s Guide 1st ed., Hoboken (NJ), Wiley.
Brealey, R. A., Myers, S. C., & Allen, F. (2025) Principles of Corporate Finance, 15th ed., New York (NY), McGraw-Hill Education.
Ernst, D., & Häcker, J., 2015. Corporate Risk Management: A Case Study on Risk Evaluation Cham (Switzerland), Springer.
Aretz, K., Bartram, S. M., & Dufey, G., 2007. Why hedge? Rationales for corporate hedging and value implications, The Journal of Risk Finance, 8(5), 434–449.
About the author
The article was written in December 2025 by Tibor HAUER (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA), Exchange semester 2025).
▶ Read all articles by Tibor HAUER.