Experience

Understanding IT - and humans.

Since 2017, I work as an interim and project manager, doing challenging projects for multiple companies throughout Germany.

In the Munich area, I had the pleasure to build and lead a team of admins and developers for a fast growing IT service provider and also lead some large scale IT infrastructure projects. I have supported a large advertisement agency in the Rhein-Main area to manage their IT-infrastructure related projects. Also in Rhein-Main, I am working for a German software manufacturer, helping to develop the northern American market and get the hosting infrastructure right. Most recently I started working for a consultancy in the energy sector with a team to migrate the IT infrastructure of a number of power plants in Germany and the Netherlands.

These projects allowed me to work with industry leaders like Amadeus, Bisnode, BMW, Engie, Mercedes-Benz and VW - and learn every day!

In addition to this, I do research on blockchain applications, AI and conversational interfaces.

My past experiences include:

• More than 200 website projects from one to over 100.000 pages

• More than 100 software projects from one man-day to over five man-years

• Dozens of IT projects ranging from running data centers to managing service organizations

• Managing teams or whole departments from a handful to thirty people

• Consulting start-ups, small-and-medium companies and global players on IT and digital projects and strategy

• Management consulting and coaching for various managers in Europe

I started my first internet company com2 GmbH - an ISP doing website design and software development - while still majoring in psychology at JLU Gießen, Germany, and CU Boulder, USA. In the following 20 years, I have built, bought and sold companies ranging from hardware reseller GES Computer GmbH, HR software developer DEXTER GmbH & Co KG through e-learning provider Mediaprime GmbH and even a small dating site. From 2014, I helped run a full service communication agency Orange Hive GmbH as CTO.

In all these companies, I saw myself as the interface between IT and business lines: I understand most of what nerdy IT people say - and I can translate it into language understandable to everyone. The same goes for translation of business speak to coders and admins. This reduces friction and helps to get things done quickly and efficiently.

See more details on LinkedIn

Education

Psychology helps, sometimes.

I hold a master degree in psychology (“Diplom”with a minor in Information Science) from Justus-Liebig-University in Gießen, Germany.

A term paper on the usability of Mosaic 0.9 in 1993 got me started with the web and all related technology. Knowing about why humans behave how they behave greatly helps in IT projects – at least sometimes.

To keep up with the IT world, I attained several certifications. Most of my knowledge, however, I gained in the 200+ projects I completed with my teams.

I am also a certified skiing instructor, but unfortunately that is mostly of no help in the IT-business these days.