Zurich, Switzerland
Co-Founder & Co-CEO at akenza.io | International Project Specialist | EMBA | Driven by Scaling Tech & ARR Growth My career is built on a foundation of managing mission-critical projects in some of the world’s most demanding environments. I specialize in navigating high-stakes stakeholder landscapes, from industrial sites in emerging markets to corporate boardrooms. Examples: • Commercial Scaling (akenza): Leading the strategic evolution of a premier IoT platform. By focusing on ecosystem partnerships and enterprise sales, I have successfully scaled to Millions of ARR revenue. • Large-Scale Infrastructure (ABB – Iraq): I have Served on the on-site project management team for the $750M+ DOHUK 2 Gas Power Plant project (4x125MW Combined Cycle). By managing a workforce of 3,000+ employees, I have navigated the extreme logistical and operational complexities of delivering critical energy infrastructure in a high-pressure international setting. • Cross-Border Innovation (Chile): Spearheaded an international waste-to-energy initiative in Valparaíso. I acted as the technical and commercial link between German plant builders and Chilean stakeholders to validate a system capable of meeting 10% of the region’s gas demand. What I bring to the table: • Proven Growth Mindset: A track record of generating significant ARR and scaling SaaS/IoT solutions within the Swiss tech ecosystem. • Global Operational Excellence: Extensive experience managing massive project budgets ($750M+) and multi-disciplinary teams across Iraq, Chile, and Europe. • Strategic Leadership: An Executive MBA from the University of Geneva focused on entrepreneurial leadership and responsible management. I am passionate about building the "Digital Backbone" for a data-driven future. Whether managing people on a construction site or leading a high-growth tech startup, my goal remains the same: transforming complex technical challenges into measurable global impact.
I stepped into the Co-CEO role alongside Simon Rieser to lead the company through its critical growth and professionalization phase. While providing executive leadership, I maintain direct oversight of the commercial strategy, driving the company’s evolution from a startup to a scaling SaaS platform. • Strategic Pivot & Positioning: Successfully navigated the 2020 global market shifts, refining our value proposition to focus on high-scale IoT deployments. • Revenue Growth: Scaled the business from early-stage revenue to Millions of ARR, establishing a sustainable and predictable growth engine. • Sales Leadership: Working on building a high-performing sales and partnership team, transitioning from "founder-led selling" to a structured commercial organization. • Executive Governance: Manage stakeholder relations, fundraising efforts, and organizational culture, fostering a lean, agile team environment.
As Co-Founder, I spearheaded the transition from a technical vision to a commercial reality. I was responsible for defining the Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy and establishing akenza’s initial footprint in the IoT ecosystem. • Translated complex IoT capabilities into value-driven narratives, creating the company’s first sales collateral and pitch decks. • Lighthouse Customer Acquisition: Personally identified and onboarded the first anchor clients • Ecosystem Building: Established the first strategic partnerships with hardware and connectivity providers • Built the initial sales pipeline from zero, implementing CRM structures and lead-generation processes that scaled with the company’s growth
Founded and scaled an urban gardening venture focused on sustainable, localized food production solutions. While maintaining my role at ABB, I built this business from the ground up, managing everything from supply chain to customer acquisition. • Successfully established the brand in the Swiss market • Won B2C and B2B Clients • Achieved >100k CHF revenue • Managed all facets of the business including digital presence (Gmüesgärtli.ch), logistics and vendor relations. Gmüesgärtli.ch eventually became the founding catalyst for akenza.io. While scaling, we encountered a technical bottleneck, the need for reliable, real-time soil moisture data. Seeking a technical solution brought me into the orbit of IoT technologies.
Served as a core member of the leadership task force that was refocusing the ABB X2000 Retrofit Project. • Was brought in to provide critical intervention for a >200M CHF project during a high-risk phase. • Focused on restructuring the timeline • Assessed Resource imbalances. • Provided governance for a multi-disciplinary team of >120 engineers
Orchestrated the planning and execution of international rail technology projects, focusing on high-speed connectivity and European rail interoperability. • International Coordination: Core member of the Project Management Team for ETCS (European Train Control System) rollouts in Hungary. Navigating the unique complexities of a multinational Siemens consortium between Zürich, Budapest and Berlin • Directed the project planning for the ETCS On-Board Unit (OBU) integration for the Stadler EC250 (Giruno) - the first high-speed low-floor train in the world.
Established my professional foundation with one of Germany's leading project management firms, specializing in coordinating highly complex and large-scale projects. • Standardized all the Schedules for Waste to Energy Plant Projects at Hitachi Zosen Innova in Zürich. • Served as the Overall Scheduler for the ERTMS project consortium across Switzerland, Hungary and Germany at Siemens Schweiz Mobility. Total Project Size >250Mio EUR • Spent 6 Months in Iraq for the construction of the DOHUK2 Gas Power Plants (4x125MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbines) as Part of the On-Site Project Management team for ABB. Total Project Size >750Mio $ >3000 Employees • Supported Siemens VAI and Deloitte with forensic project analysis to support their claim against the Steel Authority of India. Claim Size >100 Million $