Sietse Helder

Senior Leader in Project & Change Management | Driving Strategy, Innovation & Business Growth across Aviation, Logistics & Financial Services | PMP | Agile

Wädenswil, Zurich, Switzerland

About

International business leader with 20+ years of experience leading transformation, innovation, and growth initiatives across industries such as aviation, logistics, and financial services. I specialize in turning complex challenges into actionable strategies and driving change initiatives to improve commercial or operational performance. Recognized for strong analytical ability, structured execution, and cross-cultural leadership. A reliable, driven, and inspiring collaborator who consistently builds trust and impact across organizations. Areas I have experience in: - Innovation and digitalization projects - Process and quality improvement initiatives - Idea management, design thinking - Mergers and reorganizations - Business development, account management - Budgeting, forecasting, resource planning - E-commerce, IT, SaaS solutions - Multinationals and start-up companies (B2B & B2C) - Market organizations and headquarters - Team building, cross-cultural management - Hands-on operational experience - PMP and Agile methodologies (SAFe, Kanban, Lean Six Sigma) - MS Office 365, Jira, Confluence, Salesforce, Tableau, Trello, Miro Outside of work, I enjoy (team)sports, cooking, and exploring new cultures. Email: [email protected] Tel.: +41 (0)79 424 93 98

Experience

  • BMW Group Financial Services (Dielsdorf, Zurich, Switzerland · Hybrid)
    • Senior Manager Project Portfolio Management & Governance Switzerland
      Jan 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 6 mos

      • Responsible for the change portfolio in the Swiss market, including identification, prioritization and progress monitoring of projects and change requests. Securing annual budget (+/- CHF 8 million) from head office and planning local project staffing. • Implemented processes and tools to manage business ideas and requirements. The new setup significantly improved focus, time-to-market, and transparency for stakeholders.

    • Manager Projects and Process B2B Switzerland
      Feb 2022 - Dec 2022 · 11 mos

      • Led various company-wide projects driving digitalization and product development, including the successful implementation of the Salesforce CRM platform. • Enhanced and relaunched a local continuous improvement program. Within the first 6 months, 80 ideas were collected and 16 were implemented. • Prepared a strategic concept for repositioning the B2B brand in the Swiss market.

  • Manager Ancillary Services Strategy & Commercial Development Lufthansa Group at Swiss International Air Lines
    Apr 2018 - Jan 2022 · 3 yrs 10 mos

    • Accountable for developing the product strategy and translating it into concrete action fields and guiding principles to maximize revenue potential and enhance the customer experience. Managed the idea funnel for expanding the product portfolio and optimizing its commercialization. • Set up the interdisciplinary ‘Ancillary Lab’ for the quick exploration of new business opportunities through pre-studies, concept design, and prototype building and testing. • Played a leading role in group-wide projects to develop and launch new products and to enter new sales channels. Ancillary Services are chargeable products & services beyond the flight ticket, e.g. upgrades, seat reservations, duty free sales, car rental and hotels (+/- EUR 500 million revenue pro Jahr)

  • Manager Sales EMEA at Cargobase
    Oct 2015 - Dec 2017 · 2 yrs 3 mos

    • In charge of business development and key account management of a SaaS platform that enables automation between shippers and logistics service providers. Successfully closed new deals and increased regional sales by 300% YoY with several Fortune 500 manufacturers in the automotive, electronics and energy industries. • Coordinated product implementation projects for new customers, including product specification, process design, IT integration, staff training and operational support. • Built and managed a network of leading logistics service providers, including the global top 25 freight forwarders.

  • Manager Global Cargo Programs and Customer Operations at Swissport
    Jan 2011 - Sep 2015 · 4 yrs 9 mos

    • Responsible for key account management of the largest global cargo airline customers and strategic projects to drive operational excellence. Improved quality and productivity through various local and global initiatives, including the implementation of customer programs, e-freight and Lean Six Sigma projects. • Globally implemented an industry-wide quality management program, making Swissport the first and only global cargo handler to achieve Platinum Membership status. • Initiated the reorganization of the Global Operations Department, resulting in a significant improvement of its effectiveness and efficiency.

  • Manager Business Development Switzerland at Swiss International Air Lines
    Apr 2008 - Dec 2010 · 2 yrs 9 mos

    • Set up and headed the Business Development Unit (4 indirect reports), supporting management with analyses and business cases for commercial decision-making. • Coordinated the development of the annual sales budget (+/- CHF 1.2 billion) and the revision of the monthly revenue forecast.