Palo Alto, California, United States
Throughout my career as an Award-Winning Executive, I have been called on time again to drive innovative transformation within organizations ranging from $60M to $100B global businesses. This has been demonstrated through proven performance managing revenue goals of up to $500M, operational budgets of up to $10M, and capital expense budgets of up to $ 40 M. As CEO, C-level leader and mentor, I have recruited and advised teams of up to 400 while establishing the infrastructure that has accelerated performance in diverse economic environments in over 67 countries on 4 continents in the past decade. I am proficient in 7 languages, which has been a vital asset in maximizing global business growth. In addition, I served as a member on global boards, including the Texas Association of Business and the Energy Committee of the German Parliament. ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES REPRESENTED BELOW • EBITDA Growth • Turnaround • Reshoring Manufacturing • Cost Reductions • Exit Strategy - Private Equity, Venture Capital • Artificial Intelligence (AI) • Succession Planning • Business Development • Revenue Optimization • New Market Penetration • Sales Development • Operational Optimization • Product Development • International Expansions • Team Coaching / Mentoring • Offshoring / Outsourcing Operations • Services / Product Expansion MANUFACTURING ONSHORING & EXPANSION My journey began in 2004 when I successfully relocated Siemens' manufacturing (drives and inverters) to Pittsburgh. By 2011, I was overseeing the relocation of solar panel manufacturing from Germany to China. I expanded manufacturing capabilities for industrial power electronics in the United States and established new facilities in East Europe in 2014. Localized the manufacturing of electrical equipment for the oil and gas industry in Houston, which laid the groundwork for more efficient operations in 2019. Supported the US industry via initiatives to manufacture batteries in the US as CEO of Doosan GridTech. This venture, coupled with our successful backing for the establishment of LFP battery manufacturing in Manteno, IL, in 2023. Currently, I lead global outreach for StarCharge, a recognized leader in EV charging and microgrid solutions. My focus is on expanding our manufacturing and engineering presence in the US — a strategic move driving exponential growth. I’m spearheading the onshoring of manufacturing for charging equipment, power electronics, and battery cells, transitioning production from China to the U.S. We are positioning StarCharge as a key player in America’s clean energy future.
StarCharge has firmly established itself as the global leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, achieving the remarkable milestone of over 2.5 million charging units sold in 2024. As a top-five multinational group specializing in power electronics, inverters, large-scale batteries, and a diverse array of residential & utility-scale storage solutions, the company’s cornerstone position in power electronics manufacturing is underpinned by its global footprint, featuring state-of-the-art production facilities in China, the US, Vietnam & Germany, as well as subsidiaries operating across 20 countries worldwide. My objective in this new role is: 1. Spearhead the development & implementation of a global strategy that ensures StarCharge's competitive edge & sustainable global growth with a focus on the US. 2. Focus and expand our manufacturing base beyond China, specifically into key markets in the US, Europe, the Middle East & Africa. 3. Develop our production capabilities in the USA to bring us closer to critical markets, fulfill the "Buy America Build America" provisions, & improve our service to regional customers. 4. Lead efforts to customize our product offerings to meet specific use cases such as "GRID FORMING" and "BLACKOUT" prevention. 5. Create together with our engineering team, an advanced solution for data center power, e.g., 15 - 30 minute power storage systems integrated in their own power supply system (HYPERSCALERS and COLOS) 6. Enhance WIND PARKS by a unique electrical storage upgrade that minimizes grid oscillations to zero. 7. Promote innovative turnkey solutions for MICROGRIDS. 8. Promoted RJETech, a Bloomberg Tier One LFP cell manufacturer, part of BYD / Youngy Group, on its US market entry, and a potential partner of StarCharge. This approach involves significant R&D activities to adapt StarCharge's existing portfolio, ensuring our products exceed the expectations and requirements of the transmission and distribution grid.
I was selected as the interim CEO of Wegscheid Entrenco GmbH, one of Germany's most innovative companies, which utilizes waste wood to generate electricity with low-carbon emissions. It was an exciting opportunity in my native Germany, so I could handle a complex family/parent emergency in Germany as the sole relative. The company traces its origins to EnTrade, a start-up backed by the prestigious venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. The stakes are high: 1. Ambitious revenue target at $100+ Million USD. 2. Gross Margin Goal of 40%+ We were at the cutting edge of biomass power generation, employing state-of-the-art gasification principles. Our operations span continents: Europe, United States, Japan Southeast Asia Wegscheid Entrenco manufacturing and assembly hubs are in Europe, India, and prospective future locations in the US. My primary mandate was to streamline operations, execute a turnaround strategy, and steer the company toward sustained profitability. This involves: 1 Enhancing operational efficiency, 2 Solving intrinsic challenges that have impeded our growth to date. One of the foremost challenges was the dearth of qualified engineers and experienced global managers, which had considerably stymied our capacity to innovate and expand. To navigate these challenges, I implemented with my team a multifaceted strategy: 1 Invested in talent acquisition. 2 Developed talent programs. 3 Bolstered our engineering and managerial capabilities. 4 Enhanced supply chain resilience by diversifying our supplier base 5 Forged strategic partnerships. These initiatives were designed to create a robust operational framework that can support our ambitious goals and ensure long-term sustainability. By addressing these core issues, I, with my local teams, aimed to position ourselves as leaders in the biomass (waste wood) power generation sector, driving innovation and profitability in equal measure.
