Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Area
Innovative Global Director with 10+ years of experience in R&D leadership. Passionate about driving technical innovation, optimizing processes, and fostering cross-functional collaboration. Proven track record in successful business transformations, team leadership, and launching differentiating solutions. Committed to simplicity, excellence and growth.
Reporting to the Senior VP Customer Innovation & Technical Services and Member of the Global R&D Leadership Team. Directed the Lifecycle Management and Digitalization pillars of the corporate Next Level transformation program, leading a team of ~20. Responsible for transforming R&D operating models, simplifying portfolio complexity, and embedding digital capabilities to improve global efficiency, scalability, and commercial value creation. In the final phase of my tenure, my scope expanded to include Commercial Excellence and Marketing, reflecting the increasing integration of innovation, portfolio strategy, and commercial execution. Key Impact & Achievements (R&D Transformation Scope) - Led enterprise-wide R&D digital transformation, automating and harmonizing global processes to enable a significant reduction in organizational complexity and overall R&D headcount while improving operational performance. - Acted as business lead for the implementation of a new enterprise-wide PLM platform, establishing a standardized lifecycle management backbone across regions and business units. - Delivered a substantial reduction in global SKU complexity through a high-visibility portfolio rationalization initiative with direct exposure to executive leadership and the CEO office. - Designed and implemented a Global R&D Shared Services operating model (Mexico, India, Poland), achieving targeted efficiency gains within my direct scope while improving service levels in the first year. - Accelerated commercial response times by developing and launching a fully automated AI search engine within 12 months, driving a multi-million-euro business case by accurately mapping the digitalized product portfolio against customer requests. - Strengthened global governance and decision-making by introducing data-driven lifecycle and portfolio management practices.
Reporting to the VP R&D EMEA. Member of the regional R&D leadership team. - overall responsible for R&D in our Specialties and Decorations business with dedicated R&D teams for products like nuts, baked inclusions, fruit preparations, and chocolate. - Heading a high-performing team of approx. 40 direct and indirect reports. - Driving the transformation to a customer-centric R&D organization. Providing the right service and product for the right price. - Streamlining R&D processes and prioritize high-impact initiatives to maximize efficiency and resource allocation
Reporting to the VP Vending and Beverages. Member of the local management team. - Overall responsible for R&D in Vending and Beverages in multiple production locations in close collaboration with the marketing and sales teams dedicated to the business unit. - Heading a diverse and international team. - Restructured the R&D team: improved efficiency and business impact in every year. - Managed key parts of the business transformation: successful SAP integration and move of a production location - Enabled growth in new and key segments: launching differentiating solutions
Chair for Process Systems Engineering (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heiko Briesen) Thesis title: "Molecular and Multi-scale Modelling of the Dissolution of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients" Other scientific work includes the molecular modeling of fats and oils in their liquid and/or solid phase, as well as, their intaction with crystalline surfaces of sugar.