Berlin, Berlin, Germany
My path into data leadership started with running a student internet provider for 4,000 customers during my physics studies, continued through a PhD in Quantum Optics, and evolved via IT consulting into leading a 30-person Data Platform organization at one of Europe's largest retailers. That journey shaped how I think: with the analytical rigour of a scientist, the pragmatism of a consultant, and the strategic perspective of someone who has built and scaled teams from the ground up. At Fressnapf, I co-architect our data transformation strategy and lead the teams responsible for Data Engineering, MLOps, our Customer Data Platform, and cloud infrastructure – always with a focus on turning technical capabilities into tangible business outcomes. What I bring to a new role: * Strategic data & AI leadership with hands-on instinct * Experience translating technical complexity into board-level decisions * Track record of building high-performing teams and securing executive buy-in * Expertise across Modern Data Stack, ML/AI, CDP & Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP) I'm open to Head of Data, VP Data, CDO, or Engineering Director roles where I can make a real difference.
Leading a 30-person Data Platform organization with full strategic and budget responsibility (5M€+), covering Data Engineering, MLOps & AI, Customer Data Platform, Business Planning & Consolidation, and cloud infrastructure. Key contributions: * Co-architected a company-wide data transformation strategy together with fellow department heads – shifting the organization from reactive reporting towards AI-driven decision-making * Delivered 1.3M€ in cost savings within the first 8 months through database reengineering and vendor consolidation * Leading a business-critical data migration (SAP BW → Snowflake) with projected multi-million Euro EBITDA impact by 2029 * Established an ML workbench enabling centralized model operations and agentic AI pilots across business units * Drove adoption of company-wide Self-Service BI platform to 2000+ monthly active users, freeing engineering capacity for high-value analytics work * Secured multi-year budget commitments at C-level and board level through compelling business cases
Progressed from Business & IT Analyst to Senior Consultant to Manager Solutions within 5 years, taking on increasing leadership and commercial responsibility at each stage. As Manager Solutions: * Built and scaled a team from 6 to 18 people, growing annual revenue to 3M€ * Served as Deputy Regional Manager Northeast with responsibility for 130 employees and 16M€ revenue * Introduced a company-wide application platform reducing response times by 60% and improving recruiting efficiency by 40% * Led enterprise sales support including B2B tenders and contract negotiations up to 10M€ * Managed complex programs at executive level including Salesforce CRM rollout with 4,000+ person-days As Senior Consultant: Advised 10+ clients across industries with 400+ person-days of hands-on project delivery