I resigned and gradually turned the control over to an interim CEO, whom I had hired previously as a CSO, so that I could handle a complex family/parent emergency in Germany as the sole relative (from Sept 13th). DGT delivered control software (DG-IC) to electric utilities and microgrids, which allowed them to turn distributed energy resources (storage & solar) into valuable contributors to grid reliability. I aimed to make DGT a global leader in delivering technology solutions for the high-voltage power grid. We have designed & built 35 turnkey PV + BESS installations ranging from 10 to 577 MWh in the Americas & Asia-Pacific regions. We won in 2022-23 BESS projects with a capacity of 0.6 GWh: CBESS – NEOEN (AUS), Wandoan and TB2 – Vena (AUS), Lake Mabel, Wimauma – TECO (US), and secured a US$2+ billion pipeline. When I was appointed as CEO, it was a turnaround environment: 1. 80% of DGT’s software team (including 100% of the original software creators) had departed 2. 10 senior executives departed 3. 70% of its project engineers departed, losing: a. DGT historical technology b. Project Design/Delivery c. Operational knowledge 4. By Dec 2021, only 30% of the workforce remained The company was in dire straits globally, with a negative EBITDA. Additionally, the tenuous state of DGT’s business has made it difficult to attract a qualified workforce. Our departments were under-resourced to: a. Drive our pipeline b. Execute on current projects c. Secure ongoing product development I have hired a remarkable team despite: 1. Lack of working capital 2. Overall, a fragile workforce At the end of 2022, I stabilized the workforce, attracted qualified professionals with extensive expertise from big corporations, e.g. ; Siemens, Eaton, GE, ABB, Schneider, and Mitsubishi. Following this, I created a breakthrough business plan based on limited investment capabilities from the parent company & low working capital.
As Board Director of Doosan GridTech. I am in charge of developing and growing the company according to the agreed business plan with stakeholders. I have a fiduciary duty towards and a ethical have a legal and ethical obligation to act in the best interests of the organization and its stakeholders, which included the Duties of care and loyalty However my primary duty as the only American board member is to comply with the US laws and regulations and understand the organization's bylaws and charter, I secured that everyone acted in accordance with those documents. I provide oversight to the company management team and ensure that they are operating in accordance with the organization's goals and objectives. I oversee the company budget and ensure that the organization is managing its resources responsibly. I establish as board member policies and procedures to prevent fraud and ensure that the company is operating in a legally and ethically sound manner. I also assume strategic duties in my dual role as board member and CEO. Achievements: • Refined the budget and lowering the SG&A costs by more than 20% • Presenting a restructuring plan and supervising the turnround • Introduced the three-phase turnaround, so called the turnaround trilogy: restoration, consolidation, and growth. • Elaborating a new vision and rewriting the mission statement • Proposing s business plan for the next five years • Supporting the recapitalization of the company • Advocating for sufficient working capital • Introduced a new and efficient approval process for vital projects. • Actively participated in fundraising and attracting investors • Approval by the Stakeholder for hiring additional software engineers • Approval by the Stakeholder of the turnkey execution the biggest project in the history of the company, 250 MWh BESS construction for Tampa Electric Florida • Enforcing the US GAP and strict oversight that all regulations and laws of the State of Washington are applied.
The CleanTech Business Club (CBC) is a one-of-a-kind, Multi-Sectorial, Multi-Stakeholder and Multi-National “Think-DO-Tank” in the CleanTech space. As a private and independent leadership club, it fostered human-to-human (H2H) connections and collaborations. It did so via trusted leaders from CleanTech and other disruptive technology fields, financial communities, top corporations, energy companies, utilities, political decision-makers, and public opinion influencers. Powered by the H2H blockchain and united DNAs, CBC’s leaders and partners worked closely to scale up CleanTech Investments from Billion$ to Trillion$ while shaping the future today. By igniting business ventures, delivering unique financial solutions and sharing expertise and knowledge, CBC leaders steered decision-makers and related stakeholders. This helped chart a course beyond sustainability toward the world's regenerative development. As a united force, CBC's leaders and partners empowered the CleanTech decade by combining business with meaningfulness and joy, demonstrating that #TogetherWeAreStronger. Thumbs up for CleanTech! We made renewables available all the time with the support of Electrical Storage Systems!
CORPORATE PROFILE: A premiere strategic leadership consulting group. RESPONSIBILITY PROFILE: Prepare the company for its next phase in a turnaround initiative. I worked with 7 direct reports and up to 487 employees in support of the PE Fund President. ACHIEVED IN THIS ROLE • In less than 120 days I planned an M&A strategy and sold to the board a portfolio company in the renewable energy sector by building a national service platform with wind turbines ($2 billion market) by LOI for purchase of an appropriate company (at only 6x EBITDA instead of the usual 10+). • I navigated a “seller’s market” to negotiate the deal and successfully prequalified Suzlon International. I proposed a business plan to double the gross margins, raise the valuation to $1B, and achieve $400M in revenue in the next three years. • Created a VUCA white paper with diverse subject matter experts during the Covid pandemic that was selected by IEEE and presented to PE and VC funds and the consulting world leader, Deloitte. MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS / TURNAROUND • As an M&A leader, I was recruited by several PE funds to serve on complex deals with distressed assets. Developed turnaround guidelines, cost evaluation, and targeted strategies. • Established best practices in valuations, due diligence, and KPI-driven decision-making, enabling turnarounds with actionable roadmaps. The following are a few outcomes: 1. Created a platform for an electrical fracking company ($1B valuation) 2 Advised PE funds on acquisitions in the energy space, such as the early battery venture, ViZn Energy. 3The above framework delivered an IRR of >20% on investment and served as an inspiration of best practices for several PE funds (deals with ~$500M valuations each)