Christian Nill

Commercial and Product Lead - eCommerce and Digital Businesses

Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Area

About

Versatile, analytical, strategic and hands-on entrepreneurial leader with 15+ years consulting and e-commerce management experience. Bridges product management, commercial, and operations. Thrives on complexity and is trusted to deliver results in ambiguous environments. An empathetic communicator and influencer who builds strong teams and is proven to develop top talent. Motivated to both 'build' and 'fix', equipped with a rare toolset across general management, project management, complex product development, strategy definition, and business design - all based on a technical background.

Experience

  • Head of Platform Business VLS at Schaeffler
    Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

  • Chief Growth Officer, Tour Operator at FTI GROUP
    Sep 2022 - Oct 2024 · 2 yrs 2 mos

    On mission to increase direct-to-consumer sales share by 5x amid overall business transformation • Commercial, marketing, and product responsibility for digital sales channels at ~€320M of revenue p.a. • Led ~110 operators, marketers, and product roles across 4 locations - built UX-team from scratch • Launched a range of digital products for traffic acquisition, conversion increase, and customer retention • Initiated and executed asset sales after insolvency filing of the group

  • Chief Commercial Officer at Cerebry
    Sep 2021 - Jul 2022 · 11 mos

    Led sales, corporate development and product management at pre-seed ed-tech startup with focus on South Asia, South-East Asia, and Middle East • Built out existing academia-rooted product (AI-based Math tutor) for growth, scaled ARR by 5x • Obtained favorable term sheet from Softbank-backed AI ed-tech player in Korea

  • Lazada Group (On-site)
    • EVP, Product Strategy, Supermarket, and New Business
      Jun 2019 - Aug 2021 · 2 yrs 3 mos

      Grocery and New Business product and commercial lead (in addition to product strategy role) • Integrated Singapore online grocer RedMart into the Lazada app - incl. customer transition • Led the product and design team and expanded from Singapore to Bangkok and Manila • Launched Lazada's integration with 3rd party loyalty / membership programs • Incubation of location-based e-couponing business as a channel within Lazada app

    • SVP, Product Strategy and Planning
      Jan 2017 - May 2019 · 2 yrs 5 mos

      Planning and communicating quarterly product roadmap and capacity allocation based on priorities • Work across all business lines and six local ventures; aligning country leadership and group CEO • Transitioned commercial product suite onto Alibaba environment; sunsetting legacy products • Led a full-stack product management and development team of ~25 across multiple locations

    • Regional Head of Category Management Operations
      Jan 2016 - Dec 2016 · 1 yr

      Set up, led, and transitioned a number of regional functions and projects over course of ~1 year • Professionalised central controlling and PMO function, increasing transparency on performance • Merged and then led commercial retail and sourcing operations across six ventures resulting in lower head count and better control on retail margins Led a number of integration projects after Alibaba's acquisition of a majority stake in Lazada, e.g. • On-boarded ~20 Chinese online brands from Tmall onto Lazada • Devised and executed a pilot project to test significant process changes in the commercial team

  • The Boston Consulting Group (7 yrs 5 mos)
    • Project Leader
      Dec 2013 - Dec 2014 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Led projects guiding internal and client teams with a focus on telecom and digital economy • Implemented a new procurement operating model for South-East-Asian telco • Laid out framework toward a digitally-driven organization for a global tourism company • Conducted strategic review incl. M&A options for German telecommunication service provider • Developed M&A strategy for the German subsidiary of an international information services provider

    • Consultant
      Aug 2009 - Nov 2013 · 4 yrs 4 mos

      Led sub-projects involving significant top executive interaction with a project focus on Business and Strategy in Telecoms and Digital Economy: • Identified revenue generation potential in the digital music industry for a German media company • Evaluated strategic options of a direct banking model for a German retail bank • Supported development of an online- and social media-focused marketing strategy • Adapted a telecom equipment manufacturer's operating model for service delivery • Tied a telecom operator's HR processes to its strategic planning cycle • Designed deal structure and organizational setup for a merger of two mid-sized logistics companies

    • Associate
      Aug 2007 - Jul 2009 · 2 yrs

      Provided analysis and led client teams with a project focus on IT and Operations in Financial Institutions: • Supported the staged restructuring of a global insurer's German operations • Developed the blueprint of a shared services organization for a North-American life insurance • Evaluated demand for IT services at a professional services firm to identify savings potential • Prepared consolidation of IT infrastructure across multiple data centres for an Insurance group