Karsten Holders

Manager | Customer Success | SaaS | Enterprise Clients & Strategic Partnerships

Málaga, Andalusia, Spain

About

Customer Success Manager in the SaaS space, with an engineering background and 10+ years of experience in complex, international environments. I started my career as a Project Manager in the automotive industry, leading projects from development to production. Building on this technical foundation, I transitioned into customer-facing roles and into Customer Success leadership. Today, I lead a team focused on building strong client partnerships, driving product adoption, and helping enterprise customers realize value from AI-driven solutions. I combine technical understanding with a strategic approach to bridge business needs and product capabilities.

Experience

  • Avature (Malaga)
    • Manager Account Management
      Nov 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 8 mos

      - Lead and develop a team of Account Managers, driving high-quality customer engagement and long-term partnerships - Own portfolio health and team performance, ensuring consistent delivery of value across accounts - Act as escalation point for complex client situations, managing critical issues and stakeholder alignment - Define and implement best practices for account management, improving consistency and effectiveness - Contribute to hiring, onboarding, and coaching, strengthening team capability and performance

    • Account-Manager
      Dec 2021 - Oct 2023 · 1 yr 11 mos

      - Managed a portfolio of global enterprise clients, acting as a strategic partner to HR and IT stakeholders - Owned end-to-end account lifecycle, including account planning, and expansion initiatives - Built and executed joint account strategies to optimize platform usage and align with client business goals - Delivered business reviews, and enablement sessions to drive adoption and value realization - Collaborated cross-functionally to identify and develop expansion opportunities

  • Project Manager at Grupo Antolin
    Jun 2017 - May 2021 · 4 yrs

    - Managed automotive interior projects for German OEM clients in compliance with IATF 16949 standards - Led cross-functional, international teams of up to 20 people across HQ and production plants - Owned end-to-end project delivery, from development and industrialization through to serial production - Managed project budgets, including planning, controlling, and reporting against internal targets - Coordinated and supervised suppliers to ensure alignment with project timelines, quality, and client expectations

  • Technical Sales Manager at Havel metal foam GmbH
    Oct 2015 - May 2017 · 1 yr 8 mos

    - Provided technical consulting and developed customer-specific solutions using an advanced aluminum foam product portfolio - Built and maintained relationships with OEMs and suppliers across automotive, railway, aerospace, and naval industries - Represented the company at national and international exhibitions, supporting business development and client engagement - Collaborated with universities and research institutes to exchange expertise and drive joint development initiatives

  • Project Manager at Oerlikon
    Jan 2010 - Sep 2015 · 5 yrs 9 mos

    - Managed automotive projects in compliance with international quality standards (ISO/TS 16949) - Developed and optimized vacuum coating processes (PVD/PECVD) based on client specifications - Analyzed and improved end-to-end production processes, including implementation of automated vision systems for defect detection and quality control

  • Graduate Research Assistant at TU Darmstadt
    Jul 2009 - Dec 2009 · 6 mos

    Develpoment of CrN and a-C:H CVD/PVD coatings