Florian Russ

Executive Vice President Marketing & Product

Greater Munich Metropolitan Area

About

Senior technology and marketing executive with 15+ years of experience building and leading high-performing teams that deliver measurable business results in travel, mobility, and e-commerce. What I Do: I build commercial and technology organizations that drive revenue and efficiency. Currently leading 7 tech teams (50+ FTE) at FlixBus, responsible for Marketing Technology and Distribution systems, reporting to CIO/SVP Technology. Track Record: • Led 60+ FTE across 15+ global locations with multi-million Euro budgets • Drove marketing strategies for Flix, Amazon Kindle and Hotels.com across EMEA, Americas, and APAC • Delivered significant budget overperformance in Ancillaries at FlixBus, significantly impacting profitability • Built and scaled teams across multiple markets, including successful launches in 40+ markets • Managed distribution channels generating hundreds of millions in revenue Core Expertise: Technology and Commerical Leadership | Marketing Systems | Distribution Platforms | Team Building | International Expansion | Performance Marketing | CRM & Automation | Business Strategy Languages: German (Native) | English (Fluent) | Spanish (Conversational) Open to connecting with technology leaders, marketing professionals, and anyone interested in building scalable solutions that create customer value.

Experience

  • Executive Vice President Marketing & Product at Tennis-Point
    Apr 2026 - Present · 4 mos

  • Flix (9 yrs 10 mos)
    • Senior Tech Director - Marketing & Sales
      Nov 2023 - Jan 2026 · 2 yrs 3 mos

      - Orchestrated successful transition of Marketing Tech teams to FlixTech, maintaining high team engagement while broadening scope - Developed strategic vision for Marketing and Distribution domains, launching key products including Distribution API - Led critical CRM migration from Salesforce to Braze, implementing emergency measures to ensure project success - Oversee comprehensive tech stack including Marketing data, attribution, automation, and Distribution systems - Lead 7 tech teams (50 FTE) reporting directly to CIO/SVP Technology

    • Director Ancillaries, Sales and Brand Marketing
      Jan 2023 - Oct 2023 · 10 mos

      - Delivered 23% budget overperformance in Ancillaries, significantly impacting company profitability - Executed successful "More Life in Real Life" brand campaign - Achieved substantial cost reductions in Metasearch partnerships: -57% Wanderu, -20% BusBud - Restructured multiple teams while maintaining high performance and strategic alignment - Managed 60+ FTE across 15+ locations, reporting to CCO/COO

    • Director International Marketing & Sales
      Mar 2018 - Dec 2022 · 4 yrs 10 mos

      - Led 60+ FTE across global locations, managing multi-million Euro budgets - Established multiple revenue-generating initiatives including Media Sales with major advertisers - Managed ticket distribution channels driving hundreds of millions in revenue (2022) - Launched new markets including Brazil and FlixTrain expansions in Germany and Sweden - Served as Managing Director of FlixBus Hungary (01/2021 - 03/2023)

  • Senior Marketing Manager - Kindle at Amazon
    Nov 2014 - Dec 2015 · 1 yr 2 mos

    - Led Kindle eReader and Fire Tablet marketing and promotions for Amazon.de - Managed strategic partnerships with major brands including Canon, T-Mobile, and 1&1 Internet

  • Sabbatical at Sabbatical
    Jul 2013 - Jul 2014 · 1 yr 1 mo

  • Expedia (London, Großbritannien)
    • Director, Marketing - Hotels.com
      Mar 2012 - Jul 2013 · 1 yr 5 mos

      - Led marketing strategy across DACH region and 16 emerging markets - Secured first major TV advertising investment in German-speaking markets - Developed largest Russian travel community on Facebook and VKontakte

    • Senior Marketing Manager - Hotels.com
      Mar 2011 - Feb 2012 · 1 yr

      - Progressive growth through multiple marketing roles (Marketing Executive → Online Marketing Manager → Marketing Manager → Senior Marketing Manager) - Managed eight-digit marketing budget for TripAdvisor activities across EMEA, LATAM, and APAC regions - Developed and executed marketing strategies for 16 emerging markets, including Russia and Middle East - Led multi-million keyword campaigns and established key partnerships with Google and ad networks - Created successful business cases for market expansion, including Hebrew site launch - Built and managed global TripAdvisor channel organization and technical infrastructure

    • Marketing Manager - Hotels.com
      Sep 2010 - Mar 2011 · 7 mos